SW 7TH ST
Carrying SW 7TH ST over RACCOON R & TRAIL
000000000, Polk, Iowa
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SW 7TH ST in Polk, Iowa sits above 37% of rated Iowa bridges on inventory load rating (26 t), while its 1915 build year is earlier than 98% of Polk's recorded-year cohort (545 bridges).
SW 7TH ST in Polk, Iowa is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1915, 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 IA:000000000003980
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 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: SW 7TH ST
The SW 7TH ST bridge in Polk, Iowa carries SW 7TH ST over RACCOON R & TRAIL. It was built in 1915, making it 111 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1968, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 4 sections, stretching 243.5 meters (799 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 7,253 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Iowa bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal 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. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How SW 7TH ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1915, earlier than 536 of Polk's 545 bridges with a recorded construction year (98%), against a county median build year of 1994. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Iowa bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (23,718 of 23,719 rated).
SW 7TH ST vs every rated Iowa bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
26 Top 63% higher than 37% of 23,718 bridges
rated Iowa 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.
Polk inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 545 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
- 1915
- Last Reconstructed
- 1968
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 243.5 m (799 ft)
- Deck Width
- 17.8 m (58 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 7,253 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000003980
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) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 SW 7TH ST 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 SW 7TH ST against other structures in Polk and across Iowa. Iowa 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 SW 7TH ST?
SW 7TH ST in Polk, Iowa 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 SW 7TH ST inspected?
SW 7TH ST'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 7,253 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SW 7TH ST 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 SW 7TH ST?
SW 7TH ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 26.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SW 7TH ST?
SW 7TH ST is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is SW 7TH ST and does age affect safety?
SW 7TH ST was built in 1915, making it 111 years old and last reconstructed in 1968.
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.