US 501
Carrying US 501 over CRABTREE SWAMP
2.0 MI W OF CONWAY, Horry, South Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US 501 in Horry, South Carolina sits above 51% of rated South Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (30 t), while its 1948 build year is earlier than 91% of Horry's recorded-year cohort (479 bridges).
US 501 in Horry, South Carolina is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1948, it carries 1 rated component 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:000000000001501
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: US 501
The US 501 bridge in Horry, South Carolina carries US 501 over CRABTREE SWAMP. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1971, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 9.7 meters (32 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 36,700 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of South Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 4/9. 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 US 501 compares
Age against the county: built in 1948, earlier than 437 of Horry's 479 bridges with a recorded construction year (91%), against a county median build year of 1994. 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).
US 501 vs every rated South Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
30 Top 49% higher than 51% 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.
Horry inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 479 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
- 1948
- Last Reconstructed
- 1971
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 9.7 m (32 ft)
- Deck Width
- 28.8 m (94 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 36,700 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000001501
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
US 501 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 US 501 against other structures in Horry 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 US 501?
US 501 in Horry, South Carolina on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US 501 inspected?
US 501'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 36,700 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US 501 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 US 501?
US 501 has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US 501?
US 501 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US 501 and does age affect safety?
US 501 was built in 1948, making it 78 years old and last reconstructed in 1971.
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.