NC12
Carrying NC12 over THOROFARE BAY CHANNEL
3.2 MI.N. OF JCT.US70, Carteret, North Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
NC12 in Carteret, North Carolina sits above 10% of rated North Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (24 t), while its 1995 build year is earlier than 38% of Carteret's recorded-year cohort (55 bridges).
NC12 in Carteret, North Carolina is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1995, 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 NC:000000000310012
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 39 spans
- 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: NC12
The NC12 bridge in Carteret, North Carolina carries NC12 over THOROFARE BAY CHANNEL. It was built in 1995, making it 31 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 39 sections, stretching 934.2 meters (3065 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 800 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of North Carolina 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 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How NC12 compares
Age against the county: built in 1995, earlier than 21 of Carteret's 55 bridges with a recorded construction year (38%), against a county median build year of 1993. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across North Carolina bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (19,160 of 19,210 rated).
NC12 vs every rated North Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
24 Top 90% higher than 10% 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.
Carteret inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 55 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
- 1995
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 39
- Structure Length
- 934.2 m (3065 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.9 m (32 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 800 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000310012
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) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
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 NC12 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 NC12 against other structures in Carteret 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 NC12?
NC12 in Carteret, North Carolina has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is NC12 inspected?
NC12'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 800 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. NC12 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 NC12?
NC12 has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining NC12?
NC12 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is NC12 and does age affect safety?
NC12 was built in 1995, making it 31 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.