HWY 121
Carrying HWY 121 over LITTLE CHOC RIVER
SEC-33 T-4-N R-24-E, Dale, Alabama
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HWY 121 in Dale, Alabama sits above 12% of rated Alabama bridges on inventory load rating (21 t), while its 1961 build year is earlier than 64% of Dale's recorded-year cohort (206 bridges).
HWY 121 in Dale, Alabama is rated Fair 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 6. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Fair 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:007450
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 7 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-FAIR Fair
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: HWY 121
The HWY 121 bridge in Dale, Alabama carries HWY 121 over LITTLE CHOC RIVER. It was built in 1961, making it 65 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 7 sections, stretching 77.4 meters (254 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 121 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Alabama bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How HWY 121 compares
Age against the county: built in 1961, earlier than 132 of Dale's 206 bridges with a recorded construction year (64%), against a county median build year of 1975. 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).
HWY 121 vs every rated Alabama bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
21 Top 88% higher than 12% 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.
Dale inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 206 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
- Number of Spans
- 7
- Structure Length
- 77.4 m (254 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 121 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 007450
Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • 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 HWY 121 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 HWY 121 against other structures in Dale 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 HWY 121?
HWY 121 in Dale, Alabama has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HWY 121 inspected?
HWY 121'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 121 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HWY 121 is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for HWY 121?
HWY 121 has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HWY 121?
HWY 121 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is HWY 121 and does age affect safety?
HWY 121 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.
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.