Total bridges
184
Public highway bridges in Independence County
County profile · official public datasets
Independence County, AR
184 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 39.1% rated Good, 52.2% Fair, 8.7% Poor.
- 184
- Public bridges
- 39.1%
- Good condition
- 8.7%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Independence County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.
- 60th
- of 75 on Poor share
- 8.7%
- Poor-condition share
- 184
- public highway bridges
- 1975
- avg year built
Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.
Independence County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Independence County ranks #60 of 75 Arkansas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 8.7%). Independence County, Arkansas contains 184 public highway bridges. Roughly 39.1% are rated “Good,” 52.2% “Fair,” and 8.7% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.
Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.
Good condition
39.1%
72 of 184 rated 7-9
Fair condition
52.2%
96 of 184 rated 5-6
Poor condition
8.7%
16 of 184 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#60 of 75
Among Arkansas counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 184 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 39.1% (72)
Fair 52.2% (96)
Poor 8.7% (16)
Independence County's Poor-condition bridges carry 11,120 vehicle crossings a day
That is 2.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 8.7% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 695 crossings a day against 2,421 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.
Computed over the 184 of 184 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
42.9% of Independence County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
79 of the 184 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 39.1% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.
Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
One structure carries 49.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
SH 25/Independ. Co over BLUE CREEK, built 1955, carries 5,500 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 16-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 11,120 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Independence County's bridges were built
184 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 2
1920–1929
2 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
19 bridges
- 1940s
1940–1949
18 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
15 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
15 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
27 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
34 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
18 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
25 bridges
- 2010s 7
2010–2019
7 bridges
- 2020s 4
2020–2029
4 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 34 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 18.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1975, 5 years older than the Arkansas average of 1980.
How Independence County compares with Arkansas's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Arkansas counties nearest Independence County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 8.7% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1975 against a peer-group mean of 1977 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 74 Arkansas counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 198 | 26.8% | 66.7% | 6.6% | 1971 |
| Poinsett County | 194 | 41.8% | 42.3% | 16% | 1982 |
| Pope County | 188 | 39.4% | 59.6% | 1.1% | 1975 |
| Lonoke County | 187 | 55.6% | 39.6% | 4.8% | 1981 |
| Independence County (this page) | 184 | 39.1% | 52.2% | 8.7% | 1975 |
| Hempstead County | 174 | 42% | 54.6% | 3.4% | 1977 |
Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to Independence County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year
Two NBI-derived peer sets for Independence County, both outside Arkansas so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside AR (184 bridges here).
- Mills County, IA · 184 bridges
- Henderson County, KY · 184 bridges
- Adams County, OH · 184 bridges
- Box Elder County, UT · 184 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside AR (1975 here).
- San Bernardino County, CA · avg 1975 · 1,422 bridges
- Lane County, OR · avg 1975 · 1,010 bridges
- Fulton County, GA · avg 1975 · 775 bridges
- Westmoreland County, PA · avg 1975 · 620 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (96)
SH 87/Independ. Co
FairOver: CREEK
.76 MI W JCT US 167 & 87, Independence, AR
Built 1963 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 2,000
US 167/Indepen. Co
FairOver: SLOUGH
1.1 MI N JCT SH 394 & 167, Independence, AR
Built 1947 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 11,000
CR 87Independ. Co.
FairOver: CAVE CREEK
4.44 MI W US 167, Independence, AR
Built 1976 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 31
CR 12/Indepen Co.
FairOver: CANEY CREEK
2.64 MI N US 167, Independence, AR
Built 1984 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 442
CR70/Independ. Co.
FairOver: BAKER BRANCH
1.9 MI W SH 122, Independence, AR
Built 1990 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 33
CR197/Independ.Co
FairOver: BARNETT CREEK
.5 MI N. CR90/Sandtown Rd, Independence, AR
Built 1997 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 98
SH 25/Independ. Co
FairOver: DRY FORK CREEK
1.0 M SW SH 25 SPUR, Independence, AR
Built 1959 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,706
SH 25/Independ. Co
FairOver: DOTA CREEK
5.2 M NW SH 122, Independence, AR
Built 1959 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,414
SH 14/Indepen Co.
FairOver: GOODIE CREEK
8.71 E JCT US 167, Independence, AR
Built 1961 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,900
Independence/CR 9
FairOver: SALADO CREEK
2.9MI NO SH 87, Independence, AR
Built 1979 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 180
SH 122/Independ Co
FairOver: WHITE RIVER
0.3 MI N JCT OF SH 14, Independence, AR
Built 1975 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,100
SH 69/Independ Co.
FairOver: MUD CREEK
0.8 MI. E JCT. SH 122&69, Independence, AR
Built 2005 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 3,727
CR 60/Indepen Co.
