ROUTE 55
Carrying ROUTE 55 over N405-S55 CONNECTOR
12-ORA-055-R6.06-CMS, Orange, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ROUTE 55 in Orange, California sits above 32% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (30 t), while its 1966 build year is earlier than 69% of Orange's recorded-year cohort (1,164 bridges).
ROUTE 55 in Orange, California is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1966, 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:55 0424
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: ROUTE 55
The ROUTE 55 bridge in Orange, California carries ROUTE 55 over N405-S55 CONNECTOR. It was built in 1966, making it 60 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1970, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 39.0 meters (128 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 167,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 7/9. 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 ROUTE 55 compares
Age against the county: built in 1966, earlier than 808 of Orange's 1,164 bridges with a recorded construction year (69%), against a county median build year of 1976. 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).
ROUTE 55 vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
30 Top 68% higher than 32% 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.
Orange inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 1,164 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
- 1966
- Last Reconstructed
- 1970
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 39.0 m (128 ft)
- Deck Width
- 38.4 m (126 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 167,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 55 0424
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • 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 good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
ROUTE 55 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 ROUTE 55 against other structures in Orange 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 ROUTE 55?
ROUTE 55 in Orange, California has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ROUTE 55 inspected?
ROUTE 55'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 167,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ROUTE 55 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 ROUTE 55?
ROUTE 55 has an NBI inventory load rating of 30.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ROUTE 55?
ROUTE 55 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ROUTE 55 and does age affect safety?
ROUTE 55 was built in 1966, making it 60 years old and last reconstructed in 1970.
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.