US 181
Carrying US 181 over DRAIN
0.03 MI N OF FM 3239, San Patricio, Texas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US 181 in San Patricio, Texas sits above 3% of rated Texas bridges on inventory load rating (24 t), while its 1987 build year is earlier than 44% of San Patricio's recorded-year cohort (235 bridges).
US 181 in San Patricio, Texas is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1987, it carries 1 rated component on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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:162050010104062
LATE-CENTURY · CONCRETE · LONG-SPAN-RUN · CULVERT-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- CONCRETE Concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 5 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: US 181
The US 181 bridge in San Patricio, Texas carries US 181 over DRAIN. It was built in 1987, making it 39 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 5 sections, stretching 11.3 meters (37 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 35,482 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Texas bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How US 181 compares
Age against the county: built in 1987, earlier than 103 of San Patricio's 235 bridges with a recorded construction year (44%), against a county median build year of 1979. 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).
US 181 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.
San Patricio inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 235 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
- 1987
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 5
- Structure Length
- 11.3 m (37 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 35,482 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 162050010104062
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 US 181 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 US 181 against other structures in San Patricio 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 US 181?
US 181 in San Patricio, Texas on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US 181 inspected?
US 181'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 35,482 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US 181 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 US 181?
US 181 has an NBI inventory load rating of 23.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US 181?
US 181 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US 181 and does age affect safety?
US 181 was built in 1987, making it 39 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.