US421
Carrying US421 over MARSH SWAMP
0.7 MI.S. OF JCT SR1703, Sampson, North Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US421 in Sampson, North Carolina sits above 22% of rated North Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (33 t), while its 1962 build year is earlier than 88% of Sampson's recorded-year cohort (196 bridges).
US421 in Sampson, North Carolina is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1962, it carries 1 rated component on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:000000001630420
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: US421
The US421 bridge in Sampson, North Carolina carries US421 over MARSH SWAMP. It was built in 1962, making it 64 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 7.6 meters (25 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 4,200 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How US421 compares
Age against the county: built in 1962, earlier than 173 of Sampson's 196 bridges with a recorded construction year (88%), against a county median build year of 2001. 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).
US421 vs every rated North Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
33 Top 78% higher than 22% 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.
Sampson inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 196 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
- 1962
- Material
- Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 7.6 m (25 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 4,200 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000001630420
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 US421 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 US421 against other structures in Sampson 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 US421?
US421 in Sampson, North Carolina on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US421 inspected?
US421'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 4,200 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US421 is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for US421?
US421 has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US421?
US421 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US421 and does age affect safety?
US421 was built in 1962, making it 64 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.