SR1549
Carrying SR1549 over NORTH FORK NEW RIVER
50 FT.S.JCT.SR1550, Ashe, North Carolina
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: SR1549
The SR1549 bridge in Ashe, North Carolina carries SR1549 over NORTH FORK NEW RIVER. It was built in 1961, making it 65 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 8 sections, stretching 79.5 meters (261 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 70 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, 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 9.0 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How SR1549 compares
Live comparison across North Carolina.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1961
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 8
- Structure Length
- 79.5 m (261 ft)
- Deck Width
- 3.7 m (12 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 70 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000090122
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.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
How to read this record
SR1549 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 SR1549 against other structures in Ashe and across North Carolina. North Carolina 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 SR1549?
SR1549 in Ashe, North Carolina has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SR1549 inspected?
SR1549'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 70 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SR1549 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 SR1549?
SR1549 has an NBI inventory load rating of 9.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SR1549?
SR1549 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SR1549 and does age affect safety?
SR1549 was built in 1961, making it 65 years old.
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.