County profile · official public datasets

Polk County, FL

360 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 55.3% rated Good, 44.7% Fair, 0% Poor.

360
Public bridges
55.3%
Good condition
0%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Polk County posts a top-1% lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

Top 1%
lowest Poor share in state
0%
Poor-condition share
360
public highway bridges
1979
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.

Polk County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Polk County ranks #1 of 67 Florida counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 0%). Polk County, Florida contains 360 public highway bridges. Roughly 55.3% are rated “Good,” 44.7% “Fair,” and 0% “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

360

Public highway bridges in Polk County

Good condition

55.3%

199 of 360 rated 7-9

Fair condition

44.7%

161 of 360 rated 5-6

Poor condition

0%

0 of 360 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#1 of 67

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

Condition distribution

Share of 360 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
55.3% (199)
Fair
44.7% (161)
Poor
0% (0)

47.2% of Polk County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

170 of the 360 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 55.3% 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.

When Polk County's bridges were built

360 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 89 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 24.7% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1979) matches the Florida average (1983).

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

How Polk County compares with Florida's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Florida counties nearest Polk County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 0% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1979 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 66 Florida counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Polk County and the 5 Florida counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Pinellas County 435 1.8%
Lee County 391 0.8%
Collier County 370 1.9%
Polk County (this page) 360 0%
Sarasota County 298 0.7%
Osceola County 255 0%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside FL (360 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside FL (1979 here).

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

Good-condition bridges (199)

OLD BOWLING GRN RD

Good

Over: WHIDDEN CREEK

1.0MI N OF HUTCHINS RD., Polk, FL

Built 1910 Load: 10.3 t ADT: 372

SR-33

Good

Over: KELLY L SLOUGH

7.2 MI NORTH OF I-4, Polk, FL

Built 1939 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 10,337

DRANE FIELD ROAD

Good

Over: HAMILTON BRANCH

0.3 MI EAST OF CO LINE RD, Polk, FL

Built 1990 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 8,100

CROTON ROAD

Good

Over: WAHNETA FARM CANAL

0.1MI EAST OF CR-655, Polk, FL

Built 1940 Load: 19.2 t ADT: 268

DUFF ROAD

Good

Over: FOX BRANCH

0.2 MI WEST OF US-98, Polk, FL

Built 1987 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 9,500

SR-539 KATHLEEN RD

Good

Over: I-4 (SR-400)

0.8 MI SOUTH OF CR-582, Polk, FL

Built 2005 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 33,500

SR-33

Good

Over: FORK CREEK

1.7MI S OF I-4 (SR400), Polk, FL

Built 1940 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 12,500

SIMMS ROAD

Good

Over: CHIPPER CREEK

0.2 MI NORTH OF CR-582, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 138

SR-60 WB

Good

Over: PEACE CREEK RELIEF

4.1 MI WEST OF US-27, Polk, FL

Built 1951 Load: 21.9 t ADT: 13,000

DEAN STILL RD.

Good

Over: HEREFORD CREEK

3.2MI WEST OF SR-33, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 22.5 t ADT: 3,400

CR-542

Good

Over: COW PATTY DRAIN

0.7 MI W OF AIRPORT RD, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 2,900

SR-33

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

12.0MI NORTH OF I-4, Polk, FL

Built 1939 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 10,800

W. PIPKIN ROAD

Good

Over: POLEY CREEK

2.5 MI WEST OF SR-37, Polk, FL

Built 1975 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 13,500

WESTOVER STREET

Good

Over: TIMMYS DITCH

200FT S OF CAROLYN DR, Polk, FL

Built 1994 Load: 23.9 t ADT: 350

RIVER RANCH BLVD.

Good

Over: BUTTERMILK SLOUGH

1.8MI SOUTH OF SR-60, Polk, FL

Built 1968 Load: 24.1 t ADT: 669

US-17 (SR-35)

Good

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

2.3 MI SOUTH OF SR-60, Polk, FL

Built 1970 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 19,700

SR-33

Good

Over: LIZARD CREEK

8.4 MI NORTH OF I-4, Polk, FL

Built 1940 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 10,337

WEST ORANGE STREET

Good

Over: SR-563

0.2MI W OF SR-37, Polk, FL

Built 1974 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 5,800

CR-35A W SOCRUM LP

Good

Over: FOX BRANCH

0.8 MI WEST OF US-98, Polk, FL

Built 1920 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 20,500

NORALYN MINE RD

Good

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

2.8 MI S of SR-60, Polk, FL

Built 1985 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 531

Lake Crago Drive

Good

Over: Lake Crago Canal

1000Ft. E of SR-33, Polk, FL

Built 2016 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 20

US-92 (SR-600)

