FHWA NBI 2024 Inspection record Public-domain dataset

LOCAL

Carrying LOCAL over STREAM

093363405, Buena Vista, Iowa

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.

Poor
23 t Inventory load rating Lower than 71% of rated Iowa bridges

LOCAL in Buena Vista, Iowa sits above 29% of rated Iowa bridges on inventory load rating (23 t), while its 1900 build year is earlier than 99% of Buena Vista's recorded-year cohort (156 bridges).

LOCAL in Buena Vista, Iowa is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1900, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. 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 IA:000000000086260

PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · TRACE-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR

  • PRE-1950 Pre-1950
  • STEEL Steel
  • SINGLE-SPAN Single span
  • TIED-CTRL Tied control
  • TRACE-ADT Trace ADT
  • STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: LOCAL

The LOCAL bridge in Buena Vista, Iowa carries LOCAL over STREAM. It was built in 1900, making it 126 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1948, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 8.5 meters (28 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 11 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Iowa bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.

The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. 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 LOCAL compares

▼ 7.0
Load rating vs Iowa average (30.4 t; 23,718 of 23,719 rated)
156
Bridges in Buena Vista · 49 in Poor condition

Age against the county: built in 1900, earlier than 155 of Buena Vista's 156 bridges with a recorded construction year (99%), against a county median build year of 1977. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.

LOCAL 23.4 t
Iowa average (23,718 of 23,719 rated) 30.4 t

Live comparison across Iowa bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (23,718 of 23,719 rated).

LOCAL vs every rated Iowa bridge

Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state

23 Top 71% higher than 29% 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

Deck
5/9
Fair (5–6)
Superstructure
4/9
Poor (1–4)
Substructure
4/9
Poor (1–4)
Inventory Load Rating
23.4 t
NBI inventory level (metric tons)
Overall Condition
Poor

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.

Buena Vista inventory by recorded NBI category

Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 156 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
1900
Last Reconstructed
1948
Material
Steel
Number of Spans
1
Structure Length
8.5 m (28 ft)
Deck Width
4.9 m (16 ft)
Owner
County Highway Agency
Avg Daily Traffic
11 vehicles/day
Structure Number
000000000086260

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 poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
  • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.

How to read this record

LOCAL 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 LOCAL against other structures in Buena Vista 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 LOCAL?

LOCAL in Buena Vista, Iowa has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.

How often is LOCAL inspected?

LOCAL'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. LOCAL 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 LOCAL?

LOCAL has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.4 metric tons.

Who is responsible for maintaining LOCAL?

LOCAL is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.

How old is LOCAL and does age affect safety?

LOCAL was built in 1900, making it 126 years old and last reconstructed in 1948.

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.

Data sourced from the Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges

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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.

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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.