County profile · official public datasets

Arapahoe County, CO

391 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 26.1% rated Good, 66.8% Fair, 7.2% Poor.

391
Public bridges
26.1%
Good condition
7.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

Arapahoe County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

52nd
of 64 on Poor share
7.2%
Poor-condition share
391
public highway bridges
1984
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.

Arapahoe County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Arapahoe County ranks #52 of 64 Colorado counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.2%). Arapahoe County, Colorado contains 391 public highway bridges. Roughly 26.1% are rated “Good,” 66.8% “Fair,” and 7.2% “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.

Total bridges

391

Public highway bridges in Arapahoe County

Good condition

26.1%

102 of 391 rated 7-9

Fair condition

66.8%

261 of 391 rated 5-6

Poor condition

7.2%

28 of 391 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#52 of 64

Among Colorado counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 391 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
26.1% (102)
Fair
66.8% (261)
Poor
7.2% (28)

Arapahoe County's Poor-condition bridges carry 313,856 vehicle crossings a day

That is 4.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 7.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 11,209 crossings a day against 18,155 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 391 of 391 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

33.8% of Arapahoe County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

132 of the 391 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 26.1% 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 14.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US 285 ML over LITTLE DRY CREEK, built 1955, carries 46,000 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 28-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 313,856 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Arapahoe County's bridges were built

391 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 85 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.7% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1984) matches the Colorado average (1982).

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

How Arapahoe County compares with Colorado's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Colorado counties nearest Arapahoe County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.2% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1984 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 63 Colorado counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Arapahoe County and the 5 Colorado counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Jefferson County 464 6.3%
Denver County 458 1.7%
Arapahoe County (this page) 391 7.2%
Mesa County 319 1.6%
Boulder County 311 2.3%
Pueblo County 264 4.5%

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 Arapahoe 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 Arapahoe County, both outside Colorado so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside CO (391 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside CO (1984 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 391 Good 102 Fair 261 Poor 28

All bridges (391)

AURORA PARKWAY

Fair

Over: EAST TOLLGATE CREEK

2 MI SOUTH OF QUINCY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2005 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 25,054

GARTRELL ROAD

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.1 MI S OF ARAPAHOE RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1999 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 12,996

AURORA PARKWAY

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.8 MI S OF ARAPAHOE RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2006 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 10,894

CALEY AVENUE

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

.1 MI W OF LIMA STREET, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1986 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 236

FOREST WAY

Fair

Over: Willow Creek

JUST WEST OF HOLLY STREET, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1983 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,207

MINERAL AVENUE

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

.5 MILE E OF QUEBEC, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1982 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 24,068

FAIRWAY LANE

Fair

Over: DUTCH CREEK

.6 MI E OF PLATTE CANYON, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,996

FOX STREET

Fair

Over: SOUTHWEST GREENBELT

INTERSECTION FOX/STANFORD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1960 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 6,225

SH 88 ML

Fair

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

IN LITTLETON, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1963 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 29,000

US 85ML

Fair

Over: SLAUGHTER HOUSE GULCH

NEAR BELLEVIEW, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1999 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 54,000

MINERAL AVE

Fair

Over: LEE GULCH

0.3 MI S OF DRY CREEK, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2021 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 19,170

HOLLY STREET

Good

Over: PRENTICE GULCH

.2 MI S OF BELLEVIEW, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1992 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 6,503

COLORADO BLVD

Good

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

0.30 MI N OF QUINCY AVE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1981 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 3,916

BROOK VALLEY WAY

Good

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

.1 MI S OF ORCHARD RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2000 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 69

E-470 SB

Good

Over: I-70

20.50 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2006 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 18,260

S JACKSON PL

Good

Over: HIGH LINE CANAL

0.2 MI S OF SH88, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2017 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 6,503

E-470 NB

Good

Over: I-70

20.50 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2006 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 18,345

YOSEMITE STREET

Good

Over: GOLDSMITH GULCH

.1 MI S OF PRENTICE ST, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1992 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 6,548

SH 75 ML

Good

Over: UNNAMED DRAINAGE

1.4 SW OF JCT US 85, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2000 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 15,000

COUNTY ROAD 50

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

.6 MI W OF CR 149, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1987 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 183

CURTICE STREET

Good

Over: LITTLES CREEK

2 BLKS S OF MAIN STREET, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1981 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 993

COUNTY ROAD 34

Good

Over: RATTLESNAKE CREEK

JUST EAST OF CR 185, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1991 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 126

SOUTH PRINCE ST

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

0.1 MI W OF SANTA FE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1985 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 7,025

I 70 ML EBND

Good

Over: US 36 ML

3.4 MI E OF STRASBURG SPU, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1963 Load: 30.2 t ADT: 7,500

US 36 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

6 MI E OF JCT I 70, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1961 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 1,100

E-470 SB

Good

Over: Smith Road & UPRR

21.01 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 17,890

I 225 ML

Good

Over: TOLLGATE CREEK

IN AURORA, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1965 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 140,000

COUNTY RD 173

Good

Over: BRANCH W. BIJOU CREEK

.2 MI SOUTH OF US36, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1988 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 237

US 40 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

1.5 MI NW OF DEER TRAIL, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 360

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Quincy Avenue

13.31 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,265

E-470 SB

Good

Over: Quincy Avenue

13.31 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,768

US 85 ML NBND

Good

Over: DAD CLARK GULCH

IN LITTLETON, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,000

US 85 ML SBND

Good

Over: DAD CLARK GULCH

IN LITTLETON, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,000

US 40 ML EBND

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

2.6 MI E OF I225, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,000

US 40 ML WBND

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

2.6 MI E OF I225, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,000

I 25 ML

Good

Over: SH 88 ML EAST

ARAPAHOE RD I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 212,000

MAIN STREET

Good

Over: RAILROAD AND LRT

JUST E OF RIO GRANDE ST, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1985 Load: 32.5 t ADT: 12,746

ILIFF AVENUE

Good

Over: CHERRY CREEK

JUST E OF CHERRY CREEK DR, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,577

MANSFIELD AVE

Good

Over: WEST TOLLGATE CREEK

.5 MILE E OF BUCKLEY RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,165

EASTER AVENUE

Good

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

.5 M EAST OF UNIVERSITY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,332

EMERGENCY ACCESS

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

SW OF DEER TR HIGH SCHOOL, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Coal Creek

18.44 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 19,715

I 70 ML

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

NEAR STRASBURG, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1999 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 17,000

LAKE AVE

Good

Over: LITTLES CREEK

0.04 MI E OF SPOTSWOOD ST, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,051

MINERAL AVENUE

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

0.4 MI W OF SANTA FE DR, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 32,082

E-470 SB

Good

Over: Coal Creek

18.44 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 19,755

S GUN CLUB RD

Good

Over: TOLL GATE CREEK

0.2 MI S of QUINCY AVE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2021 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 21,850

ALAMO AVENUE

Good

Over: RAILROAD AND LRT

JUST E OF RIO GRANDE ST, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1985 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 14,096

LONG ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

.5 MI E OF UNIVERSITY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1989 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 3,964

2ND AVENUE

Good

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

0.2 MI E OF PEORIA ST, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1988 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 1,805

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.