M 279
Carrying M 279 over DOBBINS CREEK
0.1 MI N OF JCT CSAH 46, Mower, Minnesota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
M 279 in Mower, Minnesota sits above 5% of rated Minnesota bridges on inventory load rating (21 t), while its 1959 build year is earlier than 85% of Mower's recorded-year cohort (343 bridges).
M 279 in Mower, Minnesota is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1959, it carries 1 rated component 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:8971
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: M 279
The M 279 bridge in Mower, Minnesota carries M 279 over DOBBINS CREEK. It was built in 1959, making it 67 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 9.7 meters (32 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 250 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 culvert 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 M 279 compares
Age against the county: built in 1959, earlier than 291 of Mower's 343 bridges with a recorded construction year (85%), against a county median build year of 1994. 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).
M 279 vs every rated Minnesota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
21 Top 95% higher than 5% 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.
Mower inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 343 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
- 1959
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 9.7 m (32 ft) 0
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 250 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 8971
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
M 279 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 M 279 against other structures in Mower 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 M 279?
M 279 in Mower, Minnesota on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is M 279 inspected?
M 279'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 250 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. M 279 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 M 279?
M 279 has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining M 279?
M 279 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is M 279 and does age affect safety?
M 279 was built in 1959, making it 67 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.