WARD ROAD
Carrying WARD ROAD over RALSTON CREEK
JUST NORTH OF 70TH AVE, Jefferson, Colorado
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
WARD ROAD in Jefferson, Colorado sits above 42% of rated Colorado bridges on inventory load rating (33 t), while its 1969 build year is earlier than 77% of Jefferson's recorded-year cohort (464 bridges).
WARD ROAD in Jefferson, Colorado is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1969, 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 CO:ARVA-WD-0.75-01
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-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: WARD ROAD
The WARD ROAD bridge in Jefferson, Colorado carries WARD ROAD over RALSTON CREEK. It was built in 1969, making it 57 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 16.3 meters (53 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 15,435 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Colorado bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How WARD ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1969, earlier than 355 of Jefferson's 464 bridges with a recorded construction year (77%), against a county median build year of 1984. 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).
WARD ROAD vs every rated Colorado bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
33 Top 58% higher than 42% 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.
Jefferson inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 464 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
- 1969
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 16.3 m (53 ft)
- Deck Width
- 23.7 m (78 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 15,435 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- ARVA-WD-0.75-01
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • 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
WARD ROAD 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 WARD ROAD against other structures in Jefferson 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 WARD ROAD?
WARD ROAD in Jefferson, Colorado has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WARD ROAD inspected?
WARD 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 15,435 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WARD ROAD 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 WARD ROAD?
WARD ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WARD ROAD?
WARD ROAD is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is WARD ROAD and does age affect safety?
WARD ROAD was built in 1969, making it 57 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.