Total bridges
68
Public highway bridges in Bent County
County profile · official public datasets
Bent County, CO
68 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 23.5% rated Good, 73.5% Fair, 2.9% Poor.
- 68
- Public bridges
- 23.5%
- Good condition
- 2.9%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Bent County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.
- Top 34%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 2.9%
- Poor-condition share
- 68
- public highway bridges
- 1976
- 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.
Bent County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Bent County ranks #22 of 64 Colorado counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 2.9%). Bent County, Colorado contains 68 public highway bridges. Roughly 23.5% are rated “Good,” 73.5% “Fair,” and 2.9% “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
23.5%
16 of 68 rated 7-9
Fair condition
73.5%
50 of 68 rated 5-6
Poor condition
2.9%
2 of 68 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#22 of 64
Among Colorado counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 68 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 23.5% (16)
Fair 73.5% (50)
Poor 2.9% (2)
Bent County's Poor-condition bridges carry 174 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.4% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 2.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 87 crossings a day against 683 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 68 of 68 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
44.1% of Bent County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
30 of the 68 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 23.5% 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 99.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
COUNTY ROAD 24 over ARKANSAS RIVER, built 1948, carries 173 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 2-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 174 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Bent County's bridges were built
68 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 1
1920–1929
1 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
8 bridges
- 1940s 2
1940–1949
2 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
8 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
8 bridges
- 1970s 3
1970–1979
3 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
13 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
18 bridges
- 2000s 2
2000–2009
2 bridges
- 2010s 2
2010–2019
2 bridges
- 2020s 3
2020–2029
3 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 18 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 26.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1976, 6 years older than the Colorado average of 1982.
How Bent County compares with Colorado's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Colorado counties nearest Bent County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 2.9% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1976 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is 7 years older.
Showing the 5 closest of 63 Colorado counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande County | 71 | 19.7% | 78.9% | 1.4% | 1971 |
| Bent County (this page) | 68 | 23.5% | 73.5% | 2.9% | 1976 |
| Broomfield County | 66 | 42.4% | 56.1% | 1.5% | 2000 |
| Delta County | 64 | 51.6% | 45.3% | 3.1% | 1986 |
| Sedgwick County | 64 | 40.6% | 57.8% | 1.6% | 1981 |
| Conejos County | 62 | 38.7% | 46.8% | 14.5% | 1976 |
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 Bent 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 Bent County, both outside Colorado so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside CO (68 bridges here).
- Columbia County, GA · 68 bridges
- Talbot County, GA · 68 bridges
- Wilcox County, GA · 68 bridges
- Hamilton County, KS · 68 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside CO (1976 here).
- Marion County, IN · avg 1976 · 958 bridges
- Mohave County, AZ · avg 1976 · 641 bridges
- Comanche County, OK · avg 1976 · 593 bridges
- Prince George's County, MD · avg 1976 · 576 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (68)
COUNTY ROAD 11
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
2 MI N OF SH 50, Bent, CO
Built 1940 Load: 9.3 t ADT: 92
COUNTY ROAD 34
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
JUST N OF CR NN, Bent, CO
Built 1950 Load: 13.7 t ADT: 71
COUNTY ROAD A.5
FairOver: TRIB. OF HACKBERRY CREEK
.2 MI SE OF CR 18, Bent, CO
Built 1960 Load: 13.7 t ADT: 71
COUNTY ROAD 7
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
.2 MI N OF CR JJ, Bent, CO
Built 1960 Load: 14.2 t ADT: 28
COUNTY ROAD 34
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
1 MI N OF CR W, Bent, CO
Built 1950 Load: 15.1 t ADT: 46
COUNTY ROAD 30
FairOver: KICKING BIRD CANAL
4 MI N OF US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1986 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 27
COUNTY ROAD 24
FairOver: KICKING BIRD CANAL
2.7 MI N OF US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1983 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 88
SH 101 ML
FairOver: RULE CREEK
17.6 MI SO OF JCT US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1939 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 40
US 50 ML
FairOver: GRAVEYARD CREEK
11 MI W OF LAMAR, Bent, CO
Built 1923 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 2,200
US 50 ML
FairOver: GAGEBY CREEK
8.4 MI EAST OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1937 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 2,600
