I-526 WB
Carrying I-526 WB over WANDO RIV & LOCAL ROADS
6 MI NE OF CHARLESTON, Charleston, South Carolina
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
I-526 WB in Charleston, South Carolina sits above 1% of rated South Carolina bridges on inventory load rating (0 t), while its 1989 build year is earlier than 56% of Charleston's recorded-year cohort (336 bridges).
I-526 WB in Charleston, South Carolina is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1989, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Fair 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:000000000008238
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · TRACE-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 49 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- TRACE-LOAD Trace load
- CAT-FAIR Fair
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: I-526 WB
The I-526 WB bridge in Charleston, South Carolina carries I-526 WB over WANDO RIV & LOCAL ROADS. It was built in 1989, making it 37 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 49 sections, stretching 2407.9 meters (7900 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 35,650 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 a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How I-526 WB compares
Age against the county: built in 1989, earlier than 187 of Charleston's 336 bridges with a recorded construction year (56%), against a county median build year of 1991. 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).
I-526 WB vs every rated South Carolina bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
0 Top 99% higher than 1% 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.
Charleston inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 336 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
- 1989
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 49
- Structure Length
- 2407.9 m (7900 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.4 m (47 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 35,650 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000008238
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 I-526 WB 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 I-526 WB against other structures in Charleston 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 I-526 WB?
I-526 WB in Charleston, South Carolina has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is I-526 WB inspected?
I-526 WB'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 35,650 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. I-526 WB is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for I-526 WB?
I-526 WB has an NBI inventory load rating of 0.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining I-526 WB?
I-526 WB is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is I-526 WB and does age affect safety?
I-526 WB was built in 1989, making it 37 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.