RIVER ROAD
Carrying RIVER ROAD over LAUREL RUN
OUT. TO SCHUYLKILL RIVER, Berks, Pennsylvania
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
RIVER ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania sits above 6% of rated Pennsylvania bridges on inventory load rating (19 t), while its 1832 build year is earlier than 100% of Berks's recorded-year cohort (667 bridges).
RIVER ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1832, it carries 1 rated component on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 2. 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:000000000047971
PRE-1950 · MAT-OTHER · SINGLE-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- MAT-OTHER Other
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: RIVER ROAD
The RIVER ROAD bridge in Berks, Pennsylvania carries RIVER ROAD over LAUREL RUN. It was built in 1832, making it 194 years old today. The structure is built primarily of masonry and spans 1 section, stretching 7.3 meters (24 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 500 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 culvert at 2/9. The weakest component sits in critical 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 RIVER ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1832, earlier than 666 of Berks's 667 bridges with a recorded construction year (100%), 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).
RIVER ROAD vs every rated Pennsylvania bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
19 Top 94% higher than 6% 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.
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
- 1832
- Material
- Masonry
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 7.3 m (24 ft) 0
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 500 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000047971
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
RIVER 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 RIVER 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 RIVER ROAD?
RIVER ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is RIVER ROAD inspected?
RIVER 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 500 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. RIVER 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 RIVER ROAD?
RIVER ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 19.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining RIVER ROAD?
RIVER ROAD is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is RIVER ROAD and does age affect safety?
RIVER ROAD was built in 1832, making it 194 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.