PETITES GAP ROAD
Carrying PETITES GAP ROAD over EAST FORK ELK CREEK
END ST RTE 781, Rockbridge, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
PETITES GAP ROAD in Rockbridge, Virginia sits above 3% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (15 t), while its 1935 build year is earlier than 75% of Rockbridge's recorded-year cohort (255 bridges).
PETITES GAP ROAD in Rockbridge, Virginia is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1935, 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:080813000003203
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace 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: PETITES GAP ROAD
The PETITES GAP ROAD bridge in Rockbridge, Virginia carries PETITES GAP ROAD over EAST FORK ELK CREEK. It was built in 1935, making it 91 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 13.3 meters (44 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How PETITES GAP ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1935, earlier than 190 of Rockbridge's 255 bridges with a recorded construction year (75%), 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).
PETITES GAP ROAD vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
15 Top 97% higher than 3% 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.
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
- 1935
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 13.3 m (44 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.2 m (20 ft)
- Owner
- U.S. Forest Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 080813000003203
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
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 PETITES GAP 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 PETITES GAP 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 PETITES GAP ROAD?
PETITES GAP ROAD in Rockbridge, Virginia has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is PETITES GAP ROAD inspected?
PETITES GAP 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 10 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. PETITES GAP 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 PETITES GAP ROAD?
PETITES GAP ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 15.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PETITES GAP ROAD?
PETITES GAP ROAD is owned and maintained by U.S. Forest Service.
How old is PETITES GAP ROAD and does age affect safety?
PETITES GAP ROAD was built in 1935, making it 91 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.