OLD RAILROAD GRADE
Carrying OLD RAILROAD GRADE over EAST FORK OF BACK CREEK
1 MI N OF JCT W/KY 52, Garrard, Kentucky
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
OLD RAILROAD GRADE in Garrard, Kentucky sits above 2% of rated Kentucky bridges on inventory load rating (9 t), while its 1974 build year is earlier than 54% of Garrard's recorded-year cohort (67 bridges).
OLD RAILROAD GRADE in Garrard, Kentucky is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1974, 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 KY:040C00009N
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: OLD RAILROAD GRADE
The OLD RAILROAD GRADE bridge in Garrard, Kentucky carries OLD RAILROAD GRADE over EAST FORK OF BACK CREEK. It was built in 1974, making it 52 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 17.8 meters (58 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 262 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Kentucky bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. 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 OLD RAILROAD GRADE compares
Age against the county: built in 1974, earlier than 36 of Garrard's 67 bridges with a recorded construction year (54%), against a county median build year of 1990. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Kentucky bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,532 of 14,548 rated).
OLD RAILROAD GRADE vs every rated Kentucky bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
9 Top 98% higher than 2% of 14,532 bridges
rated Kentucky 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.
Garrard inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 67 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
- 1974
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 17.8 m (58 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.3 m (14 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 262 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 040C00009N
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 (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
OLD RAILROAD GRADE 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 OLD RAILROAD GRADE against other structures in Garrard and across Kentucky. Kentucky 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 OLD RAILROAD GRADE?
OLD RAILROAD GRADE in Garrard, Kentucky has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is OLD RAILROAD GRADE inspected?
OLD RAILROAD GRADE'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 262 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. OLD RAILROAD GRADE 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 OLD RAILROAD GRADE?
OLD RAILROAD GRADE has an NBI inventory load rating of 9.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining OLD RAILROAD GRADE?
OLD RAILROAD GRADE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is OLD RAILROAD GRADE and does age affect safety?
OLD RAILROAD GRADE was built in 1974, making it 52 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.
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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.