CAHABA BEACH ROAD
Carrying CAHABA BEACH ROAD over LITTLE CAHABA RIVER
1.8 MILES NORTH OF US 280, Shelby, Alabama
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: CAHABA BEACH ROAD
The CAHABA BEACH ROAD bridge in Shelby, Alabama carries CAHABA BEACH ROAD over LITTLE CAHABA RIVER. It was built in 1904, making it 122 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 33.5 meters (110 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 100 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Alabama 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 2/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in critical condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How CAHABA BEACH ROAD compares
Live comparison across Alabama.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1904
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 33.5 m (110 ft)
- Deck Width
- 3.5 m (11 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 100 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000024
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) is in critical condition (2/9), with severe deterioration requiring urgent attention.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
How to read this record
CAHABA BEACH ROAD 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 CAHABA BEACH ROAD against other structures in Shelby and across Alabama. Alabama 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 CAHABA BEACH ROAD?
CAHABA BEACH ROAD in Shelby, Alabama has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 2/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CAHABA BEACH ROAD inspected?
CAHABA BEACH ROAD'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 100 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CAHABA BEACH ROAD 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 CAHABA BEACH ROAD?
An inventory load rating is not recorded for CAHABA BEACH ROAD.
Who is responsible for maintaining CAHABA BEACH ROAD?
CAHABA BEACH ROAD is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is CAHABA BEACH ROAD and does age affect safety?
CAHABA BEACH ROAD was built in 1904, making it 122 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.