WV 16
Carrying WV 16 over BROWNS CREEK
0.01 MI SOUTH OF CO 7, McDowell, West Virginia
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: WV 16
The WV 16 bridge in McDowell, West Virginia carries WV 16 over BROWNS CREEK. It was built in 1999, making it 27 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 12.7 meters (42 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5,300 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of West Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules. Its NBI inventory load rating is 50.8 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How WV 16 compares
Live comparison across West Virginia.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1999
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.7 m (42 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.7 m (45 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5,300 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 00000000024A280
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
How to read this record
WV 16 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 WV 16 against other structures in McDowell and across West Virginia. West Virginia 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 WV 16?
WV 16 in McDowell, West Virginia has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WV 16 inspected?
WV 16'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 5,300 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WV 16 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 WV 16?
WV 16 has an NBI inventory load rating of 50.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WV 16?
WV 16 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is WV 16 and does age affect safety?
WV 16 was built in 1999, making it 27 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.