US 78 EBL
Carrying US 78 EBL over SR 236 HUGH HOWELL RD S
1.5 MI NE OF STONE MTN, DeKalb, Georgia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US 78 EBL in DeKalb, Georgia sits above 14% of rated Georgia bridges on inventory load rating (21 t), while its 1963 build year is earlier than 63% of DeKalb's recorded-year cohort (392 bridges).
US 78 EBL in DeKalb, Georgia is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1963, 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 GA:000000008900120
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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.
Structural health score
A composite of the deck, superstructure, and substructure NBI condition ratings plus the inventory load rating, benchmarked against the full national bridge corpus, distinct from the Good/Fair/Poor category above.
Bridge Snapshot: US 78 EBL
The US 78 EBL bridge in DeKalb, Georgia carries US 78 EBL over SR 236 HUGH HOWELL RD S. It was built in 1963, making it 63 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1989, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 4 sections, stretching 45.7 meters (150 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 64,100 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Georgia bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection places the weakest component in good condition (see the full component ratings below). No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How US 78 EBL compares
Age against the county: built in 1963, earlier than 246 of DeKalb's 392 bridges with a recorded construction year (63%), against a county median build year of 1967. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Georgia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (15,056 of 15,069 rated).
US 78 EBL vs every rated Georgia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
21 Top 86% higher than 14% of 15,056 bridges
rated Georgia 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.
DeKalb inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 392 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
- 1963
- Last Reconstructed
- 1989
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 45.7 m (150 ft)
- Deck Width
- 37.8 m (124 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 64,100 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000008900120
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • 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 US 78 EBL 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 78 EBL against other structures in DeKalb and across Georgia. Georgia 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 78 EBL?
US 78 EBL in DeKalb, Georgia has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US 78 EBL inspected?
US 78 EBL'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 64,100 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US 78 EBL 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 US 78 EBL?
US 78 EBL has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US 78 EBL?
US 78 EBL is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US 78 EBL and does age affect safety?
US 78 EBL was built in 1963, making it 63 years old and last reconstructed in 1989.
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.