BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Carrying BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY over U.S. ROUTE 421
15.0 MILES FROM NC ROUTE, Watauga, North Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY in Watauga, North Carolina is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 2001, 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:5140091P0000000
POST-2000 · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- POST-2000 2000+
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
The BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY bridge in Watauga, North Carolina carries BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY over U.S. ROUTE 421. It was built in 2001, making it 25 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 81.5 meters (267 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,300 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of North Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY compares
Age against the county: built in 2001, earlier than 65 of Watauga's 200 bridges with a recorded construction year (33%), against a county median build year of 1982. 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).
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY vs every rated North Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
33 Top 68% higher than 32% 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.
Watauga inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 200 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
- 2001
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 81.5 m (267 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.9 m (36 ft)
- Owner
- National Park Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,300 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 5140091P0000000
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY 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 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY against other structures in Watauga 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 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY in Watauga, North Carolina has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY inspected?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY'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 2,300 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY 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 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
How old is BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY and does age affect safety?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY was built in 2001, making it 25 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.