Ave of the Flags over Santa Ynez River
Santa Barbara County, California · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Ave of the Flags over Santa Ynez River in Santa Barbara County, California, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 4 (poor condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1949, making it 76 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 3,000 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2011).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 16 of the 421 inventoried bridges in Santa Barbara County rated poor (3.8%); 16 (3.8%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, no restriction (NBI item 41).
- Its class is unchanged from 2024 (poor), but component ratings moved: substructure 7 to 6.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated May 2024, on a 24-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 → (34.60517, -120.19332)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 7 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel stringer or multi-beam girder |
| Length | about 1,001 ft |
| Location | 0.6 Mi South of SR 246 |
| NBI structure number | 51C0174 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, no restriction |
| Last inspection (item 90) | May 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 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 California department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Santa Barbara County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hwy 101 NB Rt Lane over Mission Creek | 1963 | 120,000 | Good |
| La Cumbre Road over US Highway 101 | 1997 | 110,900 | Good |
| U.S. Highway 101 over Quarantina Street | 1990 | 109,000 | Good |
| U.S. Highway 101 over Calle Cesar Chavez | 1990 | 109,000 | Good |
| U.S. Highway 101 over Chapala St Equalizer | 1992 | 109,000 | Good |
| US Highway 101 over Sycamore Creek | 2011 | 109,000 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Santa Barbara County, CA bridge conditions · every bridge in Santa Barbara County · California bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.