SR 542
Carrying SR 542 over OVERFLOW CHANNEL NO 2
0.3 E JCT SR 9, Whatcom, Washington
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: SR 542
The SR 542 bridge in Whatcom, Washington carries SR 542 over OVERFLOW CHANNEL NO 2. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 4 sections, stretching 20.7 meters (68 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 9,782 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Washington bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. 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 33.6 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How SR 542 compares
Live comparison across Washington.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1948
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 20.7 m (68 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.2 m (40 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 9,782 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0003486A0000000
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • At 3/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
How to read this record
SR 542 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 SR 542 against other structures in Whatcom and across Washington. Washington 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 SR 542?
SR 542 in Whatcom, Washington has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SR 542 inspected?
SR 542'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 9,782 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SR 542 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 SR 542?
SR 542 has an NBI inventory load rating of 33.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SR 542?
SR 542 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SR 542 and does age affect safety?
SR 542 was built in 1948, making it 78 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.