EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY
Carrying EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY over GUM SWAMP CREEK
4.7 MI SW OF CHESTER, Dodge, Georgia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY in Dodge, Georgia sits above 17% of rated Georgia bridges on inventory load rating (22 t), while its 1958 build year is earlier than 77% of Dodge's recorded-year cohort (57 bridges).
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY in Dodge, Georgia is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1958, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. 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 GA:000000009100300
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 14 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY
The EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY bridge in Dodge, Georgia carries EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY over GUM SWAMP CREEK. It was built in 1958, making it 68 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 14 sections, stretching 115.2 meters (378 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,320 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Georgia bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY compares
Age against the county: built in 1958, earlier than 44 of Dodge's 57 bridges with a recorded construction year (77%), against a county median build year of 1966. 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).
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY vs every rated Georgia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
22 Top 83% higher than 17% 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.
Dodge inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 57 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
- 1958
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 14
- Structure Length
- 115.2 m (378 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,320 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000009100300
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
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 EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY 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 EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY against other structures in Dodge 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 EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY?
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY in Dodge, Georgia has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY inspected?
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY'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 1,320 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY 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 EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY?
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY?
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY and does age affect safety?
EMPIRE-CHESTER HWY was built in 1958, making it 68 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.