CRABBS BRANCH WAY
Carrying CRABBS BRANCH WAY over METRO ACCESS ROAD
.7 MI S OF SHADY GROVE RD, Montgomery, Maryland
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
CRABBS BRANCH WAY in Montgomery, Maryland sits above 70% of rated Maryland bridges on inventory load rating (56 t), while its 1983 build year is earlier than 49% of Montgomery's recorded-year cohort (515 bridges).
CRABBS BRANCH WAY in Montgomery, Maryland is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1983, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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 MD:200000M-0205010
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: CRABBS BRANCH WAY
The CRABBS BRANCH WAY bridge in Montgomery, Maryland carries CRABBS BRANCH WAY over METRO ACCESS ROAD. It was built in 1983, making it 43 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 61.6 meters (202 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 23,523 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Maryland bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How CRABBS BRANCH WAY compares
Age against the county: built in 1983, earlier than 251 of Montgomery's 515 bridges with a recorded construction year (49%), against a county median build year of 1982. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Maryland bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,479 of 5,484 rated).
CRABBS BRANCH WAY vs every rated Maryland bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
56 Top 30% higher than 70% of 5,479 bridges
rated Maryland 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.
Montgomery inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 515 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
- 1983
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 61.6 m (202 ft)
- Deck Width
- 21.3 m (70 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 23,523 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 200000M-0205010
Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 CRABBS BRANCH WAY 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 CRABBS BRANCH WAY against other structures in Montgomery and across Maryland. Maryland 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 CRABBS BRANCH WAY?
CRABBS BRANCH WAY in Montgomery, Maryland has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CRABBS BRANCH WAY inspected?
CRABBS BRANCH WAY'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 23,523 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CRABBS BRANCH WAY 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 CRABBS BRANCH WAY?
CRABBS BRANCH WAY has an NBI inventory load rating of 56.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CRABBS BRANCH WAY?
CRABBS BRANCH WAY is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is CRABBS BRANCH WAY and does age affect safety?
CRABBS BRANCH WAY was built in 1983, making it 43 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.