PA 54 (LR 161)
Carrying PA 54 (LR 161) over MAHANOY CREEK
EAST SIDE OF ASHLAND, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
PA 54 (LR 161) in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania sits above 7% of rated Pennsylvania bridges on inventory load rating (20 t), while its 1893 build year is earlier than 99% of Schuylkill's recorded-year cohort (368 bridges).
PA 54 (LR 161) in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1893, it carries 2 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:000000000030501
PRE-1950 · MAT-OTHER · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- MAT-OTHER Other
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-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: PA 54 (LR 161)
The PA 54 (LR 161) bridge in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania carries PA 54 (LR 161) over MAHANOY CREEK. It was built in 1893, making it 133 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1948, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of masonry and spans 2 sections, stretching 20.7 meters (68 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,207 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show 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 PA 54 (LR 161) compares
Age against the county: built in 1893, earlier than 363 of Schuylkill's 368 bridges with a recorded construction year (99%), against a county median build year of 1962. 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).
PA 54 (LR 161) 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.
Schuylkill inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 368 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
- 1893
- Last Reconstructed
- 1948
- Material
- Masonry
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 20.7 m (68 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.3 m (40 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,207 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000030501
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
PA 54 (LR 161) 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 PA 54 (LR 161) against other structures in Schuylkill 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 PA 54 (LR 161)?
PA 54 (LR 161) in Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is PA 54 (LR 161) inspected?
PA 54 (LR 161)'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 3,207 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. PA 54 (LR 161) 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 PA 54 (LR 161)?
PA 54 (LR 161) has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PA 54 (LR 161)?
PA 54 (LR 161) is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is PA 54 (LR 161) and does age affect safety?
PA 54 (LR 161) was built in 1893, making it 133 years old and last reconstructed in 1948.
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.