US17 BUS
Carrying US17 BUS over DIRT
2.7 MI. N. OF JCT.NC33, Beaufort, North Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US17 BUS in Beaufort, North Carolina sits above 11% of rated North Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (24 t), while its 1928 build year is earlier than 99% of Beaufort's recorded-year cohort (154 bridges).
US17 BUS in Beaufort, North Carolina is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1928, 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 NC:000000000130340
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 45 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: US17 BUS
The US17 BUS bridge in Beaufort, North Carolina carries US17 BUS over DIRT. It was built in 1928, making it 98 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 45 sections, stretching 123.4 meters (405 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 13,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How US17 BUS compares
Age against the county: built in 1928, earlier than 152 of Beaufort's 154 bridges with a recorded construction year (99%), against a county median build year of 2006. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across North Carolina bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (19,160 of 19,210 rated).
US17 BUS vs every rated North Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
24 Top 89% higher than 11% of 19,160 bridges
rated North Carolina 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.
Beaufort inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 154 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
- 1928
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 45
- Structure Length
- 123.4 m (405 ft)
- Deck Width
- 15.2 m (50 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 13,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000130340
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • 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
US17 BUS 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 US17 BUS against other structures in Beaufort and across North Carolina. North Carolina 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 US17 BUS?
US17 BUS in Beaufort, North Carolina has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US17 BUS inspected?
US17 BUS'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 13,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US17 BUS 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 US17 BUS?
US17 BUS has an NBI inventory load rating of 24.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US17 BUS?
US17 BUS is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US17 BUS and does age affect safety?
US17 BUS was built in 1928, making it 98 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.