NFSR 344
Carrying NFSR 344 over SOUTH COTTONWOOD CREEK
8.9 MI SW OF BUENA VISTA, Chaffee, Colorado
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
NFSR 344 in Chaffee, Colorado sits above 1% of rated Colorado bridges on inventory load rating (8 t), while its 1954 build year is earlier than 65% of Chaffee's recorded-year cohort (84 bridges).
NFSR 344 in Chaffee, Colorado is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1954, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. 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:021202000001022
INTERSTATE-ERA · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: NFSR 344
The NFSR 344 bridge in Chaffee, Colorado carries NFSR 344 over SOUTH COTTONWOOD CREEK. It was built in 1954, making it 72 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 9.3 meters (31 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 160 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 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How NFSR 344 compares
Age against the county: built in 1954, earlier than 55 of Chaffee's 84 bridges with a recorded construction year (65%), against a county median build year of 1983. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Colorado bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (8,962 of 8,965 rated).
NFSR 344 vs every rated Colorado bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
8 Top 99% higher than 1% 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.
Chaffee inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 84 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
- 1954
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.3 m (31 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.7 m (15 ft)
- Owner
- U.S. Forest Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 160 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 021202000001022
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether NFSR 344 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 NFSR 344 against other structures in Chaffee 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 NFSR 344?
NFSR 344 in Chaffee, Colorado has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is NFSR 344 inspected?
NFSR 344'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 160 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. NFSR 344 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 NFSR 344?
NFSR 344 has an NBI inventory load rating of 8.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining NFSR 344?
NFSR 344 is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
How old is NFSR 344 and does age affect safety?
NFSR 344 was built in 1954, making it 72 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.