SKYWAY
Carrying SKYWAY over MAGALIA RESERVOIR SPILWY
AT MAGALIA, Butte, California
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: SKYWAY
The SKYWAY bridge in Butte, California carries SKYWAY over MAGALIA RESERVOIR SPILWY. It was built in 1975, making it 51 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 48.8 meters (160 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 13,516 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 7/9. 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. Its NBI inventory load rating is 57.0 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How SKYWAY compares
Live comparison across California.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1975
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 48.8 m (160 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.3 m (34 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 13,516 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 12C0395
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
How to read this record
SKYWAY 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 SKYWAY against other structures in Butte and across California. California 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 SKYWAY?
SKYWAY in Butte, California has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SKYWAY inspected?
SKYWAY'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 13,516 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SKYWAY 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 SKYWAY?
SKYWAY has an NBI inventory load rating of 57.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SKYWAY?
SKYWAY is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is SKYWAY and does age affect safety?
SKYWAY was built in 1975, making it 51 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.