UPPER CHIPPEWA RD
Carrying UPPER CHIPPEWA RD over CHIPPEWA CREEK 021
8M NW GRASSRANGE, Fergus, Montana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD in Fergus, Montana sits above 99% of rated Montana bridges on inventory load rating (100 t), while its 1962 build year is earlier than 61% of Fergus's recorded-year cohort (158 bridges).
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD in Fergus, Montana is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1962, it carries 1 rated component on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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:L14209003+05001
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: UPPER CHIPPEWA RD
The UPPER CHIPPEWA RD bridge in Fergus, Montana carries UPPER CHIPPEWA RD over CHIPPEWA CREEK 021. It was built in 1962, making it 64 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 6.4 meters (21 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 100 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Montana bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How UPPER CHIPPEWA RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1962, earlier than 97 of Fergus's 158 bridges with a recorded construction year (61%), against a county median build year of 1979. 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).
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD vs every rated Montana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
100 Top 1% higher than 99% 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.
Fergus inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 158 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
- 1962
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 6.4 m (21 ft) 0
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 100 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- L14209003+05001
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 UPPER CHIPPEWA RD 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 UPPER CHIPPEWA RD against other structures in Fergus 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 UPPER CHIPPEWA RD?
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD in Fergus, Montana on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is UPPER CHIPPEWA RD inspected?
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD'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 100 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. UPPER CHIPPEWA RD 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 UPPER CHIPPEWA RD?
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 99.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining UPPER CHIPPEWA RD?
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is UPPER CHIPPEWA RD and does age affect safety?
UPPER CHIPPEWA RD was built in 1962, making it 64 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.