MERRITT DRIVE
Carrying MERRITT DRIVE over SOUTH BUFFALO CREEK
0.4MI.S.JCT.PATTERSON ST., Guilford, North Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
MERRITT DRIVE in Guilford, North Carolina sits above 85% of rated North Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (64 t), while its 1971 build year is earlier than 74% of Guilford's recorded-year cohort (736 bridges).
MERRITT DRIVE in Guilford, North Carolina is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1971, it carries 1 rated component 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:000000000810492
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: MERRITT DRIVE
The MERRITT DRIVE bridge in Guilford, North Carolina carries MERRITT DRIVE over SOUTH BUFFALO CREEK. It was built in 1971, making it 55 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1999, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 15.2 meters (50 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 18,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How MERRITT DRIVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1971, earlier than 542 of Guilford's 736 bridges with a recorded construction year (74%), against a county median build year of 1996. 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).
MERRITT DRIVE vs every rated North Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
64 Top 15% higher than 85% 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.
Guilford inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 736 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
- 1971
- Last Reconstructed
- 1999
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 15.2 m (50 ft) 0
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 18,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000810492
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 MERRITT DRIVE 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 MERRITT DRIVE against other structures in Guilford 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 MERRITT DRIVE?
MERRITT DRIVE in Guilford, North Carolina on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is MERRITT DRIVE inspected?
MERRITT DRIVE'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 18,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. MERRITT DRIVE 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 MERRITT DRIVE?
MERRITT DRIVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 63.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining MERRITT DRIVE?
MERRITT DRIVE is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is MERRITT DRIVE and does age affect safety?
MERRITT DRIVE was built in 1971, making it 55 years old and last reconstructed in 1999.
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.