US-281 HWY
Carrying US-281 HWY over ELM CREEK DRAINAGE
13.03 MI N EJCT US-160, Barber, Kansas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US-281 HWY in Barber, Kansas sits above 54% of rated Kansas bridges on inventory load rating (30 t), while its 1995 build year is earlier than 21% of Barber's recorded-year cohort (241 bridges).
US-281 HWY in Barber, Kansas is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1995, it carries 1 rated component 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:999928100040401
LATE-CENTURY · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: US-281 HWY
The US-281 HWY bridge in Barber, Kansas carries US-281 HWY over ELM CREEK DRAINAGE. It was built in 1995, making it 31 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 11.8 meters (39 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,280 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 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How US-281 HWY compares
Age against the county: built in 1995, earlier than 50 of Barber's 241 bridges with a recorded construction year (21%), against a county median build year of 1974. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Kansas bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (24,893 of 24,894 rated).
US-281 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.
Barber inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 241 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
- 1995
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 11.8 m (39 ft)
- Deck Width
- 30.8 m (101 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,280 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 999928100040401
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 US-281 HWY 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 US-281 HWY against other structures in Barber 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-281 HWY?
US-281 HWY in Barber, Kansas on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US-281 HWY inspected?
US-281 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 1,280 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US-281 HWY 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 US-281 HWY?
US-281 HWY has an NBI inventory load rating of 30.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US-281 HWY?
US-281 HWY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US-281 HWY and does age affect safety?
US-281 HWY was built in 1995, making it 31 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.