S. 55th AVE.
Carrying S. 55th AVE. over SOUTH FORK SOLOMON RIVER
1.0S 5.5E OF OSBORNE, Osborne, Kansas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
S. 55th AVE. in Osborne, Kansas sits above 16% of rated Kansas bridges on inventory load rating (16 t), while its 1929 build year is earlier than 93% of Osborne's recorded-year cohort (244 bridges).
S. 55th AVE. in Osborne, Kansas is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1929, 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 KS:000710685503800
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-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: S. 55th AVE.
The S. 55th AVE. bridge in Osborne, Kansas carries S. 55th AVE. over SOUTH FORK SOLOMON RIVER. It was built in 1929, making it 97 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1994, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 20.6 meters (68 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 20 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 4/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How S. 55th AVE. compares
Age against the county: built in 1929, earlier than 228 of Osborne's 244 bridges with a recorded construction year (93%), against a county median build year of 1964. 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).
S. 55th AVE. vs every rated Kansas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
16 Top 84% higher than 16% 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.
Osborne inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 244 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
- 1929
- Last Reconstructed
- 1994
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 20.6 m (68 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 20 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000710685503800
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
S. 55th 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 S. 55th AVE. against other structures in Osborne 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 S. 55th AVE.?
S. 55th AVE. in Osborne, Kansas has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is S. 55th AVE. inspected?
S. 55th 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 20 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. S. 55th 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 S. 55th AVE.?
S. 55th AVE. has an NBI inventory load rating of 15.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining S. 55th AVE.?
S. 55th AVE. is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is S. 55th AVE. and does age affect safety?
S. 55th AVE. was built in 1929, making it 97 years old and last reconstructed in 1994.
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.