STATE ROUTE 198
Carrying STATE ROUTE 198 over KAWEAH RIVER
06-TUL-198-43.92, Tulare, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
STATE ROUTE 198 in Tulare, California sits above 23% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (25 t), while its 1922 build year is earlier than 97% of Tulare's recorded-year cohort (589 bridges).
STATE ROUTE 198 in Tulare, California is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1922, 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 CA:46 0029
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: STATE ROUTE 198
The STATE ROUTE 198 bridge in Tulare, California carries STATE ROUTE 198 over KAWEAH RIVER. It was built in 1922, making it 104 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 62.5 meters (205 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,650 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 5/9, 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 STATE ROUTE 198 compares
Age against the county: built in 1922, earlier than 571 of Tulare's 589 bridges with a recorded construction year (97%), against a county median build year of 1954. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across California bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (25,538 of 25,848 rated).
STATE ROUTE 198 vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
25 Top 77% higher than 23% 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.
Tulare inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 589 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
- 1922
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 62.5 m (205 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.6 m (22 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,650 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 46 0029
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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
STATE ROUTE 198 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 STATE ROUTE 198 against other structures in Tulare 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 STATE ROUTE 198?
STATE ROUTE 198 in Tulare, California has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is STATE ROUTE 198 inspected?
STATE ROUTE 198'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 1,650 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. STATE ROUTE 198 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 STATE ROUTE 198?
STATE ROUTE 198 has an NBI inventory load rating of 25.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining STATE ROUTE 198?
STATE ROUTE 198 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is STATE ROUTE 198 and does age affect safety?
STATE ROUTE 198 was built in 1922, making it 104 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.