CSAH 38
Carrying CSAH 38 over ELM CREEK
0.5 MI E OF JCT CSAH 21, Martin, Minnesota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
CSAH 38 in Martin, Minnesota sits above 2% of rated Minnesota bridges on inventory load rating (17 t), while its 1964 build year is earlier than 83% of Martin's recorded-year cohort (162 bridges).
CSAH 38 in Martin, Minnesota is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1964, 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 MN:46504
INTERSTATE-ERA · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: CSAH 38
The CSAH 38 bridge in Martin, Minnesota carries CSAH 38 over ELM CREEK. It was built in 1964, making it 62 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 28.5 meters (94 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 530 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Minnesota bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How CSAH 38 compares
Age against the county: built in 1964, earlier than 135 of Martin's 162 bridges with a recorded construction year (83%), 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 Minnesota bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (13,532 rated).
CSAH 38 vs every rated Minnesota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
17 Top 98% higher than 2% 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.
Martin inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 162 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
- 1964
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 28.5 m (94 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.2 m (30 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 530 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 46504
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 4/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
CSAH 38 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 CSAH 38 against other structures in Martin 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 CSAH 38?
CSAH 38 in Martin, Minnesota has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CSAH 38 inspected?
CSAH 38'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 530 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CSAH 38 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 CSAH 38?
CSAH 38 has an NBI inventory load rating of 17.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CSAH 38?
CSAH 38 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is CSAH 38 and does age affect safety?
CSAH 38 was built in 1964, making it 62 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.