FAU 4534
Carrying FAU 4534 over SOUTHERN RAILROAD
IN ATHENS CITY LIMITS, McMinn, Tennessee
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FAU 4534 in McMinn, Tennessee is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1980, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:540Z0050001
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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 4534
The FAU 4534 bridge in McMinn, Tennessee carries FAU 4534 over SOUTHERN RAILROAD. It was built in 1980, making it 46 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 44.3 meters (145 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 4,452 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 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How FAU 4534 compares
Age against the county: built in 1980, earlier than 90 of McMinn's 219 bridges with a recorded construction year (41%), against a county median build year of 1973. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Tennessee bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (20,355 of 20,379 rated).
FAU 4534 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.
McMinn inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 219 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
- 1980
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 44.3 m (145 ft)
- Deck Width
- 11.5 m (38 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 4,452 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 540Z0050001
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
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 FAU 4534 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 FAU 4534 against other structures in McMinn 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 4534?
FAU 4534 in McMinn, Tennessee has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FAU 4534 inspected?
FAU 4534'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 4,452 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FAU 4534 is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for FAU 4534?
FAU 4534 has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FAU 4534?
FAU 4534 is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is FAU 4534 and does age affect safety?
FAU 4534 was built in 1980, making it 46 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.