COTTONWOOD LOOP RD
Carrying COTTONWOOD LOOP RD over FAIRFIELD CANAL
0.5 MI EAST ON N LAKE RD, Merced, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD in Merced, California sits above 37% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (32 t), while its 2020 build year is earlier than 1% of Merced's recorded-year cohort (528 bridges).
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD in Merced, California is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 2020, 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:39I0004
POST-2000 · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- POST-2000 2000+
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: COTTONWOOD LOOP RD
The COTTONWOOD LOOP RD bridge in Merced, California carries COTTONWOOD LOOP RD over FAIRFIELD CANAL. It was built in 2020, making it 6 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 23.2 meters (76 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 500 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by Other State Agencies.
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. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How COTTONWOOD LOOP RD compares
Age against the county: built in 2020, earlier than 3 of Merced's 528 bridges with a recorded construction year (1%), 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).
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD 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
- 2020
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 23.2 m (76 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.5 m (44 ft)
- Owner
- Other State Agencies
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 500 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 39I0004
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • 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 COTTONWOOD LOOP RD 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 COTTONWOOD LOOP RD 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 COTTONWOOD LOOP RD?
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD 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 COTTONWOOD LOOP RD inspected?
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD'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 500 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. COTTONWOOD LOOP RD 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 COTTONWOOD LOOP RD?
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining COTTONWOOD LOOP RD?
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD is owned and maintained by Other State Agencies.
How old is COTTONWOOD LOOP RD and does age affect safety?
COTTONWOOD LOOP RD was built in 2020, making it 6 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.