PRESTON CO RT 39
Carrying PRESTON CO RT 39 over RACCOON CREEK
0.88 MI EAST CO RT 39/2, Preston, West Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
PRESTON CO RT 39 in Preston, West Virginia sits above 7% of rated West Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (19 t), while its 1939 build year is earlier than 76% of Preston's recorded-year cohort (182 bridges).
PRESTON CO RT 39 in Preston, West Virginia is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1939, 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 WV:00000000039A091
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: PRESTON CO RT 39
The PRESTON CO RT 39 bridge in Preston, West Virginia carries PRESTON CO RT 39 over RACCOON CREEK. It was built in 1939, making it 87 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 8.4 meters (28 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 250 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of West Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. 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 PRESTON CO RT 39 compares
Age against the county: built in 1939, earlier than 139 of Preston's 182 bridges with a recorded construction year (76%), against a county median build year of 1978. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across West Virginia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (7,347 of 7,348 rated).
PRESTON CO RT 39 vs every rated West Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
19 Top 93% higher than 7% of 7,347 bridges
rated West Virginia 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.
Preston inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 182 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
- 1939
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 8.4 m (28 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.1 m (23 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 250 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 00000000039A091
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
PRESTON CO RT 39 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 PRESTON CO RT 39 against other structures in Preston and across West Virginia. West Virginia 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 PRESTON CO RT 39?
PRESTON CO RT 39 in Preston, West Virginia has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is PRESTON CO RT 39 inspected?
PRESTON CO RT 39'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 250 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. PRESTON CO RT 39 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 PRESTON CO RT 39?
PRESTON CO RT 39 has an NBI inventory load rating of 19.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PRESTON CO RT 39?
PRESTON CO RT 39 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is PRESTON CO RT 39 and does age affect safety?
PRESTON CO RT 39 was built in 1939, making it 87 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.
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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.