T-439 WATSON RD
Carrying T-439 WATSON RD over N BR SLIPPERY ROCK CREEK
0.1 MI W OF BLACK ROAD, Butler, Pennsylvania
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
T-439 WATSON RD in Butler, Pennsylvania sits above 7% of rated Pennsylvania bridges on inventory load rating (20 t), while its 1900 build year is earlier than 100% of Butler's recorded-year cohort (378 bridges).
T-439 WATSON RD in Butler, Pennsylvania is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1900, 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:000000000008255
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- 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: T-439 WATSON RD
The T-439 WATSON RD bridge in Butler, Pennsylvania carries T-439 WATSON RD over N BR SLIPPERY ROCK CREEK. It was built in 1900, making it 126 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2009, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 11.6 meters (38 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 50 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How T-439 WATSON RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1900, earlier than 377 of Butler's 378 bridges with a recorded construction year (100%), against a county median build year of 1974. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Pennsylvania bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (23,297 of 23,299 rated).
T-439 WATSON RD vs every rated Pennsylvania bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
20 Top 93% higher than 7% 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.
Butler inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 378 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
- 1900
- Last Reconstructed
- 2009
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 11.6 m (38 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.8 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 50 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000008255
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • 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
T-439 WATSON RD 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 T-439 WATSON RD against other structures in Butler 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 T-439 WATSON RD?
T-439 WATSON RD in Butler, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is T-439 WATSON RD inspected?
T-439 WATSON RD'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 50 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. T-439 WATSON RD 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 T-439 WATSON RD?
T-439 WATSON RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining T-439 WATSON RD?
T-439 WATSON RD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is T-439 WATSON RD and does age affect safety?
T-439 WATSON RD was built in 1900, making it 126 years old and last reconstructed in 2009.
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.