W Bear Lake Rd over Tensas River
Madison Parish, Louisiana · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- W Bear Lake Rd over Tensas River in Madison Parish, Louisiana, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 1 (imminent failure condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1950, making it 75 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 187 vehicles a day (traffic count year 1979).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 7 of the 104 inventoried bridges in Madison Parish rated poor (6.7%); 7 (6.7%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is closed to all traffic (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated April 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 → (32.50148, -91.31234)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 1 | 1 | Imminent failure condition |
| Superstructure | 1 | 1 | Imminent failure condition |
| Substructure | 1 | 1 | Imminent failure condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 279 ft |
| Location | 9 Mi W Talla Bena |
| NBI structure number | 053332300911891 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Closed to all traffic |
| Last inspection (item 90) | April 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 months |
| Scour (item 113) | U: unknown foundation, not evaluated for scour |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Louisiana department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Madison Parish
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| I0020 over Mississippi River | 1973 | 36,023 | Fair |
| I0020 over Bayou Macon | 1971 | 31,481 | Fair |
| I0020 over Bayou Macon | 1971 | 31,481 | Fair |
| I0020 over Drainage | 1971 | 31,481 | Fair |
| I0020 over Drainage | 1971 | 31,481 | Fair |
| I0020 over Joes Bayou Lake | 1971 | 31,481 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Madison Parish, LA bridge conditions · every bridge in Madison Parish · Louisiana bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.