Co 38/5 over East River
Mercer County, West Virginia · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Co 38/5 over East River in Mercer County, West Virginia, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 4 (poor condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1964, making it 61 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 40 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2022).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 44 of the 175 inventoried bridges in Mercer County rated poor (25.1%); 44 (25.1%) 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 October 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 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 → (37.31007, -81.05729)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Substructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel girder and floorbeam |
| Length | about 41 ft |
| Location | 0.36 Mi. W. of Wv 112 |
| NBI structure number | 00000000028A098 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | October 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 West Virginia department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Mercer County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-77 NB over Brush Creek | 1979 | 40,127 | Fair |
| I-77 SB over Routes 19 and 21 | 1977 | 30,659 | Fair |
| I-77 NB over Routes 19 and 21 | 1977 | 29,826 | Fair |
| I-77 S over Bluestone Rvr & Co. Rt 3 | 1954 | 28,562 | Fair |
| I-77 NB over Mercer Co. Route 7 | 1977 | 28,500 | Fair |
| I-77 NB over Mercer County Route 3 | 1977 | 28,453 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Mercer County, WV bridge conditions · every bridge in Mercer County · West Virginia bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.