K8 HWY
Carrying K8 HWY over MIDDLE BEAVER CREEK
12.12MI N JT U36, Smith, Kansas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
K8 HWY in Smith, Kansas sits above 37% of rated Kansas bridges on inventory load rating (23 t), while its 1941 build year is earlier than 71% of Smith's recorded-year cohort (281 bridges).
K8 HWY in Smith, Kansas is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1941, 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:999900800920311
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: K8 HWY
The K8 HWY bridge in Smith, Kansas carries K8 HWY over MIDDLE BEAVER CREEK. It was built in 1941, making it 85 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 52.1 meters (171 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 860 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Kansas bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How K8 HWY compares
Age against the county: built in 1941, earlier than 200 of Smith's 281 bridges with a recorded construction year (71%), against a county median build year of 1959. 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).
K8 HWY vs every rated Kansas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
23 Top 63% higher than 37% 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.
Smith inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 281 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
- 1941
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 52.1 m (171 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.9 m (26 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 860 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 999900800920311
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
K8 HWY 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 K8 HWY against other structures in Smith 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 K8 HWY?
K8 HWY in Smith, Kansas has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is K8 HWY inspected?
K8 HWY'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 860 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. K8 HWY 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 K8 HWY?
K8 HWY has an NBI inventory load rating of 22.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining K8 HWY?
K8 HWY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is K8 HWY and does age affect safety?
K8 HWY was built in 1941, making it 85 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.