ELM TRAIL
Carrying ELM TRAIL over BRANCH
S 10 T 65 N R 17 W, Putnam, Missouri
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ELM TRAIL in Putnam, Missouri sits above 3% of rated Missouri bridges on inventory load rating (8 t), while its 1950 build year is earlier than 81% of Putnam's recorded-year cohort (213 bridges).
ELM TRAIL in Putnam, Missouri is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1950, 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 MO:20941
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace 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: ELM TRAIL
The ELM TRAIL bridge in Putnam, Missouri carries ELM TRAIL over BRANCH. It was built in 1950, making it 76 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1988, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 8.5 meters (28 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Missouri 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. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How ELM TRAIL compares
Age against the county: built in 1950, earlier than 173 of Putnam's 213 bridges with a recorded construction year (81%), against a county median build year of 1997. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Missouri bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (24,616 of 24,618 rated).
ELM TRAIL vs every rated Missouri bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
8 Top 97% higher than 3% of 24,616 bridges
rated Missouri 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.
Putnam inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 213 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
- 1950
- Last Reconstructed
- 1988
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.3 m (14 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 20941
Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • 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
ELM TRAIL 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 ELM TRAIL against other structures in Putnam and across Missouri. Missouri 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 ELM TRAIL?
ELM TRAIL in Putnam, Missouri 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 ELM TRAIL inspected?
ELM TRAIL'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 5 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ELM TRAIL 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 ELM TRAIL?
ELM TRAIL has an NBI inventory load rating of 8.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ELM TRAIL?
ELM TRAIL is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is ELM TRAIL and does age affect safety?
ELM TRAIL was built in 1950, making it 76 years old and last reconstructed in 1988.
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.