NORTH ELM STREET
Carrying NORTH ELM STREET over NORTH BUFFALO CREEK
0.4 MI.N.JCT US70, Guilford, North Carolina
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: NORTH ELM STREET
The NORTH ELM STREET bridge in Guilford, North Carolina carries NORTH ELM STREET over NORTH BUFFALO CREEK. It was built in 1921, making it 105 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 26.8 meters (88 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 13,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. 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 57.1 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How NORTH ELM STREET 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1921
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 26.8 m (88 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.8 m (49 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 13,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000810399
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.
- • 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) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
How to read this record
NORTH ELM 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 NORTH ELM STREET against other structures in Guilford 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 NORTH ELM STREET?
NORTH ELM STREET in Guilford, North Carolina has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is NORTH ELM STREET inspected?
NORTH ELM 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 13,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. NORTH ELM 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 NORTH ELM STREET?
NORTH ELM STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 57.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining NORTH ELM STREET?
NORTH ELM STREET is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is NORTH ELM STREET and does age affect safety?
NORTH ELM STREET was built in 1921, making it 105 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.