Good

Over: HAMILTON BRANCH

1.7MI E OF COUNTY LINE RD, Polk, FL

Built 1925 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 13,400

SNELL RD

Good

Over: BOGGY BRANCH

0.5 MI W OF WALKER LK RD, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 101

PARK BYRD ROAD

Good

Over: PINWHEEL DITCH

0.2 MI SOUTH OF CR-35A, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 479

US-17 SB (SR-35)

Good

Over: CSX R/R

5.0 MI S OF US-98, Polk, FL

Built 1974 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 6,767

SR-544

Good

Over: HAVENDALE CANAL

1.8 MI SE OF JCT US-92, Polk, FL

Built 1972 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 33,500

CR-655A COX ROAD

Good

Over: BOGGY CREEK

1.5 MI EAST OF CR-559, Polk, FL

Built 1972 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 3,400

N. WILSON AVE.

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK CANAL

0.2 MI. NORTH OF SR-60, Polk, FL

Built 1988 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 992

MEDULLA ROAD

Good

Over: ENGLISH CREEK

1.4MI E OF COUNTY LINE RD, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,150

US-92 (SR-600)

Good

Over: WINSTON CREEK

1 MI E OF N GALLOWAY RD, Polk, FL

Built 1926 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 19,100

SR 570 EB 11

Good

Over: REYNOLDS ROAD

11.1 MI EAST OF I-4, Polk, FL

Built 1998 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 14,050

SR 570 POLK WB 2.8

Good

Over: SR 572 AIRPORT ROAD

2.9MI E OF I-4 WEST, Polk, FL

Built 1997 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 18,100

SR 570 POLK EB 2.8

Good

Over: SR 572 AIRPORT ROAD

2.9 MI E OF I-4 WEST, Polk, FL

Built 1997 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 18,100

SR 570 POLK EB 0.0

Good

Over: I-4 SR 400

I-4 WEST INTERCHANGE, Polk, FL

Built 1998 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 16,700

21ST STREET NW

Good

Over: CANAL

0.2MI N OF HAVENDALE BLVD, Polk, FL

Built 1996 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 4,400

CR-655 RIFLE RANGE

Good

Over: WAHNETA FARMS DRAINAGE

1.5MI NORTH OF SR-60, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 6,763

WALKER ROAD

Good

Over: ITCHEPACKESASSA CREEK

0.8 Mi. South of CR 582, Polk, FL

Built 1946 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 2,386

US-27 (SR-25)

Good

Over: I-4 (SR-400)

US-27 & I-4 INTERSECTION, Polk, FL

Built 2004 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 72,576

DEAN STILL RD.

Good

Over: KIMS CREEK

0.6 MI EAST OF SR-33, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 4,400

DEAN STILL RD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE CANAL

2.0 MI EAST OF SR-33, Polk, FL

Built 1960 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 2,071

SR-33

Good

Over: LAKE PARKER GIBSON CANAL

4.1MI N OF US-98/92, Polk, FL

Built 1936 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 12,500

SR570 POLK WB 11.7

Good

Over: PAVERS ROAD

1.5 MI EAST OF US 98, Polk, FL

Built 1997 Load: 31.6 t ADT: 14,050

SR570 POLK EB 11.7

Good

Over: PAVERS ROAD

1.5 MI EAST OF US 98, Polk, FL

Built 1997 Load: 31.6 t ADT: 14,050

OLD US-37

Good

Over: WHISKEY STORE CREEK

0.1 MI S OF AGRICOLA MINE, Polk, FL

Built 1995 Load: 31.6 t ADT: 350

ALT US-27 (SR-17)

Good

Over: LAKE STREETY CREEK

1.2 MI. EAST OF US-27, Polk, FL

Built 1946 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 3,800

CLARK ROAD 0.0

Good

Over: I-4 SR 400

I-4 WEST INTERCHANGE, Polk, FL

Built 1998 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 7,000

SR 570 POLK EB 0.5

Good

Over: CR 542 & CSX RAILROAD

0.4 MI S OF I-4 WEST INT, Polk, FL

Built 1998 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 18,100

SR 570 POLK WB 0.5

Good

Over: CR 542 & CSX RAILROAD

0.4 MI S OF I-4 WEST INT, Polk, FL

Built 1998 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 18,100

OAKBRIDGE BLVD NB

Good

Over: DRAINAGE CANAL

98FT N OF N FRONTAGE RD, Polk, FL

Built 1985 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 1,500

OAKBRIDGE BLVD SB

Good

Over: DRAINAGE CANAL

98FT N OF N FRONTAGE RD, Polk, FL

Built 1985 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 1,500
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.