US 281 Sbml over Guadalupe River
Comal County, Texas · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- US 281 Sbml over Guadalupe River in Comal County, Texas, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 5 (fair condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1935, making it 90 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 10,302 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2020).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 56 of the 231 inventoried bridges in Comal County rated fair (24.2%); 0 (0.0%) 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: deck 8 to 7.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated June 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 → (29.85297, -98.40801)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 8 | 7 | Good condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 611 ft |
| Location | 3.95 Mi N of SH 46 |
| NBI structure number | 150460025303019 |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, no restriction |
| Last inspection (item 90) | June 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 Texas department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Comal County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ih 35 Nbml over Conrads Lane | 2022 | 142,800 | Good |
| Ih 35 Sbml over Conrads Lane | 2023 | 142,800 | Good |
| IH35 Nbml over Parkway | 2023 | 142,800 | Good |
| IH35 Sbml over Parkway | 2023 | 142,800 | Good |
| Ih 35 Ml & Fr over Dry Creek | 1957 | 132,036 | Good |
| Ih 35 Ml & Fr over Caney Creek | 1933 | 120,781 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Comal County, TX bridge conditions · every bridge in Comal County · Texas bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.