4TH AVE S
Carrying 4TH AVE S over ARGO RR YARD
4700 4th Ave S, King, Washington
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
4TH AVE S in King, Washington sits above 22% of rated Washington bridges on inventory load rating (22 t), while its 1933 build year is earlier than 95% of King's recorded-year cohort (1,238 bridges).
4TH AVE S in King, Washington is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1933, 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:085273000000000
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 12 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: 4TH AVE S
The 4TH AVE S bridge in King, Washington carries 4TH AVE S over ARGO RR YARD. It was built in 1933, making it 93 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1985, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 12 sections, stretching 530.7 meters (1741 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 28,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-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 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. 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 4TH AVE S compares
Age against the county: built in 1933, earlier than 1,170 of King's 1,238 bridges with a recorded construction year (95%), against a county median build year of 1972. 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).
4TH AVE S vs every rated Washington bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
22 Top 78% higher than 22% 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.
King inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 1,238 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
- 1933
- Last Reconstructed
- 1985
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 12
- Structure Length
- 530.7 m (1741 ft)
- Deck Width
- 15.8 m (52 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 28,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 085273000000000
Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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
4TH AVE S 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 4TH AVE S against other structures in King 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 4TH AVE S?
4TH AVE S in King, Washington has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 4TH AVE S inspected?
4TH AVE S'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 28,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 4TH AVE S 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 4TH AVE S?
4TH AVE S has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 4TH AVE S?
4TH AVE S is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is 4TH AVE S and does age affect safety?
4TH AVE S was built in 1933, making it 93 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.