RD 153
Carrying RD 153 over CLEAR CR
CLEAR CR, Sanders, Montana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
RD 153 in Sanders, Montana sits above 14% of rated Montana bridges on inventory load rating (20 t), while its 1968 build year is earlier than 63% of Sanders's recorded-year cohort (120 bridges).
RD 153 in Sanders, Montana is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1968, 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 MT:011608000000028
INTERSTATE-ERA · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: RD 153
The RD 153 bridge in Sanders, Montana carries RD 153 over CLEAR CR. It was built in 1968, making it 58 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 7.6 meters (25 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 6/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How RD 153 compares
Age against the county: built in 1968, earlier than 75 of Sanders's 120 bridges with a recorded construction year (63%), against a county median build year of 1978. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Montana bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,144 of 5,224 rated).
RD 153 vs every rated Montana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
20 Top 86% higher than 14% 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.
Sanders inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 120 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
- 1968
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.8 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- U.S. Forest Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 50 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 011608000000028
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 RD 153 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 RD 153 against other structures in Sanders 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 RD 153?
RD 153 in Sanders, Montana has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is RD 153 inspected?
RD 153'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. RD 153 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 RD 153?
RD 153 has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining RD 153?
RD 153 is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
How old is RD 153 and does age affect safety?
RD 153 was built in 1968, making it 58 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.