US 197
Carrying US 197 over COLUMBIA R SP & S RY
OREGON LINE, Klickitat, Washington
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US 197 in Klickitat, Washington sits above 99% of rated Washington bridges on inventory load rating (97 t), while its 1954 build year is earlier than 88% of Klickitat's recorded-year cohort (90 bridges).
US 197 in Klickitat, Washington is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1954, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor 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 WA:000000PC0000000
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 5 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-POOR Poor
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: US 197
The US 197 bridge in Klickitat, Washington carries US 197 over COLUMBIA R SP & S RY. It was built in 1954, making it 72 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 5 sections, stretching 1019.6 meters (3345 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 7,400 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Washington bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How US 197 compares
Age against the county: built in 1954, earlier than 79 of Klickitat's 90 bridges with a recorded construction year (88%), against a county median build year of 1977. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Washington bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (8,455 of 8,474 rated).
US 197 vs every rated Washington bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
97 Top 1% higher than 99% of 8,455 bridges
rated Washington 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.
Klickitat inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 90 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
- 1954
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 5
- Structure Length
- 1019.6 m (3345 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.8 m (32 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 7,400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000PC0000000
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • 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) 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
US 197 is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare US 197 against other structures in Klickitat and across Washington. Washington 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 US 197?
US 197 in Klickitat, Washington has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US 197 inspected?
US 197'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 7,400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US 197 is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for US 197?
US 197 has an NBI inventory load rating of 96.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US 197?
US 197 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is US 197 and does age affect safety?
US 197 was built in 1954, making it 72 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.