ORCHARD BEACH ROAD
Carrying ORCHARD BEACH ROAD over BLACK RIVER
BETWEEN SEC 26&35 T37NR1W, Cheboygan, Michigan
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD in Cheboygan, Michigan sits above 7% of rated Michigan bridges on inventory load rating (22 t), while its 1976 build year is earlier than 44% of Cheboygan's recorded-year cohort (73 bridges).
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD in Cheboygan, Michigan is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1976, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 3. 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 MI:000000000001531
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUPER-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 5 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: ORCHARD BEACH ROAD
The ORCHARD BEACH ROAD bridge in Cheboygan, Michigan carries ORCHARD BEACH ROAD over BLACK RIVER. It was built in 1976, making it 50 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 5 sections, stretching 77.7 meters (255 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,200 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Michigan bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 3/9, substructure at 5/9. 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 ORCHARD BEACH ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1976, earlier than 32 of Cheboygan's 73 bridges with a recorded construction year (44%), against a county median build year of 1962. 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).
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD vs every rated Michigan bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
22 Top 93% higher than 7% 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.
Cheboygan inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 73 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
- 1976
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 5
- Structure Length
- 77.7 m (255 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.1 m (33 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,200 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000001531
Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 3/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD 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 ORCHARD BEACH ROAD against other structures in Cheboygan 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 ORCHARD BEACH ROAD?
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD in Cheboygan, Michigan has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 3/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ORCHARD BEACH ROAD inspected?
ORCHARD BEACH 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 2,200 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ORCHARD BEACH ROAD 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 ORCHARD BEACH ROAD?
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ORCHARD BEACH ROAD?
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is ORCHARD BEACH ROAD and does age affect safety?
ORCHARD BEACH ROAD was built in 1976, making it 50 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.