SAMUEL BEARS RD
Carrying SAMUEL BEARS RD over SHENANDOAH VALLEY RR
0.05 DEAD END-0.35 RT 768, Augusta, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SAMUEL BEARS RD in Augusta, Virginia sits above 1% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (5 t), while its 1930 build year is earlier than 94% of Augusta's recorded-year cohort (357 bridges).
SAMUEL BEARS RD in Augusta, Virginia 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 VA:000000000002410
PRE-1950 · TIMBER · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 5 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: SAMUEL BEARS RD
The SAMUEL BEARS RD bridge in Augusta, Virginia carries SAMUEL BEARS RD over SHENANDOAH VALLEY RR. It was built in 1930, making it 96 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 5 sections, stretching 21.0 meters (69 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 61 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by Railroad.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How SAMUEL BEARS RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1930, earlier than 335 of Augusta's 357 bridges with a recorded construction year (94%), against a county median build year of 1968. 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).
SAMUEL BEARS RD vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
5 Top 99% higher than 1% 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.
Augusta inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 357 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
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 5
- Structure Length
- 21.0 m (69 ft)
- Deck Width
- 3.9 m (13 ft)
- Owner
- Railroad
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 61 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000002410
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • 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 SAMUEL BEARS RD 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 SAMUEL BEARS RD against other structures in Augusta 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 SAMUEL BEARS RD?
SAMUEL BEARS RD in Augusta, Virginia has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SAMUEL BEARS RD inspected?
SAMUEL BEARS 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 61 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SAMUEL BEARS RD 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 SAMUEL BEARS RD?
SAMUEL BEARS RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 4.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SAMUEL BEARS RD?
SAMUEL BEARS RD is owned and maintained by Railroad.
How old is SAMUEL BEARS RD and does age affect safety?
SAMUEL BEARS RD was built in 1930, making it 96 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.