OR 52 (HWY 492)
Carrying OR 52 (HWY 492) over Snake River
Idaho border at Payette, Malheur, Oregon
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
OR 52 (HWY 492) in Malheur, Oregon sits above 18% of rated Oregon bridges on inventory load rating (19 t), while its 1953 build year is earlier than 91% of Malheur's recorded-year cohort (181 bridges).
OR 52 (HWY 492) in Malheur, Oregon is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1953, 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 OR:04335A455Y02130
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-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: OR 52 (HWY 492)
The OR 52 (HWY 492) bridge in Malheur, Oregon carries OR 52 (HWY 492) over Snake River. It was built in 1953, making it 73 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 210.0 meters (689 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,400 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Oregon bridges. It is owned and maintained by State 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 OR 52 (HWY 492) compares
Age against the county: built in 1953, earlier than 164 of Malheur's 181 bridges with a recorded construction year (91%), against a county median build year of 1976. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Oregon bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (8,282 of 8,305 rated).
OR 52 (HWY 492) vs every rated Oregon bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
19 Top 82% higher than 18% of 8,282 bridges
rated Oregon 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.
Malheur inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 181 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
- 1953
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 210.0 m (689 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.3 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 04335A455Y02130
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • At 6/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
OR 52 (HWY 492) 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 OR 52 (HWY 492) against other structures in Malheur and across Oregon. Oregon 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 OR 52 (HWY 492)?
OR 52 (HWY 492) in Malheur, Oregon 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 OR 52 (HWY 492) inspected?
OR 52 (HWY 492)'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 3,400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. OR 52 (HWY 492) 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 OR 52 (HWY 492)?
OR 52 (HWY 492) has an NBI inventory load rating of 19.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining OR 52 (HWY 492)?
OR 52 (HWY 492) is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is OR 52 (HWY 492) and does age affect safety?
OR 52 (HWY 492) was built in 1953, making it 73 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.
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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.