S 244
Carrying S 244 over YELLOW WATER CR-ELK CR
5M S WINNETT, Petroleum, Montana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
S 244 in Petroleum, Montana sits above 50% of rated Montana bridges on inventory load rating (30 t), while its 1948 build year is earlier than 65% of Petroleum's recorded-year cohort (26 bridges).
S 244 in Petroleum, Montana is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1948, 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:S00244018+05001
PRE-1950 · TIMBER · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 4 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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 244
The S 244 bridge in Petroleum, Montana carries S 244 over YELLOW WATER CR-ELK CR. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 4 sections, stretching 23.2 meters (76 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 232 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Montana bridges. It is owned and maintained by State 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. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How S 244 compares
Age against the county: built in 1948, earlier than 17 of Petroleum's 26 bridges with a recorded construction year (65%), against a county median build year of 1962. 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).
S 244 vs every rated Montana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
30 Top 50% higher than 50% 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.
Petroleum inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 26 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
- 1948
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 4
- Structure Length
- 23.2 m (76 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.9 m (26 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 232 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- S00244018+05001
Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 6/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • 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 244 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 244 against other structures in Petroleum 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 244?
S 244 in Petroleum, 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 244 inspected?
S 244'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 232 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. S 244 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 244?
S 244 has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining S 244?
S 244 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is S 244 and does age affect safety?
S 244 was built in 1948, making it 78 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.