US-59 HWY
Carrying US-59 HWY over RS1290
5.80 MI NE K116, Atchison, Kansas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US-59 HWY in Atchison, Kansas is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1955, it carries 1 rated component 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:999905900030041
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: US-59 HWY
The US-59 HWY bridge in Atchison, Kansas carries US-59 HWY over RS1290. It was built in 1955, making it 71 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 8.5 meters (28 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,830 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Kansas bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 4/9. 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 US-59 HWY compares
Age against the county: built in 1955, earlier than 117 of Atchison's 197 bridges with a recorded construction year (59%), against a county median build year of 1970. 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).
US-59 HWY vs every rated Kansas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
30 Top 46% higher than 54% 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.
Atchison inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 197 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
- 1955
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.4 m (44 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,830 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 999905900030041
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
US-59 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 US-59 HWY against other structures in Atchison 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 US-59 HWY?
US-59 HWY in Atchison, Kansas on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US-59 HWY inspected?
US-59 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 2,830 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US-59 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 US-59 HWY?
US-59 HWY has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US-59 HWY?
US-59 HWY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US-59 HWY and does age affect safety?
US-59 HWY was built in 1955, making it 71 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.