FAP 53
Carrying FAP 53 over SMITH FORK CREEK
IN LIBERTY CITY LIMITS, DeKalb, Tennessee
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FAP 53 in DeKalb, Tennessee sits above 5% of rated Tennessee bridges on inventory load rating (17 t), while its 1948 build year is earlier than 87% of DeKalb's recorded-year cohort (100 bridges).
FAP 53 in DeKalb, Tennessee is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1948, 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 TN:21SR0530005
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 7 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: FAP 53
The FAP 53 bridge in DeKalb, Tennessee carries FAP 53 over SMITH FORK CREEK. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 7 sections, stretching 69.6 meters (228 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,370 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Tennessee bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How FAP 53 compares
Age against the county: built in 1948, earlier than 87 of DeKalb's 100 bridges with a recorded construction year (87%), against a county median build year of 1982. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Tennessee bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (20,355 of 20,379 rated).
FAP 53 vs every rated Tennessee bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
17 Top 95% higher than 5% of 20,355 bridges
rated Tennessee 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.
DeKalb inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 100 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
- 1948
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 7
- Structure Length
- 69.6 m (228 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.2 m (30 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,370 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 21SR0530005
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), 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.
- • At 4/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
FAP 53 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 FAP 53 against other structures in DeKalb and across Tennessee. Tennessee 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 FAP 53?
FAP 53 in DeKalb, Tennessee has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FAP 53 inspected?
FAP 53'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 1,370 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FAP 53 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 FAP 53?
FAP 53 has an NBI inventory load rating of 17.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FAP 53?
FAP 53 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is FAP 53 and does age affect safety?
FAP 53 was built in 1948, making it 78 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.