CR 38 - Polk Co. over Mt. Fork River
Polk County, Arkansas · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- CR 38 - Polk Co. over Mt. Fork River in Polk County, Arkansas, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 3 (serious condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1905, making it 120 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 144 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2018).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 29 of the 222 inventoried bridges in Polk County rated poor (13.1%); 29 (13.1%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is posted for load (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated September 2024, on a 12-month routine inspection cycle.
- It has fracture-critical members (NBI item 92A): steel tension members without a redundant load path, which get their own scheduled inspections.
- 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 → (34.5285, -94.39939)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 3 | 3 | Serious condition |
| Substructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 405 ft |
| Location | 3.10 Mi W Jct 37 & 38 |
| NBI structure number | 000000000016149 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | September 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 7: scour countermeasures installed |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Arkansas department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Polk County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Highway 71 over Ward Creek Polk County | 1953 | 13,000 | Fair |
| US 71 - Polk Co. over Creek | 1980 | 11,000 | Fair |
| US 71 over Lyn Creek | 1953 | 7,900 | Fair |
| US 71-Polk Co over McKinney Creek | 1935 | 6,600 | Fair |
| US 71 - Polk Co. over Drainage Ditch | 1939 | 6,600 | Fair |
| US 71-Polk Co over Brier Creek | 1953 | 6,168 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Polk County, AR bridge conditions · every bridge in Polk County · Arkansas bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.