BELLS VALLEY ROAD
Carrying BELLS VALLEY ROAD over COVE CREEK
1.21 TO 42 & 0.01 TO 601, Rockbridge, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BELLS VALLEY ROAD in Rockbridge, Virginia sits above 14% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (30 t), while its 1968 build year is earlier than 50% of Rockbridge's recorded-year cohort (255 bridges).
BELLS VALLEY ROAD in Rockbridge, Virginia is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1968, 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 VA:000000000015462
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: BELLS VALLEY ROAD
The BELLS VALLEY ROAD bridge in Rockbridge, Virginia carries BELLS VALLEY ROAD over COVE CREEK. It was built in 1968, making it 58 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 6.4 meters (21 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 110 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Virginia 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. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How BELLS VALLEY ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1968, earlier than 127 of Rockbridge's 255 bridges with a recorded construction year (50%), against a county median build year of 1968.
Live comparison across Virginia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,112 of 14,120 rated).
BELLS VALLEY ROAD vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
30 Top 86% higher than 14% 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.
Rockbridge inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 255 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
- 1968
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 6.4 m (21 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 110 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000015462
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 BELLS VALLEY ROAD 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 BELLS VALLEY ROAD against other structures in Rockbridge 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 BELLS VALLEY ROAD?
BELLS VALLEY ROAD in Rockbridge, Virginia on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BELLS VALLEY ROAD inspected?
BELLS VALLEY 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 110 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BELLS VALLEY ROAD 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 BELLS VALLEY ROAD?
BELLS VALLEY ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BELLS VALLEY ROAD?
BELLS VALLEY ROAD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is BELLS VALLEY ROAD and does age affect safety?
BELLS VALLEY ROAD was built in 1968, making it 58 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.