ALISAL ROAD
Carrying ALISAL ROAD over SANTA YNEZ RIVER
0.8 MI S SR 246, Santa Barbara, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ALISAL ROAD in Santa Barbara, California sits above 86% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (40 t), while its 1971 build year is earlier than 44% of Santa Barbara's recorded-year cohort (418 bridges).
ALISAL ROAD in Santa Barbara, California is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1971, 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:51C0008
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 9 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: ALISAL ROAD
The ALISAL ROAD bridge in Santa Barbara, California carries ALISAL ROAD over SANTA YNEZ RIVER. It was built in 1971, making it 55 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 9 sections, stretching 260.0 meters (853 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,712 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 4/9. 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 ALISAL ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1971, earlier than 186 of Santa Barbara's 418 bridges with a recorded construction year (44%), against a county median build year of 1969. 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).
ALISAL ROAD vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
40 Top 14% higher than 86% 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.
Santa Barbara inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 418 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
- 1971
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 9
- Structure Length
- 260.0 m (853 ft)
- Deck Width
- 11.5 m (38 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,712 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 51C0008
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • 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
ALISAL ROAD 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 ALISAL ROAD against other structures in Santa Barbara 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 ALISAL ROAD?
ALISAL ROAD in Santa Barbara, California has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ALISAL ROAD inspected?
ALISAL ROAD'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 1,712 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ALISAL ROAD 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 ALISAL ROAD?
ALISAL ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 39.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ALISAL ROAD?
ALISAL ROAD is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is ALISAL ROAD and does age affect safety?
ALISAL ROAD was built in 1971, making it 55 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.