SH 173
Carrying SH 173 over DRAW
4.5 MI N OF FM 3240, Bandera, Texas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SH 173 in Bandera, Texas sits above 3% of rated Texas bridges on inventory load rating (24 t), while its 1963 build year is earlier than 69% of Bandera's recorded-year cohort (67 bridges).
SH 173 in Bandera, Texas is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1963, it carries 1 rated component 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 TX:150100042106033
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 6 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- 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: SH 173
The SH 173 bridge in Bandera, Texas carries SH 173 over DRAW. It was built in 1963, making it 63 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2009, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 6 sections, stretching 15.9 meters (52 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 6,349 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 culvert at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How SH 173 compares
Age against the county: built in 1963, earlier than 46 of Bandera's 67 bridges with a recorded construction year (69%), against a county median build year of 1972. 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).
SH 173 vs every rated Texas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
24 Top 97% higher than 3% 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.
Bandera inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 67 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
- 1963
- Last Reconstructed
- 2009
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 6
- Structure Length
- 15.9 m (52 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.8 m (45 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 6,349 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 150100042106033
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 SH 173 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 SH 173 against other structures in Bandera 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 173?
SH 173 in Bandera, Texas on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SH 173 inspected?
SH 173'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 6,349 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SH 173 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 SH 173?
SH 173 has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SH 173?
SH 173 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SH 173 and does age affect safety?
SH 173 was built in 1963, making it 63 years old and last reconstructed in 2009.
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.