SR 51 over Watula Creek
Lee County, Alabama · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- SR 51 over Watula Creek in Lee County, Alabama, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 5 (fair condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1939, making it 86 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 1,200 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2013).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 124 of the 214 inventoried bridges in Lee County rated fair (57.9%); 3 (1.4%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, would be posted or closed except for temporary shoring or other temporary measures (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated February 2025, on a 24-month routine inspection cycle.
- A fair rating means the lowest-rated major component scores 5 or 6 on FHWA's 0-9 scale: some deterioration or minor section loss, but the structure is sound. It is the middle class, not a warning.
View this bridge on a map → (32.45664, -85.36867)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Substructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel stringer or multi-beam girder |
| Length | about 70 ft |
| Location | 1 Mi N Jct US 80 |
| NBI structure number | 002012 |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, would be posted or closed except for temporary shoring or other temporary measures |
| Last inspection (item 90) | February 2025 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 5: foundations stable, scour within the limits of the footing or piles |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Alabama department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Lee County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-85 over Long St | 2022 | 60,981 | Good |
| In-85 over NS RR | 2022 | 60,981 | Good |
| In-85 over SR 51 | 2022 | 60,981 | Good |
| I-85 over Moores Mill Creek | 1958 | 40,660 | Poor |
| I-85 over Stink Creek | 1958 | 35,990 | Fair |
| I-85 over Branch | 1964 | 33,600 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Lee County, AL bridge conditions · every bridge in Lee County · Alabama bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.