SHELLS BUSH ROAD
Carrying SHELLS BUSH ROAD over WEST CANADA CREEK
.75 MI N JCT SH 5 & SH 28, Herkimer, New York
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SHELLS BUSH ROAD in Herkimer, New York sits above 11% of rated New York bridges on inventory load rating (24 t), while its 1989 build year is earlier than 38% of Herkimer's recorded-year cohort (248 bridges).
SHELLS BUSH ROAD in Herkimer, New York is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1989, 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 NY:000000002204620
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: SHELLS BUSH ROAD
The SHELLS BUSH ROAD bridge in Herkimer, New York carries SHELLS BUSH ROAD over WEST CANADA CREEK. It was built in 1989, making it 37 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 105.2 meters (345 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 688 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 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How SHELLS BUSH ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1989, earlier than 93 of Herkimer's 248 bridges with a recorded construction year (38%), against a county median build year of 1980. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across New York bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (17,641 of 17,642 rated).
SHELLS BUSH ROAD vs every rated New York bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
24 Top 89% higher than 11% 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.
Herkimer inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 248 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
- 1989
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 105.2 m (345 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 688 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000002204620
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SHELLS BUSH ROAD 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 SHELLS BUSH ROAD against other structures in Herkimer 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 SHELLS BUSH ROAD?
SHELLS BUSH ROAD in Herkimer, New York has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SHELLS BUSH ROAD inspected?
SHELLS BUSH ROAD'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 688 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SHELLS BUSH ROAD 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 SHELLS BUSH ROAD?
SHELLS BUSH ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SHELLS BUSH ROAD?
SHELLS BUSH ROAD is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is SHELLS BUSH ROAD and does age affect safety?
SHELLS BUSH ROAD was built in 1989, making it 37 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.