1280 HILL AVE
Carrying 1280 HILL AVE over DD #159
094252002, Hancock, Iowa
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
1280 HILL AVE in Hancock, Iowa sits above 6% of rated Iowa bridges on inventory load rating (11 t), while its 1969 build year is earlier than 69% of Hancock's recorded-year cohort (138 bridges).
1280 HILL AVE in Hancock, Iowa is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1969, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 3. 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:000000000172830
INTERSTATE-ERA · TIMBER · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: 1280 HILL AVE
The 1280 HILL AVE bridge in Hancock, Iowa carries 1280 HILL AVE over DD #159. It was built in 1969, making it 57 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 3 sections, stretching 17.4 meters (57 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 31 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 6/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 3/9. 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 1280 HILL AVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1969, earlier than 95 of Hancock's 138 bridges with a recorded construction year (69%), against a county median build year of 1979. 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).
1280 HILL AVE vs every rated Iowa bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
11 Top 94% higher than 6% 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.
Hancock inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 138 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
- 1969
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 17.4 m (57 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 31 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000172830
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 3/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
1280 HILL AVE 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 1280 HILL AVE against other structures in Hancock 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 1280 HILL AVE?
1280 HILL AVE in Hancock, Iowa has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 1280 HILL AVE inspected?
1280 HILL AVE'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 31 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 1280 HILL AVE 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 1280 HILL AVE?
1280 HILL AVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 10.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 1280 HILL AVE?
1280 HILL AVE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is 1280 HILL AVE and does age affect safety?
1280 HILL AVE was built in 1969, making it 57 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.
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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.
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.