ROUTE 42 NBL
Carrying ROUTE 42 NBL over COOKS CREEK
0.11 NCL DAYT-0.20 RT 290, Rockingham, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ROUTE 42 NBL in Rockingham, Virginia sits above 64% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (52 t), while its 1972 build year is earlier than 48% of Rockingham's recorded-year cohort (288 bridges).
ROUTE 42 NBL in Rockingham, Virginia is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1972, it carries 3 rated components 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:000000000015814
INTERSTATE-ERA · CONCRETE · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- CONCRETE Concrete
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: ROUTE 42 NBL
The ROUTE 42 NBL bridge in Rockingham, Virginia carries ROUTE 42 NBL over COOKS CREEK. It was built in 1972, making it 54 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 2 sections, stretching 19.5 meters (64 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 7,322 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 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How ROUTE 42 NBL compares
Age against the county: built in 1972, earlier than 138 of Rockingham's 288 bridges with a recorded construction year (48%), against a county median build year of 1971. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Virginia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,112 of 14,120 rated).
ROUTE 42 NBL vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
52 Top 36% higher than 64% 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.
Rockingham inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 288 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
- 1972
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 19.5 m (64 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.8 m (42 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 7,322 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000015814
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 ROUTE 42 NBL 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 ROUTE 42 NBL against other structures in Rockingham 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 ROUTE 42 NBL?
ROUTE 42 NBL in Rockingham, Virginia has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ROUTE 42 NBL inspected?
ROUTE 42 NBL'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 7,322 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ROUTE 42 NBL 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 ROUTE 42 NBL?
ROUTE 42 NBL has an NBI inventory load rating of 51.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ROUTE 42 NBL?
ROUTE 42 NBL is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ROUTE 42 NBL and does age affect safety?
ROUTE 42 NBL was built in 1972, making it 54 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.