PA 501; S.College
Carrying PA 501; S.College over TULPEHOCKEN CREEK
MYERSTOWN BOROUGH, Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: PA 501; S.College
The PA 501; S.College bridge in Lebanon, Pennsylvania carries PA 501; S.College over TULPEHOCKEN CREEK. It was built in 1940, making it 86 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1968, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 7.0 meters (23 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 8,039 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed. Its NBI inventory load rating is 35.4 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How PA 501; S.College compares
Live comparison across Pennsylvania.
Historical Sufficiency Rating
PlainBridge-computedFHWA discontinued this calculated item; it does not determine current condition, funding eligibility, posting, or closure. How the historical reference is calculated.
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1940
- Last Reconstructed
- 1968
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 7.0 m (23 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.4 m (47 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 8,039 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000022719
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, advanced deterioration that should be prioritized for repair.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
How to read this record
PA 501; S.College is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare PA 501; S.College against other structures in Lebanon and across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for PA 501; S.College?
PA 501; S.College in Lebanon, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is PA 501; S.College inspected?
PA 501; S.College's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 8,039 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. PA 501; S.College is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for PA 501; S.College?
PA 501; S.College has an NBI inventory load rating of 35.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PA 501; S.College?
PA 501; S.College is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is PA 501; S.College and does age affect safety?
PA 501; S.College was built in 1940, making it 86 years old and last reconstructed in 1968.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Every figure on PlainBridge is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.