ILL 94
Carrying ILL 94 over POPE CREEK
3.9 MI S OF ILL 17, Mercer, Illinois
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ILL 94 in Mercer, Illinois sits above 24% of rated Illinois bridges on inventory load rating (32 t), while its 1924 build year is earlier than 96% of Mercer's recorded-year cohort (163 bridges).
ILL 94 in Mercer, Illinois is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1924, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Fair 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:066000900000000
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-FAIR Fair
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: ILL 94
The ILL 94 bridge in Mercer, Illinois carries ILL 94 over POPE CREEK. It was built in 1924, making it 102 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1985, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 45.1 meters (148 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,900 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-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 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How ILL 94 compares
Age against the county: built in 1924, earlier than 157 of Mercer's 163 bridges with a recorded construction year (96%), against a county median build year of 1984. 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).
ILL 94 vs every rated Illinois bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
32 Top 76% higher than 24% 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.
Mercer inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 163 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
- 1924
- Last Reconstructed
- 1985
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 45.1 m (148 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.1 m (33 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,900 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 066000900000000
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) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether ILL 94 is safe to cross today. Here is how to use it.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Learn how the 0–9 condition scale and Good/Fair/Poor categories are defined. How condition ratings work
- Compare ILL 94 against other structures in Mercer 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 ILL 94?
ILL 94 in Mercer, Illinois has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ILL 94 inspected?
ILL 94'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 1,900 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ILL 94 is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for ILL 94?
ILL 94 has an NBI inventory load rating of 32.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ILL 94?
ILL 94 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ILL 94 and does age affect safety?
ILL 94 was built in 1924, making it 102 years old and last reconstructed in 1985.
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.