HOWELL ROAD
Carrying HOWELL ROAD over BAYOU DU CHIEN
.58 MI N. OF KY 2209, Hickman, Kentucky
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HOWELL ROAD in Hickman, Kentucky sits above 70% of rated Kentucky bridges on inventory load rating (45 t), while its 1970 build year is earlier than 46% of Hickman's recorded-year cohort (123 bridges).
HOWELL ROAD in Hickman, Kentucky is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1970, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Fair 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:053C00017N
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · TRACE-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-FAIR Fair
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: HOWELL ROAD
The HOWELL ROAD bridge in Hickman, Kentucky carries HOWELL ROAD over BAYOU DU CHIEN. It was built in 1970, making it 56 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 16.2 meters (53 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 38 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 6/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How HOWELL ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1970, earlier than 57 of Hickman's 123 bridges with a recorded construction year (46%), against a county median build year of 1968. 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).
HOWELL ROAD vs every rated Kentucky bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
45 Top 30% higher than 70% 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.
Hickman inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 123 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
- 1970
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 16.2 m (53 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.4 m (24 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 38 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 053C00017N
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
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 HOWELL ROAD 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 HOWELL ROAD against other structures in Hickman 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 HOWELL ROAD?
HOWELL ROAD in Hickman, Kentucky has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HOWELL ROAD inspected?
HOWELL ROAD'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 38 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HOWELL ROAD is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for HOWELL ROAD?
HOWELL ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 45.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HOWELL ROAD?
HOWELL ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is HOWELL ROAD and does age affect safety?
HOWELL ROAD was built in 1970, making it 56 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.