FORT GATES FERRY
Carrying FORT GATES FERRY over ST. JOHNS RIVER
W BANK OF ST JOHNS RIVER, Putnam, Florida
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FORT GATES FERRY in Putnam, Florida sits above 1% of rated Florida bridges on inventory load rating (8 t), while its 1960 build year is earlier than 70% of Putnam's recorded-year cohort (73 bridges).
FORT GATES FERRY in Putnam, Florida is rated Poor 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 3. 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 FL:764043
INTERSTATE-ERA · TIMBER · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: FORT GATES FERRY
The FORT GATES FERRY bridge in Putnam, Florida carries FORT GATES FERRY over ST. JOHNS RIVER. It was built in 1960, making it 66 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1985, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 3 sections, stretching 10.3 meters (34 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 11 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Florida bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, 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 FORT GATES FERRY compares
Age against the county: built in 1960, earlier than 51 of Putnam's 73 bridges with a recorded construction year (70%), 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).
FORT GATES FERRY vs every rated Florida bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
8 Top 99% higher than 1% 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.
Putnam inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 73 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
- Last Reconstructed
- 1985
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 10.3 m (34 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.9 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 11 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 764043
Condition Analysis
- • At 3/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
FORT GATES FERRY 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 FORT GATES FERRY against other structures in Putnam 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 FORT GATES FERRY?
FORT GATES FERRY in Putnam, Florida has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FORT GATES FERRY inspected?
FORT GATES FERRY'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 11 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FORT GATES FERRY 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 FORT GATES FERRY?
FORT GATES FERRY has an NBI inventory load rating of 7.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FORT GATES FERRY?
FORT GATES FERRY is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is FORT GATES FERRY and does age affect safety?
FORT GATES FERRY was built in 1960, making it 66 years old and last reconstructed in 1985.
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.
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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.