NM501
Carrying NM501 over Omega Road West Road
JCT.NM501 and Omega Road, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
NM501 in Los Alamos, New Mexico sits above 1% of rated New Mexico bridges on inventory load rating (11 t), while its 1951 build year is earlier than 67% of Los Alamos's recorded-year cohort (3 bridges).
NM501 in Los Alamos, New Mexico is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1951, 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 NM:000000000007622
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: NM501
The NM501 bridge in Los Alamos, New Mexico carries NM501 over Omega Road West Road. It was built in 1951, making it 75 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1992, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 249.8 meters (820 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 8,118 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of New Mexico bridges.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How NM501 compares
Age against the county: built in 1951, earlier than 2 of Los Alamos's 3 bridges with a recorded construction year (67%), against a county median build year of 1954. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across New Mexico bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (4,030 of 4,035 rated).
NM501 vs every rated New Mexico bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
11 Top 99% higher than 1% of 4,030 bridges
rated New Mexico 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.
Los Alamos inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 3 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
- 1951
- Last Reconstructed
- 1992
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 249.8 m (820 ft)
- Deck Width
- 16.9 m (55 ft)
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 8,118 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000007622
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 4/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
NM501 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 NM501 against other structures in Los Alamos and across New Mexico. New Mexico 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 NM501?
NM501 in Los Alamos, New Mexico has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is NM501 inspected?
NM501'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 8,118 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. NM501 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 NM501?
NM501 has an NBI inventory load rating of 11.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining NM501?
Ownership is not specified for NM501 in the NBI.
How old is NM501 and does age affect safety?
NM501 was built in 1951, making it 75 years old and last reconstructed in 1992.
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.