VALLEY LOOP ROAD
Carrying VALLEY LOOP ROAD over MERCED RIVER
14.2 miles east from El P, Mariposa, California
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
VALLEY LOOP ROAD in Mariposa, California sits above 25% of rated California bridges on inventory load rating (26 t), while its 1933 build year is earlier than 72% of Mariposa's recorded-year cohort (109 bridges).
VALLEY LOOP ROAD in Mariposa, California is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1933, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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:8800005P0000000
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: VALLEY LOOP ROAD
The VALLEY LOOP ROAD bridge in Mariposa, California carries VALLEY LOOP ROAD over MERCED RIVER. It was built in 1933, making it 93 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 38.7 meters (127 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,416 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of California bridges. It is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How VALLEY LOOP ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1933, earlier than 79 of Mariposa's 109 bridges with a recorded construction year (72%), against a county median build year of 1956. 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).
VALLEY LOOP ROAD vs every rated California bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
26 Top 75% higher than 25% 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.
Mariposa inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 109 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
- 1933
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 38.7 m (127 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.0 m (43 ft)
- Owner
- National Park Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,416 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 8800005P0000000
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • At 6/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 VALLEY LOOP ROAD 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 VALLEY LOOP ROAD against other structures in Mariposa 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 VALLEY LOOP ROAD?
VALLEY LOOP ROAD in Mariposa, California has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is VALLEY LOOP ROAD inspected?
VALLEY LOOP 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 3,416 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. VALLEY LOOP ROAD 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 VALLEY LOOP ROAD?
VALLEY LOOP ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 26.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining VALLEY LOOP ROAD?
VALLEY LOOP ROAD is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
How old is VALLEY LOOP ROAD and does age affect safety?
VALLEY LOOP ROAD was built in 1933, making it 93 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.