AVENUE 18.5
Carrying AVENUE 18.5 over EASTSIDE BYPASS CHANNEL
2.0 MI EAST OF ROAD 4, Madera, California
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: AVENUE 18.5
The AVENUE 18.5 bridge in Madera, California carries AVENUE 18.5 over EASTSIDE BYPASS CHANNEL. It was built in 1965, making it 61 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 11 sections, stretching 96.9 meters (318 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 300 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 3/9. 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.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How AVENUE 18.5 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1965
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 11
- Structure Length
- 96.9 m (318 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.3 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 300 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 41C0089
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.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 3/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
How to read this record
AVENUE 18.5 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 AVENUE 18.5 against other structures in Madera 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 AVENUE 18.5?
AVENUE 18.5 in Madera, California has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is AVENUE 18.5 inspected?
AVENUE 18.5'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 300 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. AVENUE 18.5 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 AVENUE 18.5?
An inventory load rating is not recorded for AVENUE 18.5.
Who is responsible for maintaining AVENUE 18.5?
AVENUE 18.5 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is AVENUE 18.5 and does age affect safety?
AVENUE 18.5 was built in 1965, making it 61 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.