MAIN ST
Carrying MAIN ST over AURELIA CREEK
091391001, Cherokee, Iowa
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
MAIN ST in Cherokee, Iowa sits above 81% of rated Iowa bridges on inventory load rating (39 t), while its 1939 build year is earlier than 73% of Cherokee's recorded-year cohort (248 bridges).
MAIN ST in Cherokee, Iowa is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1939, it carries 2 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor result describes the weakest reported component rather than the structure as a whole. No NBI category is a closure decision or a live crossing-safety verdict.
NBI record plate
Structure IA:000000000501850
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-POOR Poor
Inspection-sheet codes from this record’s year, material family, spans, controlling component, ADT, inventory load, and NBI category, not a live closure verdict.
Bridge Snapshot: MAIN ST
The MAIN ST bridge in Cherokee, Iowa carries MAIN ST over AURELIA CREEK. It was built in 1939, making it 87 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 10.7 meters (35 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 841 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Iowa bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show superstructure at 7/9, 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.
How MAIN ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1939, earlier than 180 of Cherokee's 248 bridges with a recorded construction year (73%), against a county median build year of 1973. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Iowa bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (23,718 of 23,719 rated).
MAIN ST vs every rated Iowa bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
39 Top 19% higher than 81% of 23,718 bridges
rated Iowa bridges, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more bridges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · August 2026
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Reported 0–9 component ratings from the FHWA NBI. The highlighted component is the lowest reported input to this record’s current condition category; it is not a closure or live crossing-safety decision.
Cherokee inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 248 bridges in this county. Orthogonal to this structure's component profile above: a county catalog share, not a live crossing-safety verdict.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1939
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 10.7 m (35 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 841 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000501850
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
MAIN ST 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 MAIN ST against other structures in Cherokee and across Iowa. Iowa 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 MAIN ST?
MAIN ST in Cherokee, Iowa, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is MAIN ST inspected?
MAIN ST'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 841 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. MAIN ST 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 MAIN ST?
MAIN ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 39.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining MAIN ST?
MAIN ST is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is MAIN ST and does age affect safety?
MAIN ST was built in 1939, making it 87 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.
Share this inspection record
Send this source-bounded record or download its data card. An NBI condition category is not a closure or live crossing-safety verdict.
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Component ratings, ADT, and condition category on this page are copied from the NBI record for this structure; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.