Orchard Road over Middle Fork Salt Creek
Brown County, Indiana · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Orchard Road over Middle Fork Salt Creek in Brown County, Indiana, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the substructure, rated 4 (poor condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1979, making it 46 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 300 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2024).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 17 of the 114 inventoried bridges in Brown County rated poor (14.9%); 17 (14.9%) 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 October 2024, on a 12-month routine inspection cycle.
- 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 → (39.11573, -86.18943)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 7 | 7 | Good condition |
| Substructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Continuous prestressed concrete single box beam |
| Length | about 70 ft |
| Location | 0.1 Mi. East of SR 135 |
| NBI structure number | 0700022 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | October 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 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 Indiana department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Brown County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| SR 46 over Greasy Creek | 1964 | 14,040 | Fair |
| SR 46 over North Fork Salt Creek | 1964 | 11,699 | Fair |
| SR 46 over North Fork Salt Creek | 1964 | 10,596 | Fair |
| SR 46 over North Fork Salt Creek | 1964 | 10,520 | Fair |
| SR 46 over N Fork Salt Creek | 1928 | 9,341 | Fair |
| SR 46 over Gnaw Bone Creek | 1960 | 8,485 | Good |
All bridges nearby: Brown County, IN bridge conditions · every bridge in Brown County · Indiana bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.