48TH AVE
Carrying 48TH AVE over I-96
6.5 MI NW OF KENT CO LINE, Ottawa, Michigan
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
48TH AVE in Ottawa, Michigan sits above 19% of rated Michigan bridges on inventory load rating (31 t), while its 1957 build year is earlier than 86% of Ottawa's recorded-year cohort (254 bridges).
48TH AVE in Ottawa, Michigan is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1957, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:000000000008783
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: 48TH AVE
The 48TH AVE bridge in Ottawa, Michigan carries 48TH AVE over I-96. It was built in 1957, making it 69 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 4 sections, stretching 52.1 meters (171 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 6,800 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Michigan bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How 48TH AVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1957, earlier than 219 of Ottawa's 254 bridges with a recorded construction year (86%), against a county median build year of 1973. 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).
48TH AVE vs every rated Michigan bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
31 Top 81% higher than 19% 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.
Ottawa inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 254 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
- 1957
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 52.1 m (171 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.1 m (33 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 6,800 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000008783
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
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 48TH AVE 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 48TH AVE against other structures in Ottawa 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 48TH AVE?
48TH AVE in Ottawa, Michigan has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 48TH AVE inspected?
48TH AVE'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 6,800 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 48TH AVE is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for 48TH AVE?
48TH AVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 30.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 48TH AVE?
48TH AVE is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is 48TH AVE and does age affect safety?
48TH AVE was built in 1957, making it 69 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.