SM 220
Carrying SM 220 over NORTH FORK TULE RIVER
0.1 MI BALCH PARK RD, Tulare, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SM 220 in Tulare, California sits above 99% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (72 t), while its 1977 build year is earlier than 13% of Tulare's recorded-year cohort (589 bridges).
SM 220 in Tulare, California is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1977, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. 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 CA:46C0169
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: SM 220
The SM 220 bridge in Tulare, California carries SM 220 over NORTH FORK TULE RIVER. It was built in 1977, making it 49 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 27.2 meters (89 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 175 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How SM 220 compares
Age against the county: built in 1977, earlier than 78 of Tulare's 589 bridges with a recorded construction year (13%), against a county median build year of 1954. 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).
SM 220 vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
72 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
- 1977
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 27.2 m (89 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.9 m (32 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 175 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 46C0169
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • 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) 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 SM 220 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 SM 220 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 SM 220?
SM 220 in Tulare, California has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SM 220 inspected?
SM 220'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 175 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SM 220 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 SM 220?
SM 220 has an NBI inventory load rating of 72.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SM 220?
SM 220 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is SM 220 and does age affect safety?
SM 220 was built in 1977, making it 49 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.