DOWDEN ROAD
Carrying DOWDEN ROAD over MISSISSINEWA RIVER
00.35 S of STATE StREET, Delaware, Indiana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
DOWDEN ROAD in Delaware, Indiana sits above 36% of rated Indiana bridges on inventory load rating (33 t), while its 1974 build year is earlier than 47% of Delaware's recorded-year cohort (277 bridges).
DOWDEN ROAD in Delaware, Indiana is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1974, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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 IN:1800069
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: DOWDEN ROAD
The DOWDEN ROAD bridge in Delaware, Indiana carries DOWDEN ROAD over MISSISSINEWA RIVER. It was built in 1974, making it 52 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 81.7 meters (268 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 890 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Indiana bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How DOWDEN ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1974, earlier than 129 of Delaware's 277 bridges with a recorded construction year (47%), against a county median build year of 1973. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Indiana bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (19,495 rated).
DOWDEN ROAD vs every rated Indiana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
33 Top 64% higher than 36% of 19,495 bridges
rated Indiana 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.
Delaware inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 277 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
- 1974
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 81.7 m (268 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.8 m (32 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 890 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1800069
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 DOWDEN 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 DOWDEN ROAD against other structures in Delaware and across Indiana. Indiana 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 DOWDEN ROAD?
DOWDEN ROAD in Delaware, Indiana has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is DOWDEN ROAD inspected?
DOWDEN 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 890 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. DOWDEN ROAD 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 DOWDEN ROAD?
DOWDEN ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining DOWDEN ROAD?
DOWDEN ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is DOWDEN ROAD and does age affect safety?
DOWDEN ROAD was built in 1974, making it 52 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.