WEST 38TH STREET
Carrying WEST 38TH STREET over AMTRAK W SIDE CON
IN WEST MANHATTAN, New York, New York
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
WEST 38TH STREET in New York, New York sits above 18% of rated New York bridges on inventory load rating (29 t), while its 1934 build year is earlier than 70% of New York's recorded-year cohort (247 bridges).
WEST 38TH STREET in New York, New York is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1934, 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:000000002245070
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: WEST 38TH STREET
The WEST 38TH STREET bridge in New York, New York carries WEST 38TH STREET over AMTRAK W SIDE CON. It was built in 1934, making it 92 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 31.4 meters (103 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,336 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of New York bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How WEST 38TH STREET compares
Age against the county: built in 1934, earlier than 172 of New York's 247 bridges with a recorded construction year (70%), against a county median build year of 1939. 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).
WEST 38TH STREET vs every rated New York bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
29 Top 82% higher than 18% 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.
New York inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 247 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
- 1934
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 31.4 m (103 ft)
- Deck Width
- 18.3 m (60 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,336 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000002245070
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
WEST 38TH STREET 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 WEST 38TH STREET against other structures in New York 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 WEST 38TH STREET?
WEST 38TH STREET in New York, New York has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WEST 38TH STREET inspected?
WEST 38TH STREET'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 3,336 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WEST 38TH STREET 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 WEST 38TH STREET?
WEST 38TH STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WEST 38TH STREET?
WEST 38TH STREET is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is WEST 38TH STREET and does age affect safety?
WEST 38TH STREET was built in 1934, making it 92 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.