I-526 over Cooper River
Berkeley County, South Carolina · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- I-526 over Cooper River in Berkeley County, South Carolina, 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 1992, making it 33 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 76,300 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2023).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 130 of the 217 inventoried bridges in Berkeley County rated fair (59.9%); 8 (3.7%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, no restriction (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated January 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 → (32.89006, -79.95562)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Substructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Continuous steel through truss |
| Length | about 16,450 ft |
| Location | In N. Charleston |
| NBI structure number | 000000000008516 |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, no restriction |
| Last inspection (item 90) | January 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 5: foundations stable, scour within the limits of the footing or piles |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the South Carolina department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Berkeley County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-26 over Saw Mill Branch | 1960 | 93,600 | Fair |
| US 17 Alt over I-26 | 2003 | 59,300 | Good |
| I-26 over Timothy Creek | 1960 | 52,800 | Fair |
| I-26 EB over Timothy Creek | 1960 | 52,800 | Fair |
| US 17 Alt over Sawmill Creek | 1936 | 44,000 | Good |
| US 52 over Canter Hill Swamp | 1971 | 42,000 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Berkeley County, SC bridge conditions · every bridge in Berkeley County · South Carolina bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.