BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
Carrying BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY over RAVINE
6.2 MILES TO VA ROUTE 603, Rockbridge, Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY in Rockbridge, Virginia sits above 6% of rated Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (22 t), while its 1942 build year is earlier than 70% of Rockbridge's recorded-year cohort (255 bridges).
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY in Rockbridge, Virginia is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1942, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:5140003P0000000
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
The BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY bridge in Rockbridge, Virginia carries BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY over RAVINE. It was built in 1942, making it 84 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1985, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 59.7 meters (196 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 400 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY compares
Age against the county: built in 1942, earlier than 179 of Rockbridge's 255 bridges with a recorded construction year (70%), 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).
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY vs every rated Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
22 Top 94% higher than 6% 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
- 1942
- Last Reconstructed
- 1985
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 59.7 m (196 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.4 m (34 ft)
- Owner
- National Park Service
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 5140003P0000000
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • 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 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY 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 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY 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 BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY in Rockbridge, Virginia has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY inspected?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY'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 400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY is owned and maintained by National Park Service.
How old is BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY and does age affect safety?
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY was built in 1942, making it 84 years old and last reconstructed in 1985.
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.