163rd Ave SW
Carrying 163rd Ave SW over SKULL CREEK
11 SOUTH 5 WEST RHAME, Bowman, North Dakota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
163rd Ave SW in Bowman, North Dakota is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1970, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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 ND:000000006115130
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- 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: 163rd Ave SW
The 163rd Ave SW bridge in Bowman, North Dakota carries 163rd Ave SW over SKULL CREEK. It was built in 1970, making it 56 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 9.6 meters (31 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 165 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of North Dakota bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How 163rd Ave SW compares
Age against the county: built in 1970, earlier than 43 of Bowman's 69 bridges with a recorded construction year (62%), against a county median build year of 1987. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across North Dakota bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (4,249 of 4,255 rated).
163rd Ave SW vs every rated North Dakota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
36 Top 36% higher than 64% of 4,249 bridges
rated North Dakota 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.
Bowman inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 69 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
- 1970
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.6 m (31 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.7 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 165 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000006115130
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • 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 fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 163rd Ave SW 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 163rd Ave SW against other structures in Bowman and across North Dakota. North Dakota 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 163rd Ave SW?
163rd Ave SW in Bowman, North Dakota has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 163rd Ave SW inspected?
163rd Ave SW'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 165 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 163rd Ave SW 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 163rd Ave SW?
163rd Ave SW has an NBI inventory load rating of 35.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 163rd Ave SW?
163rd Ave SW is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is 163rd Ave SW and does age affect safety?
163rd Ave SW was built in 1970, making it 56 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.