SCENIC DRIVE
Carrying SCENIC DRIVE over CHARLOTTE RIVER
13 MI SE OF SAULT STE MAR, Chippewa, Michigan
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SCENIC DRIVE in Chippewa, Michigan sits above 20% of rated Michigan bridges on inventory load rating (31 t), while its 1987 build year is earlier than 33% of Chippewa's recorded-year cohort (112 bridges).
SCENIC DRIVE in Chippewa, Michigan is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1987, 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:000000000001655
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: SCENIC DRIVE
The SCENIC DRIVE bridge in Chippewa, Michigan carries SCENIC DRIVE over CHARLOTTE RIVER. It was built in 1987, making it 39 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 37.5 meters (123 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 100 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 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How SCENIC DRIVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1987, earlier than 37 of Chippewa's 112 bridges with a recorded construction year (33%), against a county median build year of 1976. 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).
SCENIC DRIVE vs every rated Michigan bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
31 Top 80% higher than 20% 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.
Chippewa inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 112 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
- 1987
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 37.5 m (123 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.5 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 100 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000001655
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • 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 SCENIC DRIVE 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 SCENIC DRIVE against other structures in Chippewa 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 SCENIC DRIVE?
SCENIC DRIVE in Chippewa, Michigan has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SCENIC DRIVE inspected?
SCENIC DRIVE'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 100 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SCENIC DRIVE 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 SCENIC DRIVE?
SCENIC DRIVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 31.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SCENIC DRIVE?
SCENIC DRIVE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is SCENIC DRIVE and does age affect safety?
SCENIC DRIVE was built in 1987, making it 39 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.