RAILROAD AVENUE
Carrying RAILROAD AVENUE over KINGS CREEK
20 S.JCT.COMMERCE ST., Transylvania, North Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
RAILROAD AVENUE in Transylvania, North Carolina sits above 1% of rated North Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (9 t), while its 1955 build year is earlier than 86% of Transylvania's recorded-year cohort (162 bridges).
RAILROAD AVENUE in Transylvania, North Carolina is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1955, 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:000000001750102
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: RAILROAD AVENUE
The RAILROAD AVENUE bridge in Transylvania, North Carolina carries RAILROAD AVENUE over KINGS CREEK. It was built in 1955, making it 71 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 9.4 meters (31 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 300 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, 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 RAILROAD AVENUE compares
Age against the county: built in 1955, earlier than 140 of Transylvania's 162 bridges with a recorded construction year (86%), against a county median build year of 1978. 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).
RAILROAD AVENUE vs every rated North Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
9 Top 99% higher than 1% 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.
Transylvania inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 162 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
- 1955
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.4 m (31 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.9 m (26 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 300 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000001750102
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • 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) 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
RAILROAD AVENUE 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 RAILROAD AVENUE against other structures in Transylvania 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 RAILROAD AVENUE?
RAILROAD AVENUE in Transylvania, North Carolina has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is RAILROAD AVENUE inspected?
RAILROAD AVENUE'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 300 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. RAILROAD AVENUE 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 RAILROAD AVENUE?
RAILROAD AVENUE has an NBI inventory load rating of 9.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining RAILROAD AVENUE?
RAILROAD AVENUE is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is RAILROAD AVENUE and does age affect safety?
RAILROAD AVENUE was built in 1955, making it 71 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.