Firetower Road over Bates Creek
Washington County, Alabama · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Firetower Road over Bates Creek in Washington County, Alabama, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the substructure, rated 3 (serious condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1980, making it 45 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 100 vehicles a day (traffic count year 1997).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 16 of the 171 inventoried bridges in Washington County rated poor (9.4%); 16 (9.4%) are rated poor.
- A poor rating means at least one major component - deck, superstructure, or substructure - is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale. It does not by itself mean the bridge is unsafe; bridges judged unsafe are closed or load-restricted by their owners.
View this bridge on a map → (31.20572, -88.03926)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Superstructure | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Substructure | 3 | Serious condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Concrete channel beam |
| Length | about 38 ft |
| Location | Fairford |
| NBI structure number | 017014 |
| Condition class | Poor |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Alabama department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Washington County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 43 over Little Paul Bayou | 1979 | 12,360 | Fair |
| US 43 over Graves Creek | 1991 | 8,520 | Fair |
| US 43 over Branch | 1940 | 8,240 | Fair |
| US 43 over Gaines Creek | 1987 | 8,240 | Fair |
| US 43 over Paul Bayou Creek | 1979 | 6,180 | Fair |
| US 43 over Paul Bayou Rel. | 1979 | 6,180 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Washington County, AL bridge conditions · every bridge in Washington County · Alabama bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.