I - 59 SOUTH
Carrying I - 59 SOUTH over CANOE CREEK
I59 * CANOE CREEK, St. Clair, Alabama
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
I - 59 SOUTH in St. Clair, Alabama sits above 35% of rated Alabama bridges on inventory load rating (29 t), while its 1961 build year is earlier than 47% of St. Clair's recorded-year cohort (183 bridges).
I - 59 SOUTH in St. Clair, Alabama is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1961, 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 AL:007231
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: I - 59 SOUTH
The I - 59 SOUTH bridge in St. Clair, Alabama carries I - 59 SOUTH over CANOE CREEK. It was built in 1961, making it 65 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 147.6 meters (484 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10,585 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Alabama bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 6/9. 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 I - 59 SOUTH compares
Age against the county: built in 1961, earlier than 86 of St. Clair's 183 bridges with a recorded construction year (47%), against a county median build year of 1961.
Live comparison across Alabama bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (16,191 of 16,205 rated).
I - 59 SOUTH vs every rated Alabama bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
29 Top 65% higher than 35% 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.
St. Clair inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 183 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
- 1961
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 147.6 m (484 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.4 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10,585 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 007231
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
I - 59 SOUTH 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 I - 59 SOUTH against other structures in St. Clair 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 I - 59 SOUTH?
I - 59 SOUTH in St. Clair, Alabama has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is I - 59 SOUTH inspected?
I - 59 SOUTH'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 10,585 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. I - 59 SOUTH 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 I - 59 SOUTH?
I - 59 SOUTH has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining I - 59 SOUTH?
I - 59 SOUTH is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is I - 59 SOUTH and does age affect safety?
I - 59 SOUTH was built in 1961, making it 65 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.
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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.