OLD 3RD AVE SE
Carrying OLD 3RD AVE SE over L*N RAIL ROAD
Old 3rd ave se, Cullman, Alabama
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
OLD 3RD AVE SE in Cullman, Alabama sits above 1% of rated Alabama bridges on inventory load rating (2 t), while its 1912 build year is earlier than 99% of Cullman's recorded-year cohort (246 bridges).
OLD 3RD AVE SE in Cullman, Alabama is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1912, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 3. 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 AL:000058
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: OLD 3RD AVE SE
The OLD 3RD AVE SE bridge in Cullman, Alabama carries OLD 3RD AVE SE over L*N RAIL ROAD. It was built in 1912, making it 114 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 33.5 meters (110 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,128 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Alabama bridges. It is owned and maintained by Railroad.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure at 3/9, substructure at 4/9. 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.
How OLD 3RD AVE SE compares
Age against the county: built in 1912, earlier than 244 of Cullman's 246 bridges with a recorded construction year (99%), against a county median build year of 1963. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Alabama bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (16,191 of 16,205 rated).
OLD 3RD AVE SE vs every rated Alabama bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
2 Top 99% higher than 1% of 16,191 bridges
rated Alabama 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.
Cullman inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 246 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
- 1912
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 33.5 m (110 ft)
- Deck Width
- 5.8 m (19 ft)
- Owner
- Railroad
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,128 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000058
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 3/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 3/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
OLD 3RD AVE SE 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 OLD 3RD AVE SE against other structures in Cullman and across Alabama. Alabama 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 OLD 3RD AVE SE?
OLD 3RD AVE SE in Cullman, Alabama has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 3/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is OLD 3RD AVE SE inspected?
OLD 3RD AVE SE'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 1,128 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. OLD 3RD AVE SE 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 OLD 3RD AVE SE?
OLD 3RD AVE SE has an NBI inventory load rating of 1.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining OLD 3RD AVE SE?
OLD 3RD AVE SE is owned and maintained by Railroad.
How old is OLD 3RD AVE SE and does age affect safety?
OLD 3RD AVE SE was built in 1912, making it 114 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.