US 221
Carrying US 221 over CHEROKEE CREEK
7.1 MI NE SPARTANBURG, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US 221 in Spartanburg, South Carolina is rated Good 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 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:000000000001557
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: US 221
The US 221 bridge in Spartanburg, South Carolina carries US 221 over CHEROKEE CREEK. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1979, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 7.0 meters (23 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 20,900 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 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How US 221 compares
Age against the county: built in 1948, earlier than 571 of Spartanburg's 638 bridges with a recorded construction year (89%), against a county median build year of 1983. 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 221 vs every rated South Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
44 Top 13% higher than 87% 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.
Spartanburg inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 638 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
- 1979
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 7.0 m (23 ft)
- Deck Width
- 36.9 m (121 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 20,900 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000001557
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 US 221 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 US 221 against other structures in Spartanburg 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 221?
US 221 in Spartanburg, South Carolina on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US 221 inspected?
US 221'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 20,900 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US 221 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 US 221?
US 221 has an NBI inventory load rating of 44.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US 221?
US 221 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US 221 and does age affect safety?
US 221 was built in 1948, making it 78 years old and last reconstructed in 1979.
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.