CR J18
Carrying CR J18 over MERCED RIVER
KELLEY ROAD, Merced, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
CR J18 in Merced, California sits above 37% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (32 t), while its 1981 build year is earlier than 25% of Merced's recorded-year cohort (528 bridges).
CR J18 in Merced, California is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1981, 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 CA:39C0354
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: CR J18
The CR J18 bridge in Merced, California carries CR J18 over MERCED RIVER. It was built in 1981, making it 45 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 112.2 meters (368 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,196 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How CR J18 compares
Age against the county: built in 1981, earlier than 132 of Merced's 528 bridges with a recorded construction year (25%), against a county median build year of 1966. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across California bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (25,538 of 25,848 rated).
CR J18 vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
32 Top 63% higher than 37% of 25,538 bridges
rated California 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.
Merced inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 528 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
- 1981
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 112.2 m (368 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.8 m (35 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,196 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 39C0354
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • 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
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether CR J18 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 CR J18 against other structures in Merced and across California. California 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 CR J18?
CR J18 in Merced, California has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CR J18 inspected?
CR J18'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 1,196 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CR J18 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 CR J18?
CR J18 has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CR J18?
CR J18 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is CR J18 and does age affect safety?
CR J18 was built in 1981, making it 45 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.