SOUTH BAY DR
Carrying SOUTH BAY DR over BRANNIAN CREEK
01.0 SW BLUE CANYON, Whatcom, Washington
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SOUTH BAY DR in Whatcom, Washington sits above 97% of rated Washington bridges on inventory load rating (79 t), while its 2008 build year is earlier than 13% of Whatcom's recorded-year cohort (354 bridges).
SOUTH BAY DR in Whatcom, Washington is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 2008, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:087723000000000
POST-2000 · PRESTRESS · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- POST-2000 2000+
- PRESTRESS Prestressed concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: SOUTH BAY DR
The SOUTH BAY DR bridge in Whatcom, Washington carries SOUTH BAY DR over BRANNIAN CREEK. It was built in 2008, making it 18 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 12.2 meters (40 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 542 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 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How SOUTH BAY DR compares
Age against the county: built in 2008, earlier than 46 of Whatcom's 354 bridges with a recorded construction year (13%), 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).
SOUTH BAY DR vs every rated Washington bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
79 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.
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.
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
- 2008
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.2 m (40 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.8 m (32 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 542 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 087723000000000
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
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 SOUTH BAY DR 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 SOUTH BAY DR 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 SOUTH BAY DR?
SOUTH BAY DR in Whatcom, Washington has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SOUTH BAY DR inspected?
SOUTH BAY DR'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 542 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SOUTH BAY DR is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for SOUTH BAY DR?
SOUTH BAY DR has an NBI inventory load rating of 78.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SOUTH BAY DR?
SOUTH BAY DR is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is SOUTH BAY DR and does age affect safety?
SOUTH BAY DR was built in 2008, making it 18 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.