DARGAN BEND ACCESS
Carrying DARGAN BEND ACCESS over C&O CANAL
Harpers Ferry Road to Bac, Washington, Maryland
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
DARGAN BEND ACCESS in Washington, Maryland sits above 3% of rated Maryland bridges on inventory load rating (19 t), while its 1969 build year is earlier than 26% of Washington's recorded-year cohort (300 bridges).
DARGAN BEND ACCESS in Washington, Maryland is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1969, 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 MD:3100005P0000000
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-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: DARGAN BEND ACCESS
The DARGAN BEND ACCESS bridge in Washington, Maryland carries DARGAN BEND ACCESS over C&O CANAL. It was built in 1969, making it 57 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1985, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 12.8 meters (42 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 159 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Maryland bridges. It is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How DARGAN BEND ACCESS compares
Age against the county: built in 1969, earlier than 79 of Washington's 300 bridges with a recorded construction year (26%), against a county median build year of 1965. 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).
DARGAN BEND ACCESS vs every rated Maryland bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
19 Top 97% higher than 3% 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.
Washington inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 300 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
- 1969
- Last Reconstructed
- 1985
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.8 m (42 ft)
- Deck Width
- 3.7 m (12 ft)
- Owner
- National Park Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 159 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 3100005P0000000
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 poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 6/9, 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
DARGAN BEND ACCESS 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 DARGAN BEND ACCESS against other structures in Washington 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 DARGAN BEND ACCESS?
DARGAN BEND ACCESS in Washington, Maryland has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is DARGAN BEND ACCESS inspected?
DARGAN BEND ACCESS'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 159 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. DARGAN BEND ACCESS 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 DARGAN BEND ACCESS?
DARGAN BEND ACCESS has an NBI inventory load rating of 18.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining DARGAN BEND ACCESS?
DARGAN BEND ACCESS is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
How old is DARGAN BEND ACCESS and does age affect safety?
DARGAN BEND ACCESS was built in 1969, making it 57 years old and last reconstructed in 1985.
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.