LAKE SHORE DRIVE
Carrying LAKE SHORE DRIVE over MAIN BR CHICAGO RIV
402 N & 520 E, Cook, Illinois
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: LAKE SHORE DRIVE
The LAKE SHORE DRIVE bridge in Cook, Illinois carries LAKE SHORE DRIVE over MAIN BR CHICAGO RIV. It was built in 1937, making it 89 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1988, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 107.4 meters (352 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 105,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Illinois bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 3/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules. Its NBI inventory load rating is 11.7 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How LAKE SHORE DRIVE compares
Live comparison across Illinois.
Historical Sufficiency Rating
PlainBridge-computedFHWA discontinued this calculated item; it does not determine current condition, funding eligibility, posting, or closure. How the historical reference is calculated.
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1937
- Last Reconstructed
- 1988
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 107.4 m (352 ft)
- Deck Width
- 32.7 m (107 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 105,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 016603000000000
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 3/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
How to read this record
LAKE SHORE DRIVE is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare LAKE SHORE DRIVE against other structures in Cook and across Illinois. Illinois bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for LAKE SHORE DRIVE?
LAKE SHORE DRIVE in Cook, Illinois has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 3/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is LAKE SHORE DRIVE inspected?
LAKE SHORE DRIVE's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 105,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. LAKE SHORE DRIVE is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for LAKE SHORE DRIVE?
LAKE SHORE DRIVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 11.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining LAKE SHORE DRIVE?
LAKE SHORE DRIVE is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is LAKE SHORE DRIVE and does age affect safety?
LAKE SHORE DRIVE was built in 1937, making it 89 years old and last reconstructed in 1988.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Every figure on PlainBridge is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.