THORNE BAY ROAD
Carrying THORNE BAY ROAD over FALLS CREEK
MILE POINT 13.6, Prince of Wales-Hyder, Alaska
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
THORNE BAY ROAD in Prince of Wales-Hyder, Alaska sits above 88% of rated Alaska bridges on inventory load rating (57 t), while its 1975 build year is earlier than 96% of Prince of Wales-Hyder's recorded-year cohort (234 bridges).
THORNE BAY ROAD in Prince of Wales-Hyder, Alaska is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1975, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:1463
INTERSTATE-ERA · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: THORNE BAY ROAD
The THORNE BAY ROAD bridge in Prince of Wales-Hyder, Alaska carries THORNE BAY ROAD over FALLS CREEK. It was built in 1975, making it 51 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 17.4 meters (57 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 190 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 8/9, superstructure at 8/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How THORNE BAY ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1975, earlier than 224 of Prince of Wales-Hyder's 234 bridges with a recorded construction year (96%), against a county median build year of 1989. 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).
THORNE BAY ROAD vs every rated Alaska bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
57 Top 12% higher than 88% 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.
Prince of Wales-Hyder inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 234 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
- 1975
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 17.4 m (57 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.7 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 190 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1463
Condition Analysis
- • At 8/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether THORNE BAY ROAD is safe to cross today. Here is how to use it.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Learn how the 0–9 condition scale and Good/Fair/Poor categories are defined. How condition ratings work
- Compare THORNE BAY ROAD against other structures in Prince of Wales-Hyder 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 THORNE BAY ROAD?
THORNE BAY ROAD in Prince of Wales-Hyder, Alaska has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is THORNE BAY ROAD inspected?
THORNE BAY ROAD'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 190 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. THORNE BAY ROAD is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for THORNE BAY ROAD?
THORNE BAY ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 57.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining THORNE BAY ROAD?
THORNE BAY ROAD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is THORNE BAY ROAD and does age affect safety?
THORNE BAY ROAD 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.
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.