AVE OF THE FLAGS
Carrying AVE OF THE FLAGS over SANTA YNEZ RIVER
0.6 MI SOUTH OF SR 246, Santa Barbara, California
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: AVE OF THE FLAGS
The AVE OF THE FLAGS bridge in Santa Barbara, California carries AVE OF THE FLAGS over SANTA YNEZ RIVER. It was built in 1949, making it 77 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 10 sections, stretching 305.4 meters (1002 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,000 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 53.5 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How AVE OF THE FLAGS 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1949
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 10
- Structure Length
- 305.4 m (1002 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.6 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 51C0174
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) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
How to read this record
AVE OF THE FLAGS 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 AVE OF THE FLAGS against other structures in Santa Barbara 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 AVE OF THE FLAGS?
AVE OF THE FLAGS in Santa Barbara, 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 AVE OF THE FLAGS inspected?
AVE OF THE FLAGS'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 3,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. AVE OF THE FLAGS 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 AVE OF THE FLAGS?
AVE OF THE FLAGS has an NBI inventory load rating of 53.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining AVE OF THE FLAGS?
AVE OF THE FLAGS is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is AVE OF THE FLAGS and does age affect safety?
AVE OF THE FLAGS was built in 1949, making it 77 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.