US221 421 over South Fork New River
Watauga County, North Carolina · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- US221 421 over South Fork New River in Watauga County, North Carolina, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the substructure, rated 6 (satisfactory condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1990, making it 35 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 27,000 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2022).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 96 of the 202 inventoried bridges in Watauga County rated fair (47.5%); 19 (9.4%) are rated poor.
- 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 → (36.22086, -81.63998)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | 7 | Good condition |
| Superstructure | 7 | Good condition |
| Substructure | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Prestressed concrete stringer or multi-beam girder |
| Length | about 151 ft |
| Location | 25 FT.E.JCT.SR1515 |
| NBI structure number | 000000001890069 |
| Condition class | Fair |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the North Carolina department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Watauga County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US221 321 over Winkler Creek | 1947 | 42,000 | Fair |
| NC105 over Hodges Creek | 1954 | 30,000 | Good |
| NC105 over Boone Creek | 1964 | 30,000 | Good |
| US221 US32 over Mid. Fork S. Fork New Rv | 1949 | 22,500 | Fair |
| US221 US32 over Middle Fork S.fork Newrv | 1949 | 21,000 | Fair |
| NC105 over Laurel Fork Creek | 1956 | 19,000 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Watauga County, NC bridge conditions · every bridge in Watauga County · North Carolina bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.