COWPASTURE RIVR RD
Carrying COWPASTURE RIVR RD over CSX RAILWAY
1.85 RT 630 - 0.15 RT 636, Alleghany, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
COWPASTURE RIVR RD in Alleghany, Virginia sits above 37% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (37 t), while its 1956 build year is earlier than 68% of Alleghany's recorded-year cohort (197 bridges).
COWPASTURE RIVR RD in Alleghany, Virginia is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1956, 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 VA:000000000000931
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 5 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: COWPASTURE RIVR RD
The COWPASTURE RIVR RD bridge in Alleghany, Virginia carries COWPASTURE RIVR RD over CSX RAILWAY. It was built in 1956, making it 70 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 5 sections, stretching 98.4 meters (323 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,358 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Virginia 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. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How COWPASTURE RIVR RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1956, earlier than 133 of Alleghany's 197 bridges with a recorded construction year (68%), against a county median build year of 1966. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Virginia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,112 of 14,120 rated).
COWPASTURE RIVR RD vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
37 Top 63% higher than 37% of 14,112 bridges
rated Virginia 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.
Alleghany inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 197 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
- 1956
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 5
- Structure Length
- 98.4 m (323 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.9 m (29 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,358 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000000931
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • 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) 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
COWPASTURE RIVR RD 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 COWPASTURE RIVR RD against other structures in Alleghany and across Virginia. Virginia 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 COWPASTURE RIVR RD?
COWPASTURE RIVR RD in Alleghany, Virginia 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 COWPASTURE RIVR RD inspected?
COWPASTURE RIVR RD'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 1,358 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. COWPASTURE RIVR RD 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 COWPASTURE RIVR RD?
COWPASTURE RIVR RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 37.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining COWPASTURE RIVR RD?
COWPASTURE RIVR RD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is COWPASTURE RIVR RD and does age affect safety?
COWPASTURE RIVR RD was built in 1956, making it 70 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.