BUCHANAN STREET
Carrying BUCHANAN STREET over GRAND CALUMET RIVER
00.50 N US 12/US 20 WB, Lake, Indiana
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: BUCHANAN STREET
The BUCHANAN STREET bridge in Lake, Indiana carries BUCHANAN STREET over GRAND CALUMET RIVER. It was built in 1950, making it 76 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1984, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 54.7 meters (179 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 6,343 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Indiana bridges. It is owned and maintained by Private.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed. Its NBI inventory load rating is 32.7 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How BUCHANAN STREET compares
Live comparison across Indiana.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1950
- Last Reconstructed
- 1984
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 54.7 m (179 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.1 m (46 ft)
- Owner
- Private
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 6,343 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 060252
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, advanced deterioration that should be prioritized for repair.
- • At 4/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
How to read this record
BUCHANAN 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 BUCHANAN STREET against other structures in Lake and across Indiana. Indiana 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 BUCHANAN STREET?
BUCHANAN STREET in Lake, Indiana has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BUCHANAN STREET inspected?
BUCHANAN 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 6,343 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BUCHANAN 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 BUCHANAN STREET?
BUCHANAN STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BUCHANAN STREET?
BUCHANAN STREET is owned and maintained by Private.
How old is BUCHANAN STREET and does age affect safety?
BUCHANAN STREET was built in 1950, making it 76 years old and last reconstructed in 1984.
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.