SH 70 / BUS 20
Carrying SH 70 / BUS 20 over IH 20 WB
1.60 MI W OF FM 1856, Nolan, Texas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SH 70 / BUS 20 in Nolan, Texas is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1961, 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 TX:081770000603190
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 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: SH 70 / BUS 20
The SH 70 / BUS 20 bridge in Nolan, Texas carries SH 70 / BUS 20 over IH 20 WB. It was built in 1961, making it 65 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 59.4 meters (195 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5,510 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Texas bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. 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 SH 70 / BUS 20 compares
Age against the county: built in 1961, earlier than 65 of Nolan's 166 bridges with a recorded construction year (39%), against a county median build year of 1960. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Texas bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (56,715 of 56,729 rated).
SH 70 / BUS 20 vs every rated Texas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
25 Top 57% higher than 43% of 56,715 bridges
rated Texas 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.
Nolan inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 166 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
- 1961
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 59.4 m (195 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.5 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5,510 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 081770000603190
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • 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) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SH 70 / BUS 20 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 SH 70 / BUS 20 against other structures in Nolan and across Texas. Texas 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 SH 70 / BUS 20?
SH 70 / BUS 20 in Nolan, Texas has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SH 70 / BUS 20 inspected?
SH 70 / BUS 20'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 5,510 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SH 70 / BUS 20 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 SH 70 / BUS 20?
SH 70 / BUS 20 has an NBI inventory load rating of 25.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SH 70 / BUS 20?
SH 70 / BUS 20 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SH 70 / BUS 20 and does age affect safety?
SH 70 / BUS 20 was built in 1961, making it 65 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.