S-38-640
Carrying S-38-640 over TRIB TO FOUR HOLE SWAMP
4MI SE HOLLY HILL, Orangeburg, South Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
S-38-640 in Orangeburg, South Carolina sits above 15% of rated South Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (18 t), while its 1968 build year is earlier than 42% of Orangeburg's recorded-year cohort (273 bridges).
S-38-640 in Orangeburg, South Carolina is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1968, 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:000000000005364
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-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: S-38-640
The S-38-640 bridge in Orangeburg, South Carolina carries S-38-640 over TRIB TO FOUR HOLE SWAMP. It was built in 1968, making it 58 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 13.7 meters (45 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 50 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of South Carolina bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, 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 S-38-640 compares
Age against the county: built in 1968, earlier than 115 of Orangeburg's 273 bridges with a recorded construction year (42%), against a county median build year of 1962. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across South Carolina bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (9,483 of 9,490 rated).
S-38-640 vs every rated South Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
18 Top 85% higher than 15% 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.
Orangeburg inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 273 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
- 1968
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 13.7 m (45 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.4 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 50 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000005364
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
S-38-640 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 S-38-640 against other structures in Orangeburg 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 S-38-640?
S-38-640 in Orangeburg, South Carolina has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is S-38-640 inspected?
S-38-640'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 50 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. S-38-640 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 S-38-640?
S-38-640 has an NBI inventory load rating of 17.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining S-38-640?
S-38-640 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is S-38-640 and does age affect safety?
S-38-640 was built in 1968, making it 58 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.
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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.