PRESTON CO RT 86
Carrying PRESTON CO RT 86 over SALTLICK CREEK
0.03 MI NORTH CO RT 51, Preston, West Virginia
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
PRESTON CO RT 86 in Preston, West Virginia sits above 3% of rated West Virginia bridges on inventory load rating (14 t), while its 1996 build year is earlier than 29% of Preston's recorded-year cohort (182 bridges).
PRESTON CO RT 86 in Preston, West Virginia is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1996, 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 WV:00000000039A160
LATE-CENTURY · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · TRACE-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- 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: PRESTON CO RT 86
The PRESTON CO RT 86 bridge in Preston, West Virginia carries PRESTON CO RT 86 over SALTLICK CREEK. It was built in 1996, making it 30 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 37.6 meters (123 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10 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 6/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How PRESTON CO RT 86 compares
Age against the county: built in 1996, earlier than 53 of Preston's 182 bridges with a recorded construction year (29%), against a county median build year of 1978. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across West Virginia bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (7,347 of 7,348 rated).
PRESTON CO RT 86 vs every rated West Virginia bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
14 Top 97% higher than 3% 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
- 1996
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 37.6 m (123 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.0 m (13 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 00000000039A160
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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) 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
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether PRESTON CO RT 86 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 PRESTON CO RT 86 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 86?
PRESTON CO RT 86 in Preston, West Virginia 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 PRESTON CO RT 86 inspected?
PRESTON CO RT 86'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. PRESTON CO RT 86 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 PRESTON CO RT 86?
PRESTON CO RT 86 has an NBI inventory load rating of 13.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PRESTON CO RT 86?
PRESTON CO RT 86 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is PRESTON CO RT 86 and does age affect safety?
PRESTON CO RT 86 was built in 1996, making it 30 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.