KNUDSEN DRIVE
Carrying KNUDSEN DRIVE over UP RR & GOLDEN STATE HWY
0.25 MI N OF NORRIS RD W, Kern, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
KNUDSEN DRIVE in Kern, California sits above 80% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (36 t), while its 1948 build year is earlier than 91% of Kern's recorded-year cohort (668 bridges).
KNUDSEN DRIVE in Kern, California is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1948, 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:50C0071
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 9 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-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: KNUDSEN DRIVE
The KNUDSEN DRIVE bridge in Kern, California carries KNUDSEN DRIVE over UP RR & GOLDEN STATE HWY. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1998, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 9 sections, stretching 149.0 meters (489 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 4,000 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 4/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How KNUDSEN DRIVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1948, earlier than 610 of Kern's 668 bridges with a recorded construction year (91%), against a county median build year of 1969. 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).
KNUDSEN DRIVE vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
36 Top 20% higher than 80% 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.
Kern inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 668 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
- 1948
- Last Reconstructed
- 1998
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 9
- Structure Length
- 149.0 m (489 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.0 m (33 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 4,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 50C0071
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • 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
KNUDSEN DRIVE 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 KNUDSEN DRIVE against other structures in Kern 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 KNUDSEN DRIVE?
KNUDSEN DRIVE in Kern, California has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is KNUDSEN DRIVE inspected?
KNUDSEN DRIVE'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 4,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. KNUDSEN DRIVE 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 KNUDSEN DRIVE?
KNUDSEN DRIVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 36.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining KNUDSEN DRIVE?
KNUDSEN DRIVE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is KNUDSEN DRIVE and does age affect safety?
KNUDSEN DRIVE was built in 1948, making it 78 years old and last reconstructed in 1998.
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.