161ST AVENUE
Carrying 161ST AVENUE over CEDAR CREEK
00.20 E. of COLFAX, Lake, Indiana
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
161ST AVENUE in Lake, Indiana sits above 61% of rated Indiana bridges on inventory load rating (36 t), while its 1945 build year is earlier than 97% of Lake's recorded-year cohort (501 bridges).
161ST AVENUE in Lake, Indiana is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1945, it carries 3 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 IN:4500047
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- DECK-LED Deck-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: 161ST AVENUE
The 161ST AVENUE bridge in Lake, Indiana carries 161ST AVENUE over CEDAR CREEK. It was built in 1945, making it 81 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2012, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 10.0 meters (33 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 762 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Indiana bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. 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.
How 161ST AVENUE compares
Age against the county: built in 1945, earlier than 484 of Lake's 501 bridges with a recorded construction year (97%), against a county median build year of 1991. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Indiana bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (19,495 rated).
161ST AVENUE vs every rated Indiana bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
36 Top 39% higher than 61% of 19,495 bridges
rated Indiana 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.
Lake inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 501 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
- 1945
- Last Reconstructed
- 2012
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 10.0 m (33 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.4 m (24 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 762 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 4500047
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), 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
161ST AVENUE 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 161ST AVENUE 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 161ST AVENUE?
161ST AVENUE in Lake, Indiana has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 161ST AVENUE inspected?
161ST AVENUE'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 762 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 161ST AVENUE 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 161ST AVENUE?
161ST AVENUE has an NBI inventory load rating of 35.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 161ST AVENUE?
161ST AVENUE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is 161ST AVENUE and does age affect safety?
161ST AVENUE was built in 1945, making it 81 years old and last reconstructed in 2012.
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.