FOREST HILL DR
Carrying FOREST HILL DR over BEAR CREEK
0.2 MI W BEAR CREEK RD, Santa Cruz, California
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: FOREST HILL DR
The FOREST HILL DR bridge in Santa Cruz, California carries FOREST HILL DR over BEAR CREEK. It was built in 1961, making it 65 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 18.1 meters (59 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,200 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-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. 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 21.7 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How FOREST HILL DR 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1961
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 18.1 m (59 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,200 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 36C0135
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
How to read this record
FOREST HILL DR 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 FOREST HILL DR against other structures in Santa Cruz 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 FOREST HILL DR?
FOREST HILL DR in Santa Cruz, 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 FOREST HILL DR inspected?
FOREST HILL DR'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 1,200 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FOREST HILL DR 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 FOREST HILL DR?
FOREST HILL DR has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FOREST HILL DR?
FOREST HILL DR is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is FOREST HILL DR and does age affect safety?
FOREST HILL DR was built in 1961, making it 65 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.