US 491ML
Carrying US 491ML over SHARPS CREEK
2.4 MILES NW OF CAHONE, Dolores, Colorado
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US 491ML in Dolores, Colorado sits above 96% of rated Colorado bridges on inventory load rating (90 t), while its 1937 build year is earlier than 71% of Dolores's recorded-year cohort (28 bridges).
US 491ML in Dolores, Colorado is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1937, it carries 1 rated component 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:N-01-E
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: US 491ML
The US 491ML bridge in Dolores, Colorado carries US 491ML over SHARPS CREEK. It was built in 1937, making it 89 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1958, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 13.4 meters (44 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,400 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Colorado bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert 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 US 491ML compares
Age against the county: built in 1937, earlier than 20 of Dolores's 28 bridges with a recorded construction year (71%), against a county median build year of 1960. 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).
US 491ML vs every rated Colorado bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
90 Top 4% higher than 96% 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.
Dolores inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 28 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
- 1937
- Last Reconstructed
- 1958
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 13.4 m (44 ft)
- Deck Width
- 31.7 m (104 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- N-01-E
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 US 491ML 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 US 491ML against other structures in Dolores 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 US 491ML?
US 491ML in Dolores, Colorado on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US 491ML inspected?
US 491ML'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 3,400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US 491ML 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 US 491ML?
US 491ML has an NBI inventory load rating of 89.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US 491ML?
US 491ML is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US 491ML and does age affect safety?
US 491ML was built in 1937, making it 89 years old and last reconstructed in 1958.
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.