FairOver: BIG CREEK
1.31 MI W SH 69, Independence, AR
Built 1978 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 30
CR 33/Independ Co.
FairOver: HALL BRANCH CREEK
0.70 MILE SOUTH CO RD 20, Independence, AR
Built 1993 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 222
US 167/Indepen. Co
FairOver: CREEK
0.5 MI S JT SH 14 & US167, Independence, AR
Built 1965 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 17,000
SH 233/Indepen Co.
FairOver: CREEK
2.8 M N SH 69, Independence, AR
Built 1973 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 820
CR 11/Independ. Co
FairOver: CREEK
.87 MI W US 167, Independence, AR
Built 1990 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 540
SH 233/Independ.
FairOver: MILLER CREEK
.17 MI N JCT SH 69 & 233, Independence, AR
Built 1970 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 5,100
SH 367/Indepen Co.
FairOver: WHITE RIVER RELIEF
4.1 MI N JCT SH 384-US 67, Independence, AR
Built 1936 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 1,800
SH 367/Independ Co
FairOver: WHITE RIVER RELIEF
3 MI N JCT SH 384-US 67, Independence, AR
Built 1937 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,800
SH 394/Indepen Co.
FairOver: BIG CREEK
.35 MI W SH 69, Independence, AR
Built 1980 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,100
US 167/Independ.Co
FairOver: WHITE RVR CR 513
1.20 MI N JCT AR 25, Independence, AR
Built 1979 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 25,000
SH 69/Independ.Co.
FairOver: CREEK
3.6 MI SE JCT SH 106&69, Independence, AR
Built 1987 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 4,655
CR79/Independ. Co.
FairOver: CREEK
1.15 MI NE SH 233, Independence, AR
Built 1940 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 210
US 167/Indepen.Co.
FairOver: LONG CREEK
4.0 MI N JCT SH 394 & 167, Independence, AR
Built 1947 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 9,400
Independence/CR 53
FairOver: DEPARTEE CREEK
1 MI SW SH 157, Independence, AR
Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 310
Independence / CR
FairOver: DEPARTEE CREEK RELIEF
2 M SE OF SH 157, Independence, AR
Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 310
SH 69/Indepen. Co.
FairOver: POLK BAYOU
0.4 MI W JCT 167 & 69, Independence, AR
Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,500
SH 122/Independ.Co
FairOver: WHITE RIVER RELIEF
1 MI NO OF JCT SH 14, Independence, AR
Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,100
SH 122/Independ.Co
FairOver: WHITE RIVER RELIEF
0.2 MI NO JCT SH 14, Independence, AR
Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,100
US 167/Indepen. Co
FairOver: WHITE RIVER RELIEF
1.79 MI S JCT SH 69, Independence, AR
Built 1976 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25,000
SH 69/Independ Co.
FairOver: SULPHUR SPRINGS CREEK
.7 MI SO SH 233 & 69, Independence, AR
Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,500
SH 25/Independ. Co
FairOver: CURIA CREEK
1.79 MI S LAWRENCE CO, Independence, AR
Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,000
CR224/Indepen Co.
FairOver: MOOREFIELD CREEK
.11 MI N SH 69, Independence, AR
Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4
Cr87/Independ. Co.
FairOver: PFEIFER CREEK
.5 M E OF US 167, Independence, AR
Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 940
Batesville/BroadSt
FairOver: Mo&N AR RR & Polk Bayou
.2 M NW SH 69 CITY RT, Independence, AR
Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 136
CR 7/Independ. Co.
FairOver: ELBOW CREEK
2.25 SO SH 87 @ FLORAL, Independence, AR
Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 182
Cr 65/Independ. Co
FairOver: CREEK
1.9 MI SOUTH SH 25, Independence, AR
Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 445
CR30/Indepen Co.
FairOver: FIFE SLOUGH
1.33 MI EAST SH 157, Independence, AR
Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 470
CR 194/Indepen. Co
FairOver: JACKSON CREEK
0.9 mile W us 167, Independence, AR
Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 59
SH 25/Independ Co.
FairOver: GREENBRIER CREEK
7.34 MI E CLEBURN CO LINE, Independence, AR
Built 1967 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,700
US 167 Independ Co
FairOver: CANEY CREEK
1.5 MI SO JCT 14@ SO SIDE, Independence, AR
Built 1929 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,788
Brittnay St/Magnes
FairOver: CREEK
2.2 MI W JCT SH 233N & 69, Independence, AR
Built 1954 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 197
SH 87/Indepen Co.
FairOver: TEN MILE CREEK
3.22 MI W JCT US 167 & 87, Independence, AR
Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,000
US. 167/Indepen Co
FairOver: McCOY BRANCH
4.48 MI N JCT 167 & 157, Independence, AR
Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,300
Independence CR 31
FairOver: MEADOW LAKE
3.1 M SO OF SH 14, Independence, AR
Built 1949 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 350
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.