I 494
Carrying I 494 over I 35E
AT THE JCT TH 494; 35E, Dakota, Minnesota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
I 494 in Dakota, Minnesota sits above 39% of rated Minnesota bridges on inventory load rating (34 t), while its 1982 build year is earlier than 63% of Dakota's recorded-year cohort (259 bridges).
I 494 in Dakota, Minnesota is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1982, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. 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 MN:19823
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: I 494
The I 494 bridge in Dakota, Minnesota carries I 494 over I 35E. It was built in 1982, making it 44 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 4 sections, stretching 125.9 meters (413 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 47,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Minnesota bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How I 494 compares
Age against the county: built in 1982, earlier than 162 of Dakota's 259 bridges with a recorded construction year (63%), against a county median build year of 1987. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Minnesota bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (13,532 rated).
I 494 vs every rated Minnesota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
34 Top 61% higher than 39% of 13,532 bridges
rated Minnesota 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.
Dakota inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 259 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
- 1982
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 125.9 m (413 ft)
- Deck Width
- 22.2 m (73 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 47,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 19823
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 fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), 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 I 494 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 I 494 against other structures in Dakota and across Minnesota. Minnesota 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 I 494?
I 494 in Dakota, Minnesota has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is I 494 inspected?
I 494'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 47,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. I 494 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 I 494?
I 494 has an NBI inventory load rating of 34.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining I 494?
I 494 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is I 494 and does age affect safety?
I 494 was built in 1982, making it 44 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.