SC 64/BELLS HWY
Carrying SC 64/BELLS HWY over BUCKHEAD CREEK TRIB
13.2 MI W OF WALTBR, Colleton, South Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SC 64/BELLS HWY in Colleton, South Carolina sits above 4% of rated South Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (11 t), while its 1931 build year is earlier than 92% of Colleton's recorded-year cohort (231 bridges).
SC 64/BELLS HWY in Colleton, South Carolina is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1931, 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 SC:000000000000515
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 10 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: SC 64/BELLS HWY
The SC 64/BELLS HWY bridge in Colleton, South Carolina carries SC 64/BELLS HWY over BUCKHEAD CREEK TRIB. It was built in 1931, making it 95 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1970, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 10 sections, stretching 76.5 meters (251 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,800 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 a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How SC 64/BELLS HWY compares
Age against the county: built in 1931, earlier than 213 of Colleton's 231 bridges with a recorded construction year (92%), against a county median build year of 1968. 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 64/BELLS HWY vs every rated South Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
11 Top 96% higher than 4% 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.
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.
Colleton inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 231 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
- 1931
- Last Reconstructed
- 1970
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 10
- Structure Length
- 76.5 m (251 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.1 m (40 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,800 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000000515
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • At 4/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SC 64/BELLS HWY 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 SC 64/BELLS HWY against other structures in Colleton 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 64/BELLS HWY?
SC 64/BELLS HWY in Colleton, South Carolina has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SC 64/BELLS HWY inspected?
SC 64/BELLS HWY'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 2,800 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SC 64/BELLS HWY 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 SC 64/BELLS HWY?
SC 64/BELLS HWY has an NBI inventory load rating of 11.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SC 64/BELLS HWY?
SC 64/BELLS HWY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SC 64/BELLS HWY and does age affect safety?
SC 64/BELLS HWY was built in 1931, making it 95 years old and last reconstructed in 1970.
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.