STATE ROUTE 509
Carrying STATE ROUTE 509 over PUYALLUP WATERWAY RR
2.5 N JCT I-5, Pierce, Washington
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
STATE ROUTE 509 in Pierce, Washington sits above 1% of rated Washington bridges on inventory load rating (0 t), while its 1911 build year is earlier than 99% of Pierce's recorded-year cohort (472 bridges).
STATE ROUTE 509 in Pierce, Washington is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1911, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 3. 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:0006069A0000000
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · TRACE-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- TRACE-LOAD Trace 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: STATE ROUTE 509
The STATE ROUTE 509 bridge in Pierce, Washington carries STATE ROUTE 509 over PUYALLUP WATERWAY RR. It was built in 1911, making it 115 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 174.3 meters (572 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,400 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Washington bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 3/9, substructure at 4/9. 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 STATE ROUTE 509 compares
Age against the county: built in 1911, earlier than 466 of Pierce's 472 bridges with a recorded construction year (99%), against a county median build year of 1971. 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).
STATE ROUTE 509 vs every rated Washington bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
0 Top 99% higher than 1% 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.
Pierce inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 472 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
- 1911
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 174.3 m (572 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.8 m (42 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0006069A0000000
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 3/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
STATE ROUTE 509 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 STATE ROUTE 509 against other structures in Pierce 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 STATE ROUTE 509?
STATE ROUTE 509 in Pierce, Washington has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 3/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is STATE ROUTE 509 inspected?
STATE ROUTE 509'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 2,400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. STATE ROUTE 509 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 STATE ROUTE 509?
STATE ROUTE 509 has an NBI inventory load rating of 0.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining STATE ROUTE 509?
STATE ROUTE 509 is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is STATE ROUTE 509 and does age affect safety?
STATE ROUTE 509 was built in 1911, making it 115 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.