LESTERS FORK ROAD
Carrying LESTERS FORK ROAD over LESTERS FORK
1.15 To 651S&2.65 Fr 651N, Buchanan, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
LESTERS FORK ROAD in Buchanan, Virginia sits above 11% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (27 t), while its 1970 build year is earlier than 54% of Buchanan's recorded-year cohort (283 bridges).
LESTERS FORK ROAD in Buchanan, Virginia is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1970, it carries 1 rated component 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:000000000003942
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-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: LESTERS FORK ROAD
The LESTERS FORK ROAD bridge in Buchanan, Virginia carries LESTERS FORK ROAD over LESTERS FORK. It was built in 1970, making it 56 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 6.4 meters (21 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,061 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 culvert at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How LESTERS FORK ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1970, earlier than 152 of Buchanan's 283 bridges with a recorded construction year (54%), against a county median build year of 1974. 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).
LESTERS FORK ROAD vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
27 Top 89% higher than 11% 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.
Buchanan inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 283 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
- 1970
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 6.4 m (21 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,061 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000003942
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
LESTERS FORK ROAD 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 LESTERS FORK ROAD against other structures in Buchanan 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 LESTERS FORK ROAD?
LESTERS FORK ROAD in Buchanan, Virginia on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is LESTERS FORK ROAD inspected?
LESTERS FORK ROAD'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 1,061 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. LESTERS FORK ROAD 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 LESTERS FORK ROAD?
LESTERS FORK ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 27.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining LESTERS FORK ROAD?
LESTERS FORK ROAD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is LESTERS FORK ROAD and does age affect safety?
LESTERS FORK ROAD was built in 1970, making it 56 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.