County profile · official public datasets

Mason County, WV

137 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 32.8% rated Good, 51.1% Fair, 16.1% Poor.

137
Public bridges
32.8%
Good condition
16.1%
Poor condition

The verdict

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

Mason County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.

Top 45%
lowest Poor share in state
16.1%
Poor-condition share
137
public highway bridges
1989
avg year built

Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.

Mason County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Mason County ranks #25 of 55 West Virginia counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 16.1%). Mason County, West Virginia contains 137 public highway bridges. Roughly 32.8% are rated “Good,” 51.1% “Fair,” and 16.1% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.

Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.

Total bridges

137

Public highway bridges in Mason County

Good condition

32.8%

45 of 137 rated 7-9

Fair condition

51.1%

70 of 137 rated 5-6

Poor condition

16.1%

22 of 137 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#25 of 55

Among West Virginia counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 137 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
32.8% (45)
Fair
51.1% (70)
Poor
16.1% (22)

Mason County's Poor-condition bridges carry 31,310 vehicle crossings a day

That is 9.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 16.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,423 crossings a day against 1,806 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.

Computed over the 137 of 137 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

19% of Mason County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

26 of the 137 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 32.8% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.

Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

One structure carries 35.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

WV 817 over NINEMILE CREEK, built 1957, carries 11,200 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 22-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 31,310 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Mason County's bridges were built

137 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 2010s, when 31 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 22.6% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 5 to 14 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1989, 9 years newer than the West Virginia average of 1980.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

How Mason County compares with West Virginia's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 West Virginia counties nearest Mason County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 16.1% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1989 against a peer-group mean of 1980 is 9 years newer.

Showing the 5 closest of 54 West Virginia counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Mason County and the 5 West Virginia counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Mason County (this page) 137 16.1%
Putnam County 135 15.6%
Boone County 131 16%
Hardy County 131 8.4%
Roane County 130 26.2%
Ritchie County 127 26.8%

Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to Mason County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year

Two NBI-derived peer sets for Mason County, both outside West Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside WV (137 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside WV (1989 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 137 Good 45 Fair 70 Poor 22

All bridges (137)

WV 817

Good

Over: LITTLE SIXTEEN MILE CRK

0.08 MI S OF CR 29, Mason, WV

Built 2014 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 500

CR 64

Good

Over: MUDLICK FORK

0.05 MI W OF CR 35/10, Mason, WV

Built 2020 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 50

CR 72

Good

Over: SIXTEEN-MILE CREEK

0.01 MI E OF CR 54/2, Mason, WV

Built 2020 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 50

CR 29

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SIXTEENMILE C

0.18 MI E OF CR 27, Mason, WV

Built 2010 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROUTE 8

Good

Over: TENMILE CREEK

0.16 MI S OF CR 7/6, Mason, WV

Built 1990 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 10

CR 27

Good

Over: UPPER FIVEMILE CREEK

0.15 MI S OF CR 36, Mason, WV

Built 1990 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROUTE 31

Good

Over: YEAGER CREEK

0.55 MI E OF CR 50, Mason, WV

Built 1998 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 40

CR 58

Good

Over: THIRTEENMILE CREEK

0.39 MI E OF CR 58/4, Mason, WV

Built 2021 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 10

CR 40

Good

Over: UPPER NINEMILE CREEK

1.83 MI N OF CR 40/3, Mason, WV

Built 1990 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROUTE 29

Good

Over: MIDDLE FORK OF CRAB CK

1.13 MI E OF CR 29/1, Mason, WV

Built 1990 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 500

CR 13

Good

Over: OLDTOWN CREEK

0.02 MI N OF CR 14, Mason, WV

Built 1996 Load: 61.7 t ADT: 1,200

CR 58

Good

Over: POPLAR FORK

0.01 MI EAST OF CR 31/4, Mason, WV

Built 2019 Load: 61.7 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROUTE 42

Good

Over: GUISE CREEK

0.19 MI N OF CR 29, Mason, WV

Built 1996 Load: 63.5 t ADT: 50

CR 80

Good

Over: EIGHTEENMILE CREEK

0.08 MI S OF CR 41, Mason, WV

Built 1996 Load: 68.9 t ADT: 100

CR 2

Good

Over: OLDTOWN CREEK

0.16 MI N of CR 26, Mason, WV

Built 2014 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,000

WV 62

Poor

Over: TOMBLESON RUN

0.03 MI N OF CR 22, Mason, WV

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,200

COUNTY ROUTE 29

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF SIXTEENMILE CK

0.46 MI E OF CR 27, Mason, WV

Built 1936 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROUTE 17/9

Poor

Over: LITTLE SIXTEENMILE CREEK

0.15 MI E OF US 35, Mason, WV

Built 1961 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 15

Poor

Over: OLDTOWN CREEK

0.63 MI E OF CR 13/4, Mason, WV

Built 1952 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 400

WV 817

Poor

Over: UPPER NINEMILE CREEK

0.25 NORTH OF US 35, Mason, WV

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

WV 817

Poor

Over: NINEMILE CREEK

1.01 MI N OF CR 40, Mason, WV

Built 1957 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 11,200

WV 817

Poor

Over: FORK OF POND BRANCH

0.05 MI NORTH OF CR 17/8, Mason, WV

Built 1930 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 7,200

WV 62

Poor

Over: WEST CREEK

0.97 MI S OF CR 12, Mason, WV

Built 1925 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 1,300

WV 62

Poor

Over: OLDTOWN CREEK

0.99 MI N OF CR 62/2, Mason, WV

Built 1942 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 5,000

COUNTY ROUTE 29

Poor

Over: CRAB CREEK

0.08 MI E OF CR 29/16, Mason, WV

Built 1979 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 500

CR 27

Poor

Over: UPPER FIVEMILE CREEK

0.18 MI N OF CR 36, Mason, WV

Built 1924 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 300

WV 62

Poor

Over: THIRTEENMILE CREEK

0.02 MI N OF CR 35/5, Mason, WV

Built 1951 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 900

COUNTY ROUTE 37

Poor

Over: SIXTEENMILE CREEK

0.71 MI. E. OF CR. 54, Mason, WV

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 950

COUNTY ROAD 15/5

Poor

Over: OLDTOWN CREEK

0.87 MI. E. OF CR 5/15, Mason, WV

Built 1940 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 60

ACCESS ROAD

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD

RACINE LOCKS & DAM, Mason, WV

Built 1965 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

CR. 27

Poor

Over: LOWER FIVEMILE CREEK

0.04 MI S OF CR 36, Mason, WV

Built 1977 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD 70

Poor

Over: ARBUCKLE CREEK

0.65 MI. N. OF CR. 68, Mason, WV

Built 1977 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 250

CR 12/7

Poor

Over: ROBINSON RUN

0.15 MI S OF CR 12, Mason, WV

Built 1977 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 90

CR 37/4

Poor

Over: SIXTEENMILE CREEK

0., Mason, WV

Built 1977 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROUTE 34

Poor

Over: THREEMILE CREEK

1.07 MI E OF CR 34/2, Mason, WV

Built 1977 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 200

CR 36

Poor

Over: LOWER FIVEMILE CREEK

0.45 MI E OF CR 25 SLS, Mason, WV

Built 1980 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 200

CR 29

Poor

Over: CRAB CREEK

0.37 MI E OF CR 29/16, Mason, WV

Built 1979 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 750

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.