Birdland Bay Rd over Clark Fork River 001
Sanders County, Montana · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Birdland Bay Rd over Clark Fork River 001 in Sanders County, Montana, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 5 (fair condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1928, making it 97 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 100 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2025).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 65 of the 120 inventoried bridges in Sanders County rated fair (54.2%); 10 (8.3%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, no restriction (NBI item 41).
- Its class is unchanged from 2024 (fair), but component ratings moved: substructure 6 to 5.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated July 2024, on a 24-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 fair rating means the lowest-rated major component scores 5 or 6 on FHWA's 0-9 scale: some deterioration or minor section loss, but the structure is sound. It is the middle class, not a warning.
View this bridge on a map → (47.62152, -115.39159)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Substructure | 6 | 5 | Fair condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 310 ft |
| Location | 2M W Thompson Falls |
| NBI structure number | L45298000+03001 |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, no restriction |
| Last inspection (item 90) | July 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 8: foundations stable, scour above the top of the footing |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Montana department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Sanders County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 200 over Clark Fork River | 1997 | 3,009 | Fair |
| S 200 over Clark Fork River | 1996 | 3,009 | Fair |
| S 200 over RR | 2000 | 2,686 | Good |
| S 200 over Clark Fork River | 1960 | 2,482 | Poor |
| Irr - S 28 over Hot Springs Creek | 1959 | 2,181 | Fair |
| S 200 over Wildlife Crossing | 2019 | 2,177 | Good |
All bridges nearby: Sanders County, MT bridge conditions · every bridge in Sanders County · Montana bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.