TOM WHEELER ROAD
Carrying TOM WHEELER ROAD over HIGHTOWER CREEK
S JCT SR 2 SE HIAWASSEE, Towns, Georgia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
TOM WHEELER ROAD in Towns, Georgia sits above 93% of rated Georgia bridges on inventory load rating (71 t), while its 1996 build year is earlier than 22% of Towns's recorded-year cohort (46 bridges).
TOM WHEELER ROAD in Towns, Georgia is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1996, 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:000000028150270
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: TOM WHEELER ROAD
The TOM WHEELER ROAD bridge in Towns, Georgia carries TOM WHEELER ROAD over HIGHTOWER CREEK. It was built in 1996, making it 30 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 19.8 meters (65 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 60 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Georgia bridges. It is owned and maintained by County 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 TOM WHEELER ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1996, earlier than 10 of Towns's 46 bridges with a recorded construction year (22%), against a county median build year of 1973. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Georgia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (15,056 of 15,069 rated).
TOM WHEELER ROAD vs every rated Georgia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
71 Top 7% higher than 93% 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.
Towns inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 46 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
- 1996
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 19.8 m (65 ft)
- Deck Width
- 5.6 m (18 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 60 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000028150270
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • 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 TOM WHEELER ROAD 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 TOM WHEELER ROAD against other structures in Towns 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 TOM WHEELER ROAD?
TOM WHEELER ROAD in Towns, Georgia 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 TOM WHEELER ROAD inspected?
TOM WHEELER ROAD'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 60 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. TOM WHEELER ROAD 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 TOM WHEELER ROAD?
TOM WHEELER ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 70.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining TOM WHEELER ROAD?
TOM WHEELER ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is TOM WHEELER ROAD and does age affect safety?
TOM WHEELER ROAD was built in 1996, making it 30 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.