COUNTY RD 438
Carrying COUNTY RD 438 over N BR W BR ESCANABA R
5 MILES WEST OF CO RD 557, Marquette, Michigan
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
COUNTY RD 438 in Marquette, Michigan is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1928, 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 MI:000000000006527
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: COUNTY RD 438
The COUNTY RD 438 bridge in Marquette, Michigan carries COUNTY RD 438 over N BR W BR ESCANABA R. It was built in 1928, making it 98 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1990, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 7.6 meters (25 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 67 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 4/9. 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 COUNTY RD 438 compares
Age against the county: built in 1928, earlier than 132 of Marquette's 147 bridges with a recorded construction year (90%), against a county median build year of 1976. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Michigan bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (11,366 of 11,371 rated).
COUNTY RD 438 vs every rated Michigan bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
56 Top 13% higher than 87% 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.
Marquette inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 147 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
- 1928
- Last Reconstructed
- 1990
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 67 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000006527
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 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
COUNTY RD 438 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 COUNTY RD 438 against other structures in Marquette 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 COUNTY RD 438?
COUNTY RD 438 in Marquette, Michigan has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is COUNTY RD 438 inspected?
COUNTY RD 438'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 67 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. COUNTY RD 438 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 COUNTY RD 438?
COUNTY RD 438 has an NBI inventory load rating of 55.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining COUNTY RD 438?
COUNTY RD 438 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is COUNTY RD 438 and does age affect safety?
COUNTY RD 438 was built in 1928, making it 98 years old and last reconstructed in 1990.
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.