539TH AVE
Carrying 539TH AVE over BUFFALO CREEK
JCT US275/N45 5E 1S, Madison, Nebraska
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
539TH AVE in Madison, Nebraska sits above 23% of rated Nebraska bridges on inventory load rating (22 t), while its 1965 build year is earlier than 74% of Madison's recorded-year cohort (302 bridges).
539TH AVE in Madison, Nebraska is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1965, 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 NE:C005901115
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- 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: 539TH AVE
The 539TH AVE bridge in Madison, Nebraska carries 539TH AVE over BUFFALO CREEK. It was built in 1965, making it 61 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 33.2 meters (109 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 335 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Nebraska bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How 539TH AVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1965, earlier than 222 of Madison's 302 bridges with a recorded construction year (74%), against a county median build year of 1983. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Nebraska bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (15,392 of 15,398 rated).
539TH AVE vs every rated Nebraska bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
22 Top 77% higher than 23% of 15,392 bridges
rated Nebraska 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.
Madison inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 302 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
- 1965
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 33.2 m (109 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.4 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 335 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- C005901115
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
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 539TH AVE 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 539TH AVE against other structures in Madison and across Nebraska. Nebraska 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 539TH AVE?
539TH AVE in Madison, Nebraska has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 539TH AVE inspected?
539TH AVE'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 335 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 539TH AVE 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 539TH AVE?
539TH AVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 22.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 539TH AVE?
539TH AVE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is 539TH AVE and does age affect safety?
539TH AVE was built in 1965, making it 61 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.