ND HIGHWAY 38
Carrying ND HIGHWAY 38 over MAPLE RIVER
3 WEST OF HOPE, Steele, North Dakota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ND HIGHWAY 38 in Steele, North Dakota sits above 93% of rated North Dakota bridges on inventory load rating (61 t), while its 1961 build year is earlier than 73% of Steele's recorded-year cohort (94 bridges).
ND HIGHWAY 38 in Steele, North Dakota is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1961, it carries 1 rated component 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:0038036248
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: ND HIGHWAY 38
The ND HIGHWAY 38 bridge in Steele, North Dakota carries ND HIGHWAY 38 over MAPLE RIVER. It was built in 1961, making it 65 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2001, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 7.6 meters (25 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 650 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of North Dakota bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert 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 ND HIGHWAY 38 compares
Age against the county: built in 1961, earlier than 69 of Steele's 94 bridges with a recorded construction year (73%), against a county median build year of 1980. 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).
ND HIGHWAY 38 vs every rated North Dakota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
61 Top 7% higher than 93% 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.
Steele inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 94 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
- 1961
- Last Reconstructed
- 2001
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 7.6 m (25 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 650 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0038036248
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 ND HIGHWAY 38 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 ND HIGHWAY 38 against other structures in Steele 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 ND HIGHWAY 38?
ND HIGHWAY 38 in Steele, North Dakota on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ND HIGHWAY 38 inspected?
ND HIGHWAY 38'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 650 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ND HIGHWAY 38 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 ND HIGHWAY 38?
ND HIGHWAY 38 has an NBI inventory load rating of 60.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ND HIGHWAY 38?
ND HIGHWAY 38 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ND HIGHWAY 38 and does age affect safety?
ND HIGHWAY 38 was built in 1961, making it 65 years old and last reconstructed in 2001.
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.