WALNUT AVENUE
Carrying WALNUT AVENUE over HARBOR BLVD
0.15 MI N/O VALENCIA DR, Orange, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
WALNUT AVENUE in Orange, California sits above 37% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (32 t), while its 1970 build year is earlier than 57% of Orange's recorded-year cohort (1,164 bridges).
WALNUT AVENUE in Orange, California is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1970, 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:55C0384
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- 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: WALNUT AVENUE
The WALNUT AVENUE bridge in Orange, California carries WALNUT AVENUE over HARBOR BLVD. It was built in 1970, making it 56 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 4 sections, stretching 45.2 meters (148 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,200 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 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. 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 WALNUT AVENUE compares
Age against the county: built in 1970, earlier than 667 of Orange's 1,164 bridges with a recorded construction year (57%), 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).
WALNUT AVENUE vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
32 Top 63% higher than 37% 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
- 1970
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 45.2 m (148 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.4 m (34 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,200 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 55C0384
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) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
WALNUT AVENUE 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 WALNUT AVENUE 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 WALNUT AVENUE?
WALNUT AVENUE in Orange, California has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WALNUT AVENUE inspected?
WALNUT AVENUE'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 1,200 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WALNUT AVENUE 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 WALNUT AVENUE?
WALNUT AVENUE has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WALNUT AVENUE?
WALNUT AVENUE is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is WALNUT AVENUE and does age affect safety?
WALNUT AVENUE was built in 1970, making it 56 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.