LAKE SHORE DRIVE
Carrying LAKE SHORE DRIVE over DIVERSEY HARBOR INLT
2800 N & 500 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 DIVERSEY HARBOR INLT. It was built in 1940, making it 86 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 20.9 meters (69 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 112,700 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 5/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range. Its NBI inventory load rating is 27.5 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1940
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 20.9 m (69 ft)
- Deck Width
- 38.2 m (125 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 112,700 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 016619200000000
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether LAKE SHORE DRIVE is safe to cross today. Here is how to use it.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Learn how the 0–9 condition scale and Good/Fair/Poor categories are defined. How condition ratings work
- 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 5/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 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 112,700 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 Fair 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 27.5 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 1940, making it 86 years old.
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.