NW 38th
Carrying NW 38th over WILDCAT CREEK
0.5E 6.0S OF WHITEWATER, Butler, Kansas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
NW 38th in Butler, Kansas sits above 22% of rated Kansas bridges on inventory load rating (18 t), while its 1954 build year is earlier than 71% of Butler's recorded-year cohort (591 bridges).
NW 38th in Butler, Kansas is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1954, 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 KS:000080841605940
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: NW 38th
The NW 38th bridge in Butler, Kansas carries NW 38th over WILDCAT CREEK. It was built in 1954, making it 72 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2016, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 36.6 meters (120 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 250 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Kansas bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How NW 38th compares
Age against the county: built in 1954, earlier than 420 of Butler's 591 bridges with a recorded construction year (71%), against a county median build year of 1966. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Kansas bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (24,893 of 24,894 rated).
NW 38th vs every rated Kansas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
18 Top 78% higher than 22% of 24,893 bridges
rated Kansas 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.
Butler inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 591 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
- 1954
- Last Reconstructed
- 2016
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 36.6 m (120 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.9 m (29 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 250 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000080841605940
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (8/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • 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 NW 38th 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 NW 38th against other structures in Butler and across Kansas. Kansas 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 NW 38th?
NW 38th in Butler, Kansas has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is NW 38th inspected?
NW 38th'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 250 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. NW 38th 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 NW 38th?
NW 38th has an NBI inventory load rating of 17.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining NW 38th?
NW 38th is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is NW 38th and does age affect safety?
NW 38th was built in 1954, making it 72 years old and last reconstructed in 2016.
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.