CR 15.2/ SH 101
FairOver: TRIBUTARY OF RULE CREEK
2.2 MI SE OF CR K, Bent, CO
Built 1965 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 44
US 50 ML WBND
FairOver: SH 194 ML
E END OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1974 Load: 21.9 t ADT: 2,150
US 50 ML EBND
FairOver: ARKANSAS RIVER
0.21 MI E OF JCT SH 194, Bent, CO
Built 1974 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 2,150
SH 101 ML
FairOver: DRAW
7 MI SO OF JCT US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1937 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 250
US 50 ML
FairOver: LAS ANIMAS CANAL
12 MI EAST OF LA JUNTA, Bent, CO
Built 1958 Load: 23.8 t ADT: 3,400
COUNTY ROAD 24
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
2.3 MI N US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1983 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 87
SH 101 ML
FairOver: DRAW
3.7 MI SOUTH OF JCT US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1936 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 450
US 50 ML WBND
FairOver: ARKANSAS RIVER
IN LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1966 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 2,150
COUNTY ROAD 25.75
FairOver: ARKANSAS RIVER
.4 MI N OF CR GG, Bent, CO
Built 1986 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 46
COUNTY ROAD 30
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
3.5 MI N of US 50, Bent, CO
Built 1950 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 40
US 50 ML
FairOver: PROWERS ARROYO
16 MI EAST OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1937 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 2,300
US 50 ML
FairOver: LIMESTONE CREEK
20 MI EAST OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1937 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 2,300
COUNTY ROAD 17
FairOver: FT.LYON CANAL
2.3 MI N OF SH 50, Bent, CO
Built 1993 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 173
SH 194 ML
FairOver: HORSE CREEK
12.4 MI EAST OF JCT SH 10, Bent, CO
Built 1956 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 420
COUNTY ROAD 36
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
.5 MI N OF CR TT, Bent, CO
Built 1991 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 31
COUNTY ROAD 13
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
2.2 MI N OF SH 50, Bent, CO
Built 1985 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 180
COUNTY ROAD 3.5
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
.7 Mi N of SH 194, Bent, CO
Built 1991 Load: 31.5 t ADT: 49
US 50 ML EBND
FairOver: SH 194 ML
E SIDE OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1959 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,150
COUNTY ROAD 14
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
3.3 MI NW OF KREYBILL, Bent, CO
Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 179
COUNTY ROAD 35
FairOver: KICKING BIRD CANAL
1 MI N OF CR VV, Bent, CO
Built 1984 Load: 32.5 t ADT: 45
COUNTY ROAD 10
FairOver: TRIB. JOHNNY BRANCH CRK
11.5 MI S OF CR N, Bent, CO
Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9
COUNTY ROAD 10
FairOver: MUDDY CREEK
JUST SOUTH OF CR 9.5, Bent, CO
Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14
COUNTY ROAD T
FairOver: RULE CREEK
2.7 MI E OF SH 101, Bent, CO
Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5
COUNTY ROAD 35
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
0.3 MI N OF CR VV, Bent, CO
Built 1984 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 48
US 50 ML
FairOver: DRAW
1.2 MI EAST OF JCT SH 196, Bent, CO
Built 1936 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 2,200
COUNTY ROAD GG
FairOver: CADDOA CREEK
.2 MI E OF CR 26, Bent, CO
Built 1988 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 65
SH 194 ML
FairOver: FORT LYON CANAL
9.3 MI EAST OF JCT SH 109, Bent, CO
Built 1956 Load: 34.6 t ADT: 420
US 50 ML
FairOver: MCCRAE ARROYO
10 MI EAST OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1937 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 2,600
COUNTY ROAD 14.5
FairOver: TRIB. OF RULE CREEK
.2 MI S OF CR K, Bent, CO
Built 1990 Load: 37.8 t ADT: 41
COUNTY ROAD SS
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
.4 MI W OF CR 34, Bent, CO
Built 2012 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 78
COUNTY ROAD GG
FairOver: MUD CREEK
.5 MI E CR 30, Bent, CO
Built 1989 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 91
CR 16.5/SH 101
FairOver: HACKBERRY CREEK
5.3 MI SE OF CR K, Bent, CO
Built 1987 Load: 40.6 t ADT: 50
SH 194 ML
FairOver: FORT LYON CANAL
11 MI EAST OF JCT SH 109, Bent, CO
Built 1956 Load: 40.9 t ADT: 420
COUNTY ROAD KK
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
1 MI E CR 5.5, Bent, CO
Built 1997 Load: 42.2 t ADT: 28
COUNTY ROAD J
FairOver: TRIB. OF MUDDY CREEK
.5 MI SW OF CR 10, Bent, CO
Built 1992 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 10
COUNTY ROAD 34.5
FairOver: ARKANSAS RIVER
.7 MI S OF CR JJ, Bent, CO
Built 1994 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 173
COUNTY ROAD BB
FairOver: RULE CREEK
6.5 MI E OF SH101, Bent, CO
Built 1994 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 20
COUNTY ROAD 30
FairOver: ARKANSAS RIVER
1 MI S OF CR JJ, Bent, CO
Built 1970 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 73
COUNTY ROAD JJ
FairOver: FT. LYON CANAL
.7 MI W OF CR 5.5, Bent, CO
Built 1996 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 2
US 50 ML
FairOver: BNSF RR
W. EDGE OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO
Built 1989 Load: 53.4 t ADT: 3,400
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.