159th Ave SW
Carrying 159th Ave SW over S. BRANCH GARNER CREEK
9 EAST 4 NORTH GOLVA, Golden Valley, North Dakota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
159th Ave SW in Golden Valley, North Dakota sits above 19% of rated North Dakota bridges on inventory load rating (19 t), while its 1955 build year is earlier than 71% of Golden Valley's recorded-year cohort (34 bridges).
159th Ave SW in Golden Valley, North Dakota is rated Fair 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 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 ND:000000017112370
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: 159th Ave SW
The 159th Ave SW bridge in Golden Valley, North Dakota carries 159th Ave SW over S. BRANCH GARNER CREEK. It was built in 1955, making it 71 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 12.2 meters (40 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 60 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 7/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How 159th Ave SW compares
Age against the county: built in 1955, earlier than 24 of Golden Valley's 34 bridges with a recorded construction year (71%), against a county median build year of 1968. 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).
159th Ave SW vs every rated North Dakota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
19 Top 81% higher than 19% 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.
Golden Valley inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 34 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
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.2 m (40 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.2 m (24 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 60 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000017112370
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), 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 159th 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 159th Ave SW against other structures in Golden Valley 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 159th Ave SW?
159th Ave SW in Golden Valley, North Dakota has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 159th Ave SW inspected?
159th 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 60 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 159th 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 159th Ave SW?
159th Ave SW has an NBI inventory load rating of 19.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 159th Ave SW?
159th Ave SW is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is 159th Ave SW and does age affect safety?
159th Ave SW 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.