W. 12th Street
Carrying W. 12th Street over BIG CREEK
1.0W OF HAYS, Ellis, Kansas
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: W. 12th Street
The W. 12th Street bridge in Ellis, Kansas carries W. 12th Street over BIG CREEK. It was built in 1940, making it 86 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 4 sections, stretching 70.8 meters (232 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 590 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Kansas bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 6/9. 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 21.7 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How W. 12th Street compares
Live comparison across Kansas.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 70.8 m (232 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.9 m (26 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 590 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000260820
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, advanced deterioration that should be prioritized for repair.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 6/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
How to read this record
W. 12th Street 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 W. 12th Street against other structures in Ellis and across Kansas. Kansas 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 W. 12th Street?
W. 12th Street in Ellis, Kansas has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is W. 12th Street inspected?
W. 12th Street'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 590 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. W. 12th Street 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 W. 12th Street?
W. 12th Street has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining W. 12th Street?
W. 12th Street is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is W. 12th Street and does age affect safety?
W. 12th Street was built in 1940, making it 86 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.