FOULK RD/SR261
Carrying FOULK RD/SR261 over SOUTH BRANCH NAAMANS CK
NORTH OF WILMINGTON, New Castle, Delaware
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FOULK RD/SR261 in New Castle, Delaware sits above 96% of rated Delaware bridges on inventory load rating (68 t), while its 1965 build year is earlier than 70% of New Castle's recorded-year cohort (527 bridges).
FOULK RD/SR261 in New Castle, Delaware is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1965, 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 DE:1032 203
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: FOULK RD/SR261
The FOULK RD/SR261 bridge in New Castle, Delaware carries FOULK RD/SR261 over SOUTH BRANCH NAAMANS CK. It was built in 1965, making it 61 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2016, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 9.0 meters (30 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 14,252 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Delaware bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How FOULK RD/SR261 compares
Age against the county: built in 1965, earlier than 369 of New Castle's 527 bridges with a recorded construction year (70%), against a county median build year of 1976. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Delaware bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (872 rated).
FOULK RD/SR261 vs every rated Delaware bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
68 Top 4% higher than 96% of 872 bridges
rated Delaware 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.
New Castle inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 527 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
- 1965
- Last Reconstructed
- 2016
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.0 m (30 ft)
- Deck Width
- 19.1 m (63 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 14,252 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1032 203
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), 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 FOULK RD/SR261 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 FOULK RD/SR261 against other structures in New Castle and across Delaware. Delaware 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 FOULK RD/SR261?
FOULK RD/SR261 in New Castle, Delaware has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FOULK RD/SR261 inspected?
FOULK RD/SR261'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 14,252 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FOULK RD/SR261 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 FOULK RD/SR261?
FOULK RD/SR261 has an NBI inventory load rating of 67.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FOULK RD/SR261?
FOULK RD/SR261 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is FOULK RD/SR261 and does age affect safety?
FOULK RD/SR261 was built in 1965, making it 61 years old and last reconstructed in 2016.
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.