WV Route 251
Carrying WV Route 251 over Ohio River
0.22 Mi. West Jct WV 2 SB, Ohio, West Virginia
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: WV Route 251
The WV Route 251 bridge in Ohio, West Virginia carries WV Route 251 over Ohio River. It was built in 1849, making it 177 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1999, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 398.5 meters (1307 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5,234 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 7/9, superstructure at 4/9, 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.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How WV Route 251 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1849
- Last Reconstructed
- 1999
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 398.5 m (1307 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5,234 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 00000000035A090
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
How to read this record
WV Route 251 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 Route 251 against other structures in Ohio 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 Route 251?
WV Route 251 in Ohio, West Virginia has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WV Route 251 inspected?
WV Route 251'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 5,234 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WV Route 251 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 Route 251?
An inventory load rating is not recorded for WV Route 251.
Who is responsible for maintaining WV Route 251?
WV Route 251 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is WV Route 251 and does age affect safety?
WV Route 251 was built in 1849, making it 177 years old and last reconstructed in 1999.
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.