BIG SPRING ROAD
Carrying BIG SPRING ROAD over FURNACE CREEK
EAST OF ROBESONIA, Berks, Pennsylvania
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BIG SPRING ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania sits above 11% of rated Pennsylvania bridges on inventory load rating (25 t), while its 1981 build year is earlier than 24% of Berks's recorded-year cohort (667 bridges).
BIG SPRING ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1981, 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 PA:000000000005372
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- 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: BIG SPRING ROAD
The BIG SPRING ROAD bridge in Berks, Pennsylvania carries BIG SPRING ROAD over FURNACE CREEK. It was built in 1981, making it 45 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 15.5 meters (51 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 400 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. 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 BIG SPRING ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1981, earlier than 160 of Berks's 667 bridges with a recorded construction year (24%), against a county median build year of 1962. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Pennsylvania bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (23,297 of 23,299 rated).
BIG SPRING ROAD vs every rated Pennsylvania bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
25 Top 89% higher than 11% of 23,297 bridges
rated Pennsylvania 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.
Berks inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 667 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
- 1981
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 15.5 m (51 ft)
- Deck Width
- 11.1 m (36 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000005372
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
BIG SPRING 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 BIG SPRING ROAD against other structures in Berks and across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania 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 BIG SPRING ROAD?
BIG SPRING ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BIG SPRING ROAD inspected?
BIG SPRING 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 400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BIG SPRING 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 BIG SPRING ROAD?
BIG SPRING ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 24.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BIG SPRING ROAD?
BIG SPRING ROAD is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is BIG SPRING ROAD and does age affect safety?
BIG SPRING ROAD was built in 1981, making it 45 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.