FM 494
Carrying FM 494 over MISSION FLOODWAY CHANNEL
0.70 MI SOUTH OF US 83, Hidalgo, Texas
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FM 494 in Hidalgo, Texas sits above 53% of rated Texas bridges on inventory load rating (33 t), while its 2005 build year is earlier than 23% of Hidalgo's recorded-year cohort (405 bridges).
FM 494 in Hidalgo, Texas is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 2005, 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:211090086401003
POST-2000 · MAT-OTHER · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- POST-2000 2000+
- MAT-OTHER Other
- MULTI-SPAN 3 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: FM 494
The FM 494 bridge in Hidalgo, Texas carries FM 494 over MISSION FLOODWAY CHANNEL. It was built in 2005, making it 21 years old today. The structure is built primarily of aluminum/iron and spans 3 sections, stretching 12.8 meters (42 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 29,030 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 FM 494 compares
Age against the county: built in 2005, earlier than 93 of Hidalgo's 405 bridges with a recorded construction year (23%), against a county median build year of 1990. 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).
FM 494 vs every rated Texas bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
33 Top 47% higher than 53% 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.
Hidalgo inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 405 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
- 2005
- Material
- Aluminum/Iron
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 12.8 m (42 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 29,030 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 211090086401003
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 FM 494 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 FM 494 against other structures in Hidalgo 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 FM 494?
FM 494 in Hidalgo, Texas on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FM 494 inspected?
FM 494'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 29,030 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FM 494 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 FM 494?
FM 494 has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FM 494?
FM 494 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is FM 494 and does age affect safety?
FM 494 was built in 2005, making it 21 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.