APPROACH ROAD
Carrying APPROACH ROAD over WHETSTONE CREEK
0.01 S JCT 9218, Columbia, Washington
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
APPROACH ROAD in Columbia, Washington sits above 2% of rated Washington bridges on inventory load rating (10 t), while its 1962 build year is earlier than 86% of Columbia's recorded-year cohort (86 bridges).
APPROACH ROAD in Columbia, Washington is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1962, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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 WA:082129000000000
INTERSTATE-ERA · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- 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: APPROACH ROAD
The APPROACH ROAD bridge in Columbia, Washington carries APPROACH ROAD over WHETSTONE CREEK. It was built in 1962, making it 64 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 9.8 meters (32 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Washington bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How APPROACH ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1962, earlier than 74 of Columbia's 86 bridges with a recorded construction year (86%), against a county median build year of 1974. 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).
APPROACH ROAD vs every rated Washington bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
10 Top 98% higher than 2% 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.
Columbia inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 86 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
- 1962
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.8 m (32 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.9 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 082129000000000
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) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 APPROACH 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 APPROACH ROAD against other structures in Columbia 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 APPROACH ROAD?
APPROACH ROAD in Columbia, Washington has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is APPROACH ROAD inspected?
APPROACH 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. APPROACH 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 APPROACH ROAD?
APPROACH ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 10.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining APPROACH ROAD?
APPROACH ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is APPROACH ROAD and does age affect safety?
APPROACH ROAD was built in 1962, making it 64 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.