FOREST ROAD
Carrying FOREST ROAD over HAND CREEK
SYLVIA LAKE ROAD, Flathead, Montana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FOREST ROAD in Flathead, Montana is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 2010, 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 MT:011008000013111
POST-2000 · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- POST-2000 2000+
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- 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: FOREST ROAD
The FOREST ROAD bridge in Flathead, Montana carries FOREST ROAD over HAND CREEK. It was built in 2010, making it 16 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 17.7 meters (58 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 50 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Montana bridges. It is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure at 6/9, 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 FOREST ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 2010, earlier than 16 of Flathead's 204 bridges with a recorded construction year (8%), against a county median build year of 1983. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Montana bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,144 of 5,224 rated).
FOREST ROAD vs every rated Montana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
17 Top 92% higher than 8% of 5,144 bridges
rated Montana 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.
Flathead inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 204 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
- 2010
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 17.7 m (58 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.9 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- U.S. Forest Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 50 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 011008000013111
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (8/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
FOREST ROAD 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 FOREST ROAD against other structures in Flathead and across Montana. Montana 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 FOREST ROAD?
FOREST ROAD in Flathead, Montana has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FOREST ROAD inspected?
FOREST ROAD'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 50 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FOREST ROAD 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 FOREST ROAD?
FOREST ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 16.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FOREST ROAD?
FOREST ROAD is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
How old is FOREST ROAD and does age affect safety?
FOREST ROAD was built in 2010, making it 16 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.