BIRD KEY DRIVE
Carrying BIRD KEY DRIVE over DOLPHIN WATERWAY
0.8MI S OF SR-789, Sarasota, Florida
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BIRD KEY DRIVE in Sarasota, Florida sits above 28% of rated Florida bridges on inventory load rating (33 t), while its 1960 build year is earlier than 87% of Sarasota's recorded-year cohort (298 bridges).
BIRD KEY DRIVE in Sarasota, Florida is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1960, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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 FL:175575
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: BIRD KEY DRIVE
The BIRD KEY DRIVE bridge in Sarasota, Florida carries BIRD KEY DRIVE over DOLPHIN WATERWAY. It was built in 1960, making it 66 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 19.1 meters (63 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,160 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Florida 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 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How BIRD KEY DRIVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1960, earlier than 260 of Sarasota's 298 bridges with a recorded construction year (87%), against a county median build year of 1981. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Florida bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (13,032 of 13,036 rated).
BIRD KEY DRIVE vs every rated Florida bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
33 Top 72% higher than 28% of 13,032 bridges
rated Florida 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.
Sarasota inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 298 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
- 1960
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 19.1 m (63 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.1 m (46 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,160 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 175575
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
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 BIRD KEY DRIVE 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 BIRD KEY DRIVE against other structures in Sarasota and across Florida. Florida 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 BIRD KEY DRIVE?
BIRD KEY DRIVE in Sarasota, Florida has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BIRD KEY DRIVE inspected?
BIRD KEY DRIVE'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 1,160 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BIRD KEY DRIVE is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for BIRD KEY DRIVE?
BIRD KEY DRIVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BIRD KEY DRIVE?
BIRD KEY DRIVE is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is BIRD KEY DRIVE and does age affect safety?
BIRD KEY DRIVE was built in 1960, making it 66 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.