CALIFORNIA ROAD
Carrying CALIFORNIA ROAD over DOWAGIAC CREEK
2.5 MI W OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, Michigan
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
CALIFORNIA ROAD in Cass, Michigan sits above 68% of rated Michigan bridges on inventory load rating (45 t), while its 1984 build year is earlier than 29% of Cass's recorded-year cohort (52 bridges).
CALIFORNIA ROAD in Cass, Michigan is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1984, 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 MI:000000000001458
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: CALIFORNIA ROAD
The CALIFORNIA ROAD bridge in Cass, Michigan carries CALIFORNIA ROAD over DOWAGIAC CREEK. It was built in 1984, making it 42 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 11.5 meters (38 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 273 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Michigan 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 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How CALIFORNIA ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1984, earlier than 15 of Cass's 52 bridges with a recorded construction year (29%), against a county median build year of 1963. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Michigan bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (11,366 of 11,371 rated).
CALIFORNIA ROAD vs every rated Michigan bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
45 Top 32% higher than 68% of 11,366 bridges
rated Michigan 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.
Cass inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 52 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
- 1984
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 11.5 m (38 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 273 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000001458
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 CALIFORNIA 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 CALIFORNIA ROAD against other structures in Cass and across Michigan. Michigan 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 CALIFORNIA ROAD?
CALIFORNIA ROAD in Cass, Michigan has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CALIFORNIA ROAD inspected?
CALIFORNIA 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 273 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CALIFORNIA 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 CALIFORNIA ROAD?
CALIFORNIA ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 44.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CALIFORNIA ROAD?
CALIFORNIA ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is CALIFORNIA ROAD and does age affect safety?
CALIFORNIA ROAD was built in 1984, making it 42 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.