CANAL STREET
Carrying CANAL STREET over UNION STATION TRACKS
500 W & 300 TO 600 S, Cook, Illinois
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: CANAL STREET
The CANAL STREET bridge in Cook, Illinois carries CANAL STREET over UNION STATION TRACKS. It was built in 1926, making it 100 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1983, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 41 sections, stretching 384.0 meters (1260 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10,400 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 3/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order. Its NBI inventory load rating is 19.8 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How CANAL STREET 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1926
- Last Reconstructed
- 1983
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 41
- Structure Length
- 384.0 m (1260 ft)
- Deck Width
- 15.2 m (50 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10,400 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 016651400000000
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (3/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
How to read this record
CANAL STREET 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 CANAL STREET 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 CANAL STREET?
CANAL STREET in Cook, Illinois has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CANAL STREET inspected?
CANAL STREET'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 10,400 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CANAL STREET 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 CANAL STREET?
CANAL STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 19.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CANAL STREET?
CANAL STREET is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is CANAL STREET and does age affect safety?
CANAL STREET was built in 1926, making it 100 years old and last reconstructed in 1983.
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.