US 521 over Bear Creek
Lancaster County, South Carolina · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- US 521 over Bear Creek in Lancaster County, South Carolina, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 6 (satisfactory condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1965, making it 60 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 9,400 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2023).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 113 of the 182 inventoried bridges in Lancaster County rated fair (62.1%); 17 (9.3%) 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 → (34.70488, -80.74568)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Superstructure | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Substructure | 7 | Good condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Concrete slab |
| Length | about 149 ft |
| Location | 2.3 Mi E of Lancaster |
| NBI structure number | 000000000004579 |
| Condition class | Fair |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the South Carolina department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Lancaster County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 521 over Hannahs Creek | 1965 | 27,400 | Good |
| US 521 over U.S.521 | 1965 | 27,400 | Fair |
| US 521 over Camp Creek | 1952 | 25,700 | Fair |
| Sc 160 over Big Sugar Creek | 1999 | 19,000 | Good |
| Sc 5 over Catawba Rv & S.c.l. RR | 2013 | 18,900 | Good |
| US 521 NB over Gills Creek | 1965 | 13,700 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Lancaster County, SC bridge conditions · every bridge in Lancaster County · South Carolina bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.