Where can I find National Bridge Inventory data?
Answer
There are at least two ways to search the NBI through an official government source rather than an aggregator:
You can access the LTBP InfoBridge: Data map website from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
- Click the small "Show Bridges" button.
- There are NBI and NBE (National Bridge Elements) subpages/tabs.
- One benefit of this source is that, under NBI, then All, the coded fields are spelled out with their descriptions, for example, “Record Type (5A): 1 - On Structure.”
Another way to get to the data is from the BTS National Bridge Inventory GIS site:
- Dynamically search the National Bridge Inventory by clicking View Map.
- Zoom in
- Click a blue dot to see the bridge data.
- Using the box of data, you can then use the Coding Guide to determine, for example, “RECORD_TYPE_005A: 1” means Route carried "on" the structure.
You may also find the following useful:
- National Transportation Statistics (BTS), “Condition of US Highway Bridges”
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Bridges and Structures
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card: Structurally Deficient Bridges
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