KENTUCKY PL.
Carrying KENTUCKY PL. over SULFUR CK
9.8S & 2.1E MUD BUTTE, Meade, South Dakota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
KENTUCKY PL. in Meade, South Dakota sits above 27% of rated South Dakota bridges on inventory load rating (23 t), while its 1925 build year is earlier than 99% of Meade's recorded-year cohort (215 bridges).
KENTUCKY PL. in Meade, South Dakota is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1925, 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 SD:000000047371119
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · TRACE-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- TRACE-ADT Trace ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: KENTUCKY PL.
The KENTUCKY PL. bridge in Meade, South Dakota carries KENTUCKY PL. over SULFUR CK. It was built in 1925, making it 101 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 12.7 meters (42 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 30 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of South Dakota bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 8/9, 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 KENTUCKY PL. compares
Age against the county: built in 1925, earlier than 212 of Meade's 215 bridges with a recorded construction year (99%), against a county median build year of 1974. 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).
KENTUCKY PL. vs every rated South Dakota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
23 Top 73% higher than 27% 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.
Meade inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 215 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
- 1925
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.7 m (42 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.9 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 30 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000047371119
Condition Analysis
- • At 8/9, 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.
- • At 6/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
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 KENTUCKY PL. 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 KENTUCKY PL. against other structures in Meade 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 KENTUCKY PL.?
KENTUCKY PL. in Meade, South Dakota has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is KENTUCKY PL. inspected?
KENTUCKY PL.'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 30 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. KENTUCKY PL. 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 KENTUCKY PL.?
KENTUCKY PL. has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining KENTUCKY PL.?
KENTUCKY PL. is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is KENTUCKY PL. and does age affect safety?
KENTUCKY PL. was built in 1925, making it 101 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.