N5 over Little Blue River
Thayer County, Nebraska · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- N5 over Little Blue River in Thayer County, Nebraska, 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 1976, making it 49 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 450 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2018).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 16 of the 220 inventoried bridges in Thayer County rated poor (7.3%); 16 (7.3%) 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 June 2023, 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 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 → (40.212, -97.7265)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 7 | 7 | Good condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 224 ft |
| Location | 5N Deshler |
| NBI structure number | S005 00446 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | June 2023 |
| 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 Nebraska department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Thayer County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB US81 over Big Sandy Creek | 1937 | 5,495 | Fair |
| NB US81 over Big Sandy Creek | 1998 | 5,495 | Good |
| SB US81 over UPRR 813-625-u | 1937 | 5,495 | Fair |
| NB US81 over UPRR 813-625-u | 1998 | 5,495 | Good |
| US81 over Stream | 1937 | 5,495 | Good |
| US81 over Stream | 1981 | 5,100 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Thayer County, NE bridge conditions · every bridge in Thayer County · Nebraska bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.