CSAH 78
Carrying CSAH 78 over LITTLE FORK RIVER
0.3 MI S OF JCT CSAH 115, St. Louis, Minnesota
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
CSAH 78 in St. Louis, Minnesota sits above 23% of rated Minnesota bridges on inventory load rating (31 t), while its 1984 build year is earlier than 57% of St. Louis's recorded-year cohort (663 bridges).
CSAH 78 in St. Louis, Minnesota is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1984, 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 MN:69549
LATE-CENTURY · TIMBER · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- 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: CSAH 78
The CSAH 78 bridge in St. Louis, Minnesota carries CSAH 78 over LITTLE FORK RIVER. It was built in 1984, making it 42 years old today. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 3 sections, stretching 25.4 meters (83 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 90 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 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How CSAH 78 compares
Age against the county: built in 1984, earlier than 376 of St. Louis's 663 bridges with a recorded construction year (57%), against a county median build year of 1988. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Minnesota bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (13,532 rated).
CSAH 78 vs every rated Minnesota bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
31 Top 77% higher than 23% of 13,532 bridges
rated Minnesota 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.
St. Louis inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 663 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
- 1984
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 25.4 m (83 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.5 m (31 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 90 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 69549
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
CSAH 78 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 78 against other structures in St. Louis 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 78?
CSAH 78 in St. Louis, Minnesota has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is CSAH 78 inspected?
CSAH 78'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 90 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. CSAH 78 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 78?
CSAH 78 has an NBI inventory load rating of 30.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining CSAH 78?
CSAH 78 is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is CSAH 78 and does age affect safety?
CSAH 78 was built in 1984, making it 42 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.