LOW WATER DRIVE
Carrying LOW WATER DRIVE over POOR FK CUMB RIVER
0.1 MI S OF US119, Harlan, Kentucky
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
LOW WATER DRIVE in Harlan, Kentucky sits above 64% of rated Kentucky bridges on inventory load rating (42 t), while its 2014 build year is earlier than 10% of Harlan's recorded-year cohort (252 bridges).
LOW WATER DRIVE in Harlan, Kentucky is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 2014, it carries 3 rated components 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 KY:048C00198N
POST-2000 · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- POST-2000 2000+
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: LOW WATER DRIVE
The LOW WATER DRIVE bridge in Harlan, Kentucky carries LOW WATER DRIVE over POOR FK CUMB RIVER. It was built in 2014, making it 12 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 46.6 meters (153 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 70 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 7/9, superstructure at 8/9, substructure at 8/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How LOW WATER DRIVE compares
Age against the county: built in 2014, earlier than 24 of Harlan's 252 bridges with a recorded construction year (10%), against a county median build year of 1976. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Kentucky bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,532 of 14,548 rated).
LOW WATER DRIVE vs every rated Kentucky bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
42 Top 36% higher than 64% 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.
Harlan inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 252 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
- 2014
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 46.6 m (153 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 70 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 048C00198N
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
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 LOW WATER DRIVE 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 LOW WATER DRIVE against other structures in Harlan 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 LOW WATER DRIVE?
LOW WATER DRIVE in Harlan, Kentucky has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 8/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is LOW WATER DRIVE inspected?
LOW WATER DRIVE'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 70 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. LOW WATER DRIVE 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 LOW WATER DRIVE?
LOW WATER DRIVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 42.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining LOW WATER DRIVE?
LOW WATER DRIVE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is LOW WATER DRIVE and does age affect safety?
LOW WATER DRIVE was built in 2014, making it 12 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.