RICHARDSON HIGHWAY
Carrying RICHARDSON HIGHWAY over GULKANA RIVER
MILE POINT 129.8, Copper River, Alaska
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY in Copper River, Alaska is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1974, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor result describes the weakest reported component rather than the structure as a whole. No NBI category is a closure decision or a live crossing-safety verdict.
NBI record plate
Structure AK:0574
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-POOR Poor
Inspection-sheet codes from this record’s year, material family, spans, controlling component, ADT, inventory load, and NBI category, not a live closure verdict.
Bridge Snapshot: RICHARDSON HIGHWAY
The RICHARDSON HIGHWAY bridge in Copper River, Alaska carries RICHARDSON HIGHWAY over GULKANA RIVER. It was built in 1974, making it 52 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 123.4 meters (405 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 880 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Alaska bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. 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.
How RICHARDSON HIGHWAY compares
Age against the county: built in 1974, earlier than 31 of Copper River's 52 bridges with a recorded construction year (60%), against a county median build year of 1979. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Alaska bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (1,679 of 1,685 rated).
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY vs every rated Alaska bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
36 Top 46% higher than 54% of 1,679 bridges
rated Alaska bridges, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more bridges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · August 2026
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Reported 0–9 component ratings from the FHWA NBI. The highlighted component is the lowest reported input to this record’s current condition category; it is not a closure or live crossing-safety decision.
Copper River inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 52 bridges in this county. Orthogonal to this structure's component profile above: a county catalog share, not a live crossing-safety verdict.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1974
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 123.4 m (405 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.7 m (35 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 880 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0574
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY 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 RICHARDSON HIGHWAY against other structures in Copper River and across Alaska. Alaska 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 RICHARDSON HIGHWAY?
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY in Copper River, Alaska has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is RICHARDSON HIGHWAY inspected?
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY'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 880 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. RICHARDSON HIGHWAY 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 RICHARDSON HIGHWAY?
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY has an NBI inventory load rating of 36.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining RICHARDSON HIGHWAY?
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is RICHARDSON HIGHWAY and does age affect safety?
RICHARDSON HIGHWAY was built in 1974, making it 52 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.
Share this inspection record
Send this source-bounded record or download its data card. An NBI condition category is not a closure or live crossing-safety verdict.
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Component ratings, ADT, and condition category on this page are copied from the NBI record for this structure; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.