South Black River
Carrying South Black River over BLACK RIVER
2.6 MI NW OF STEPHENTOWN, Rensselaer, New York
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
South Black River in Rensselaer, New York sits above 19% of rated New York bridges on inventory load rating (29 t), while its 1939 build year is earlier than 80% of Rensselaer's recorded-year cohort (269 bridges).
South Black River in Rensselaer, New York is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1939, 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 NY:000000002202090
PRE-1950 · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · TRACE-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace 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: South Black River
The South Black River bridge in Rensselaer, New York carries South Black River over BLACK RIVER. It was built in 1939, making it 87 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2020, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 8.8 meters (29 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 35 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of New York bridges. It is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 9/9, superstructure at 9/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How South Black River compares
Age against the county: built in 1939, earlier than 214 of Rensselaer's 269 bridges with a recorded construction year (80%), against a county median build year of 1972. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across New York bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (17,641 of 17,642 rated).
South Black River vs every rated New York bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
29 Top 81% higher than 19% of 17,641 bridges
rated New York 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.
Rensselaer inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 269 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
- 1939
- Last Reconstructed
- 2020
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 8.8 m (29 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.2 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 35 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000002202090
Condition Analysis
- • At 9/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 9/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • 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 South Black River 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 South Black River against other structures in Rensselaer and across New York. New York 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 South Black River?
South Black River in Rensselaer, New York has a deck rating of 9/9, superstructure rating of 9/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is South Black River inspected?
South Black River'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 35 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. South Black River 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 South Black River?
South Black River has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining South Black River?
South Black River is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is South Black River and does age affect safety?
South Black River was built in 1939, making it 87 years old and last reconstructed in 2020.
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.