FAU 3566
Carrying FAU 3566 over INACTIVE NS RR SPUR
IN DOWNTOWN CHATTANOOGA, Hamilton, Tennessee
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FAU 3566 in Hamilton, Tennessee sits above 39% of rated Tennessee bridges on inventory load rating (32 t), while its 1906 build year is earlier than 100% of Hamilton's recorded-year cohort (464 bridges).
FAU 3566 in Hamilton, Tennessee is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1906, 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:33L35660001
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-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: FAU 3566
The FAU 3566 bridge in Hamilton, Tennessee carries FAU 3566 over INACTIVE NS RR SPUR. It was built in 1906, making it 120 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1947, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 297.8 meters (977 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,659 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Tennessee bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, 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 FAU 3566 compares
Age against the county: built in 1906, earlier than 463 of Hamilton's 464 bridges with a recorded construction year (100%), against a county median build year of 1976. 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).
FAU 3566 vs every rated Tennessee bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
32 Top 61% higher than 39% 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.
Hamilton inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 464 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
- 1906
- Last Reconstructed
- 1947
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 297.8 m (977 ft)
- Deck Width
- 15.8 m (52 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,659 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 33L35660001
Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
FAU 3566 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 FAU 3566 against other structures in Hamilton 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 FAU 3566?
FAU 3566 in Hamilton, Tennessee has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FAU 3566 inspected?
FAU 3566'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 2,659 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FAU 3566 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 FAU 3566?
FAU 3566 has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FAU 3566?
FAU 3566 is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is FAU 3566 and does age affect safety?
FAU 3566 was built in 1906, making it 120 years old and last reconstructed in 1947.
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.