OWL CREEK PASS RD
Carrying OWL CREEK PASS RD over EAST FORK CIMARRON RIV.
27 MI S OF MONTROSE, Gunnison, Colorado
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
OWL CREEK PASS RD in Gunnison, Colorado is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1987, 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 CO:020406000001032
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · TRACE-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- TRACE-ADT Trace 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: OWL CREEK PASS RD
The OWL CREEK PASS RD bridge in Gunnison, Colorado carries OWL CREEK PASS RD over EAST FORK CIMARRON RIV.. It was built in 1987, making it 39 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 30.8 meters (101 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 45 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Colorado bridges. It is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How OWL CREEK PASS RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1987, earlier than 38 of Gunnison's 100 bridges with a recorded construction year (38%), against a county median build year of 1985. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Colorado bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (8,962 of 8,965 rated).
OWL CREEK PASS RD vs every rated Colorado bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
29 Top 69% higher than 31% of 8,962 bridges
rated Colorado 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.
Gunnison inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 100 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
- 1987
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 30.8 m (101 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.4 m (14 ft)
- Owner
- U.S. Forest Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 45 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 020406000001032
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 6/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
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 OWL CREEK PASS RD 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 OWL CREEK PASS RD against other structures in Gunnison and across Colorado. Colorado 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 OWL CREEK PASS RD?
OWL CREEK PASS RD in Gunnison, Colorado has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is OWL CREEK PASS RD inspected?
OWL CREEK PASS RD'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 45 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. OWL CREEK PASS RD 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 OWL CREEK PASS RD?
OWL CREEK PASS RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining OWL CREEK PASS RD?
OWL CREEK PASS RD is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
How old is OWL CREEK PASS RD and does age affect safety?
OWL CREEK PASS RD was built in 1987, making it 39 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.