SC 121
Carrying SC 121 over PERSIMMON CREEK
6.3 MI NE OF SALUDA, Saluda, South Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SC 121 in Saluda, South Carolina sits above 30% of rated South Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (23 t), while its 1927 build year is earlier than 96% of Saluda's recorded-year cohort (125 bridges).
SC 121 in Saluda, South Carolina is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1927, it carries 1 rated component on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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 SC:000000000000259
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: SC 121
The SC 121 bridge in Saluda, South Carolina carries SC 121 over PERSIMMON CREEK. It was built in 1927, making it 99 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 10.4 meters (34 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,700 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of South Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How SC 121 compares
Age against the county: built in 1927, earlier than 120 of Saluda's 125 bridges with a recorded construction year (96%), against a county median build year of 1972. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across South Carolina bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (9,483 of 9,490 rated).
SC 121 vs every rated South Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
23 Top 70% higher than 30% of 9,483 bridges
rated South Carolina 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.
Saluda inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 125 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
- 1927
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 10.4 m (34 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,700 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000000259
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether SC 121 is safe to cross today. Here is how to use it.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Learn how the 0–9 condition scale and Good/Fair/Poor categories are defined. How condition ratings work
- Compare SC 121 against other structures in Saluda and across South Carolina. South Carolina 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 SC 121?
SC 121 in Saluda, South Carolina on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SC 121 inspected?
SC 121'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 3,700 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SC 121 is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for SC 121?
SC 121 has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SC 121?
SC 121 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SC 121 and does age affect safety?
SC 121 was built in 1927, making it 99 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.