478TH AVENUE
Carrying 478TH AVENUE over CK
0.9N BUSHNELL, Brookings, South Dakota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
478TH AVENUE in Brookings, South Dakota sits above 23% of rated South Dakota bridges on inventory load rating (20 t), while its 1950 build year is earlier than 78% of Brookings's recorded-year cohort (233 bridges).
478TH AVENUE in Brookings, South Dakota is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1950, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 3. 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:000000006240141
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: 478TH AVENUE
The 478TH AVENUE bridge in Brookings, South Dakota carries 478TH AVENUE over CK. It was built in 1950, making it 76 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 27.7 meters (91 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,159 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of South Dakota bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure 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 478TH AVENUE compares
Age against the county: built in 1950, earlier than 182 of Brookings's 233 bridges with a recorded construction year (78%), against a county median build year of 1970. 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).
478TH AVENUE vs every rated South Dakota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
20 Top 77% higher than 23% 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.
Brookings inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 233 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
- 1950
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 27.7 m (91 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.4 m (24 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,159 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000006240141
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (3/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • 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
478TH AVENUE 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 478TH AVENUE against other structures in Brookings 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 478TH AVENUE?
478TH AVENUE in Brookings, South Dakota has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 478TH AVENUE inspected?
478TH AVENUE'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 1,159 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 478TH AVENUE 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 478TH AVENUE?
478TH AVENUE has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 478TH AVENUE?
478TH AVENUE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is 478TH AVENUE and does age affect safety?
478TH AVENUE was built in 1950, making it 76 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.