38TH ST
Carrying 38TH ST over SOUTH PLATTE RIVER
JUST NORTH OF ARKINS CT, Denver, Colorado
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
38TH ST in Denver, Colorado sits above 59% of rated Colorado bridges on inventory load rating (35 t), while its 1976 build year is earlier than 75% of Denver's recorded-year cohort (458 bridges).
38TH ST in Denver, Colorado is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1976, 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:D-02-PR-040A
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: 38TH ST
The 38TH ST bridge in Denver, Colorado carries 38TH ST over SOUTH PLATTE RIVER. It was built in 1976, making it 50 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 81.1 meters (266 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 15,173 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 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How 38TH ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1976, earlier than 342 of Denver's 458 bridges with a recorded construction year (75%), against a county median build year of 1993. 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).
38TH ST vs every rated Colorado bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
35 Top 41% higher than 59% 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.
Denver inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 458 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
- 1976
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 81.1 m (266 ft)
- Deck Width
- 21.9 m (72 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 15,173 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- D-02-PR-040A
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) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
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 38TH ST 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 38TH ST against other structures in Denver 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 38TH ST?
38TH ST in Denver, Colorado has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 38TH ST inspected?
38TH ST'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 15,173 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 38TH ST 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 38TH ST?
38TH ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 34.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 38TH ST?
38TH ST is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is 38TH ST and does age affect safety?
38TH ST was built in 1976, making it 50 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.