Brandon Cotton Rd
Carrying Brandon Cotton Rd over TERRE BLANC BAYOU
0.73 M. W. OF LA 485, Natchitoches, Louisiana
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: Brandon Cotton Rd
The Brandon Cotton Rd bridge in Natchitoches, Louisiana carries Brandon Cotton Rd over TERRE BLANC BAYOU. It was built in 1981, making it 45 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 18.6 meters (61 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 92 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Louisiana bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 3/9. The weakest component sits in poor 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. Its NBI inventory load rating is 14.6 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How Brandon Cotton Rd compares
Live comparison across Louisiana.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1981
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 18.6 m (61 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 92 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 083531463931791
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 6/9, 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 (3/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
How to read this record
Brandon Cotton Rd 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 Brandon Cotton Rd against other structures in Natchitoches and across Louisiana. Louisiana 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 Brandon Cotton Rd?
Brandon Cotton Rd in Natchitoches, Louisiana has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is Brandon Cotton Rd inspected?
Brandon Cotton Rd'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 92 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. Brandon Cotton Rd 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 Brandon Cotton Rd?
Brandon Cotton Rd has an NBI inventory load rating of 14.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining Brandon Cotton Rd?
Brandon Cotton Rd is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is Brandon Cotton Rd and does age affect safety?
Brandon Cotton Rd was built in 1981, making it 45 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.