CSAH 15
Carrying CSAH 15 over DES MOINES RIVER
0.3 MI W OF JCT CSAH 13, Cottonwood, Minnesota
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: CSAH 15
The CSAH 15 bridge in Cottonwood, Minnesota carries CSAH 15 over DES MOINES RIVER. It was built in 1960, making it 66 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 42.7 meters (140 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 415 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Minnesota bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 7/9. 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 27.4 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How CSAH 15 compares
Live comparison across Minnesota.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1960
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 42.7 m (140 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.8 m (32 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 415 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 17501
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 3/9, advanced deterioration that should be prioritized for repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
How to read this record
CSAH 15 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 CSAH 15 against other structures in Cottonwood and across Minnesota. Minnesota 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 CSAH 15?
CSAH 15 in Cottonwood, Minnesota has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CSAH 15 inspected?
CSAH 15'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 415 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CSAH 15 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 CSAH 15?
CSAH 15 has an NBI inventory load rating of 27.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CSAH 15?
CSAH 15 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is CSAH 15 and does age affect safety?
CSAH 15 was built in 1960, making it 66 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.