SR 168 SBL
Carrying SR 168 SBL over NORTHWEST RIVER
1.30NC-STATE/10.09 TO 165, Chesapeake city, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SR 168 SBL in Chesapeake city, Virginia sits above 90% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (75 t), while its 1987 build year is earlier than 56% of Chesapeake city's recorded-year cohort (187 bridges).
SR 168 SBL in Chesapeake city, Virginia is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1987, 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:000000000021887
LATE-CENTURY · PRESTRESS · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 13 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: SR 168 SBL
The SR 168 SBL bridge in Chesapeake city, Virginia carries SR 168 SBL over NORTHWEST RIVER. It was built in 1987, making it 39 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 13 sections, stretching 185.9 meters (610 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 14,164 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How SR 168 SBL compares
Age against the county: built in 1987, earlier than 104 of Chesapeake city's 187 bridges with a recorded construction year (56%), against a county median build year of 1991. 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).
SR 168 SBL vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
75 Top 10% higher than 90% 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.
Chesapeake city inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 187 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
- 1987
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 13
- Structure Length
- 185.9 m (610 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.0 m (46 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 14,164 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000021887
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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 (6/9), 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 SR 168 SBL 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 SR 168 SBL against other structures in Chesapeake city 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 SR 168 SBL?
SR 168 SBL in Chesapeake city, Virginia has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SR 168 SBL inspected?
SR 168 SBL'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 14,164 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SR 168 SBL 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 SR 168 SBL?
SR 168 SBL has an NBI inventory load rating of 74.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SR 168 SBL?
SR 168 SBL is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is SR 168 SBL and does age affect safety?
SR 168 SBL was built in 1987, making it 39 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.