S 5TH AVE E
Carrying S 5TH AVE E over DODSON SOUTH CANAL 131
SE MALTA, Phillips, Montana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
S 5TH AVE E in Phillips, Montana sits above 94% of rated Montana bridges on inventory load rating (49 t), while its 1986 build year is earlier than 32% of Phillips's recorded-year cohort (101 bridges).
S 5TH AVE E in Phillips, Montana is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1986, 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:L36275000+07001
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: S 5TH AVE E
The S 5TH AVE E bridge in Phillips, Montana carries S 5TH AVE E over DODSON SOUTH CANAL 131. It was built in 1986, making it 40 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 11.6 meters (38 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 a deck rating of 6/9, 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 S 5TH AVE E compares
Age against the county: built in 1986, earlier than 32 of Phillips's 101 bridges with a recorded construction year (32%), against a county median build year of 1973. 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).
S 5TH AVE E vs every rated Montana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
49 Top 6% higher than 94% 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.
Phillips inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 101 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
- 1986
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 11.6 m (38 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.3 m (24 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 100 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- L36275000+07001
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
S 5TH AVE E 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 S 5TH AVE E against other structures in Phillips 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 S 5TH AVE E?
S 5TH AVE E in Phillips, Montana has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is S 5TH AVE E inspected?
S 5TH AVE E'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. S 5TH AVE E 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 S 5TH AVE E?
S 5TH AVE E has an NBI inventory load rating of 49.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining S 5TH AVE E?
S 5TH AVE E is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is S 5TH AVE E and does age affect safety?
S 5TH AVE E was built in 1986, making it 40 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.