SR 544
Carrying SR 544 over NOOKSACK R OVERFLOW
7.6 E JCT SR 539, Whatcom, Washington
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SR 544 in Whatcom, Washington sits above 97% of rated Washington bridges on inventory load rating (90 t), while its 1994 build year is earlier than 28% of Whatcom's recorded-year cohort (354 bridges).
SR 544 in Whatcom, Washington is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1994, it carries 1 rated component 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:0014295B0000000
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-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: SR 544
The SR 544 bridge in Whatcom, Washington carries SR 544 over NOOKSACK R OVERFLOW. It was built in 1994, making it 32 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 11.6 meters (38 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 9,956 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 culvert at 3/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How SR 544 compares
Age against the county: built in 1994, earlier than 100 of Whatcom's 354 bridges with a recorded construction year (28%), against a county median build year of 1962. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Washington bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (8,455 of 8,474 rated).
SR 544 vs every rated Washington bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
90 Top 3% higher than 97% 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.
Whatcom inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 354 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
- 1994
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 11.6 m (38 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 9,956 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0014295B0000000
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SR 544 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 SR 544 against other structures in Whatcom 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 SR 544?
SR 544 in Whatcom, Washington on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SR 544 inspected?
SR 544'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 9,956 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SR 544 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 SR 544?
SR 544 has an NBI inventory load rating of 89.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SR 544?
SR 544 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SR 544 and does age affect safety?
SR 544 was built in 1994, making it 32 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.