BU 59R SB
Carrying BU 59R SB over COLORADO RIVER
0.25 MI S OF SH 60, Wharton, Texas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BU 59R SB in Wharton, Texas is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1930, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. 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 TX:132410008910039
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: BU 59R SB
The BU 59R SB bridge in Wharton, Texas carries BU 59R SB over COLORADO RIVER. It was built in 1930, making it 96 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2018, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 343.5 meters (1127 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,711 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 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How BU 59R SB compares
Age against the county: built in 1930, earlier than 352 of Wharton's 372 bridges with a recorded construction year (95%), against a county median build year of 1984. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Texas bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (56,715 of 56,729 rated).
BU 59R SB vs every rated Texas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
34 Top 11% higher than 89% 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.
Wharton inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 372 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
- 1930
- Last Reconstructed
- 2018
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 343.5 m (1127 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.1 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,711 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 132410008910039
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) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 BU 59R SB 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 BU 59R SB against other structures in Wharton 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 BU 59R SB?
BU 59R SB in Wharton, Texas has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BU 59R SB inspected?
BU 59R SB'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 2,711 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BU 59R SB 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 BU 59R SB?
BU 59R SB has an NBI inventory load rating of 33.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BU 59R SB?
BU 59R SB is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is BU 59R SB and does age affect safety?
BU 59R SB was built in 1930, making it 96 years old and last reconstructed in 2018.
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.