39TH ST (PERSHING)
Carrying 39TH ST (PERSHING) over RACINE AVE & RR
1.3 W I-94, Cook, Illinois
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
39TH ST (PERSHING) in Cook, Illinois sits above 2% of rated Illinois bridges on inventory load rating (14 t), while its 1936 build year is earlier than 86% of Cook's recorded-year cohort (1,721 bridges).
39TH ST (PERSHING) in Cook, Illinois is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1936, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 2. 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 IL:016039600000000
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 13 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: 39TH ST (PERSHING)
The 39TH ST (PERSHING) bridge in Cook, Illinois carries 39TH ST (PERSHING) over RACINE AVE & RR. It was built in 1936, making it 90 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1979, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 13 sections, stretching 198.8 meters (652 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 15,500 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Illinois bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 2/9, substructure at 3/9. The weakest component sits in critical condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How 39TH ST (PERSHING) compares
Age against the county: built in 1936, earlier than 1,480 of Cook's 1,721 bridges with a recorded construction year (86%), against a county median build year of 1962. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Illinois bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (26,904 of 26,928 rated).
39TH ST (PERSHING) vs every rated Illinois bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
14 Top 98% higher than 2% of 26,904 bridges
rated Illinois 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.
Cook inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 1,721 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
- 1936
- Last Reconstructed
- 1979
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 13
- Structure Length
- 198.8 m (652 ft)
- Deck Width
- 17.2 m (56 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 15,500 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 016039600000000
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 critical at 2/9, with severe deterioration on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (3/9), 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
39TH ST (PERSHING) 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 39TH ST (PERSHING) 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 39TH ST (PERSHING)?
39TH ST (PERSHING) in Cook, Illinois has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 2/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 39TH ST (PERSHING) inspected?
39TH ST (PERSHING)'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 15,500 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 39TH ST (PERSHING) 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 39TH ST (PERSHING)?
39TH ST (PERSHING) has an NBI inventory load rating of 14.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 39TH ST (PERSHING)?
39TH ST (PERSHING) is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is 39TH ST (PERSHING) and does age affect safety?
39TH ST (PERSHING) was built in 1936, making it 90 years old and last reconstructed in 1979.
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.