SMITHWICK ROAD
Carrying SMITHWICK ROAD over WHITE RIVER
.75 KM NE OF BIA RTE 41, Oglala Lakota, South Dakota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SMITHWICK ROAD in Oglala Lakota, South Dakota sits above 1% of rated South Dakota bridges on inventory load rating (0 t), while its 1935 build year is earlier than 97% of Oglala Lakota's recorded-year cohort (34 bridges).
SMITHWICK ROAD in Oglala Lakota, South Dakota is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1935, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 2. 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 SD:00000000000A154
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · TRACE-ADT · TRACE-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- TRACE-ADT Trace ADT
- TRACE-LOAD Trace 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: SMITHWICK ROAD
The SMITHWICK ROAD bridge in Oglala Lakota, South Dakota carries SMITHWICK ROAD over WHITE RIVER. It was built in 1935, making it 91 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 59.5 meters (195 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of South Dakota bridges. It is owned and maintained by Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure at 2/9, substructure at 2/9. The weakest component sits in critical condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How SMITHWICK ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1935, earlier than 33 of Oglala Lakota's 34 bridges with a recorded construction year (97%), against a county median build year of 2006. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across South Dakota bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,886 of 5,887 rated).
SMITHWICK ROAD vs every rated South Dakota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
0 Top 99% higher than 1% of 5,886 bridges
rated South Dakota 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.
Oglala Lakota inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 34 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
- 1935
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 59.5 m (195 ft)
- Deck Width
- 5.6 m (18 ft)
- Owner
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 00000000000A154
Condition Analysis
- • At 3/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • At 2/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in critical shape, with severe wear recorded for this vintage.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in critical condition (2/9), with severe deterioration recorded on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SMITHWICK ROAD 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 SMITHWICK ROAD against other structures in Oglala Lakota and across South Dakota. South Dakota 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 SMITHWICK ROAD?
SMITHWICK ROAD in Oglala Lakota, South Dakota has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 2/9, and substructure rating of 2/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SMITHWICK ROAD inspected?
SMITHWICK ROAD'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 10 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SMITHWICK ROAD 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 SMITHWICK ROAD?
SMITHWICK ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 0.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SMITHWICK ROAD?
SMITHWICK ROAD is owned and maintained by Bureau of Indian Affairs.
How old is SMITHWICK ROAD and does age affect safety?
SMITHWICK ROAD was built in 1935, making it 91 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.