River Rd over Md Fk Little Red River
Van Buren County, Arkansas · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- River Rd over Md Fk Little Red River in Van Buren County, Arkansas, 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 1910 and reconstructed in 1988, making it 115 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 78 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2018).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 8 of the 98 inventoried bridges in Van Buren County rated poor (8.2%); 8 (8.2%) 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 August 2024, on a 12-month routine inspection cycle.
- It is coded scour critical (NBI item 113 = 3): scour critical: foundations unstable for the assessed or calculated scour.
- 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 → (35.65889, -92.32185)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Substructure | 3 | 3 | Serious condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 365 ft |
| Location | NW City Limits of Shirley |
| NBI structure number | 000000000020045 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | August 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 3: scour critical: foundations unstable for the assessed or calculated scour |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Arkansas department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Van Buren County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 65 over SFk Little Red River | 2011 | 16,000 | Good |
| US 65 over Big Branch | 2003 | 14,146 | Good |
| US 65 over Choctaw Creek | 2003 | 12,204 | Good |
| US 65 over Town Branch | 2015 | 12,000 | Good |
| US 65 over Archey Fork Creek | 2015 | 11,570 | Good |
| US 65 over Pine Mt. Creek | 2005 | 7,900 | Good |
All bridges nearby: Van Buren County, AR bridge conditions · every bridge in Van Buren County · Arkansas bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.