County profile · official public datasets

Madison County, IL

523 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 49.3% rated Good, 42.3% Fair, 8.4% Poor.

523
Public bridges
49.3%
Good condition
8.4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

60th
of 102 on Poor share
8.4%
Poor-condition share
523
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.

Madison County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Madison County ranks #60 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 8.4%). Madison County, Illinois contains 523 public highway bridges. Roughly 49.3% are rated “Good,” 42.3% “Fair,” and 8.4% “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

523

Public highway bridges in Madison County

Good condition

49.3%

258 of 523 rated 7-9

Fair condition

42.3%

221 of 523 rated 5-6

Poor condition

8.4%

44 of 523 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#60 of 102

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

Condition distribution

Share of 523 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
49.3% (258)
Fair
42.3% (221)
Poor
8.4% (44)

Madison County's Poor-condition bridges carry 199,650 vehicle crossings a day

That is 4.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 8.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 4,538 crossings a day against 7,599 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 522 of 523 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

39.8% of Madison County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

208 of the 523 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 49.3% 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.

One structure carries 12.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

FAI 270 EB over COUNTY DITCH, built 1963, carries 24,900 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 44-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 199,650 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Madison County's bridges were built

523 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 101 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1979) matches the Illinois average (1979).

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

How Madison County compares with Illinois's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Illinois counties nearest Madison County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 8.4% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1979 against a peer-group mean of 1978 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 101 Illinois counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Madison County and the 5 Illinois counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Livingston County 579 8.3%
Iroquois County 570 14.4%
LaSalle County 528 12.3%
Madison County (this page) 523 8.4%
Vermilion County 494 7.3%
St. Clair County 486 9.1%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IL (523 bridges here).

Similar average build year

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

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

All bridges (523)

CYPRESS RD/ TR 258

Fair

Over: SILVER LAKE FORK

1.5 MI SW ST JACOB, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 10.4 t ADT: 100

WAFFLER RD/TR 392

Fair

Over: SPANKER BR

5.0MI SE HIGHLAND, Madison, IL

Built 1920 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 150

ROSE RD/ TR 395

Fair

Over: TRIB TO LITTLE SILVR

3.5 MI S ST JACOB, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 200

TR 48 SCHUMACHER R

Fair

Over: SPANKER BR

6.1MI S PIERRON, Madison, IL

Built 1942 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 475

IL 140

Fair

Over: Sugar Fork

0.25mi E of Alhambra, Madison, IL

Built 1930 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 2,450

NIEHAUS RD/ TR 326

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

2.5 MI E OF LIVINGST, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 19.1 t

OLD HILLSBORO/ TR

Fair

Over: TRIB TO SILVER CK

1.0 E LIVINGSTON, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 175

SILVER CRK RD/TR 1

Fair

Over: TRIB TO SILVER CK

1.5MI S LIVINGSTON, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 100

COLUMBIA RD/TR 250

Fair

Over: TRIB TO SILVER CK

2.0 MI S HAMEL, Madison, IL

Built 1916 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 200

GOSHEN RD/ TR 253

Fair

Over: TRIB TO SILVER CK

4.0MI NE TROY, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 300

TR 268

Fair

Over: TR1B TO SILVER CK

0.25MI W LIVINGSTON, Madison, IL

Built 1901 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 150

FAS 766 (FRUIT RD)

Fair

Over: FAI 55

2 M N JCT 143 & 55, Madison, IL

Built 1966 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 625

TR 61

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

1.5MI S DORSEY, Madison, IL

Built 1969 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 300

TR277-MAPLE GROVE

Fair

Over: FAI 55

1/2 MI N I-270, Madison, IL

Built 1966 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 2,050

N RODGERS AV/TR 91

Fair

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.50 N BELTLINE, Madison, IL

Built 1969 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 1,050

PLEASNT RDG/FAU 91

Fair

Over: I-55/70

0.7 M W ILL 159, Madison, IL

Built 1959 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 600

OLIVE RD/ TR 324

Fair

Over: TRIB TO SUGAR FK

0.3MI E ALHAMBRA, Madison, IL

Built 1918 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 50

ALBY RD/ FAU 8988

Fair

Over: COAL BR

N CORP LIMALTON, Madison, IL

Built 1979 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 7,800

TR 246 (CHURCH RD)

Fair

Over: FAI 55/I-55 FR 11.45

2 M N JCT 140, Madison, IL

Built 1966 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 100

FAI 270

Fair

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER

N. OF GRANITE CITY, Madison, IL

Built 1966 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 46,200

SPANGLER RD/CITY S

Fair

Over: TRIB TO SILVER CK

N EDGE LIVINGSTON, Madison, IL

Built 1973 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 100

FAI 70 WB

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF SILVER CRK

1.25 M W ILL 4, Madison, IL

Built 1962 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 15,300

IL 140 & IL 111 EB

Fair

Over: E Fork of Wood River

1.1mi W of IL 255, Madison, IL

Built 1973 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 15,200

FAI 70 EB

Fair

Over: ILL 111

N OF FAIRMONT CITY, Madison, IL

Built 1961 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 26,800

FAI 70 WB

Fair

Over: ILL 111

N OF FAIRMONT CITY, Madison, IL

Built 1961 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 26,800

I-55 W Frontage Rd

Fair

Over: UPRR

N OF NEW DOUGLAS RD, Madison, IL

Built 1939 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 150

OLD STAUNTN RD-TR2

Fair

Over: FAI 70

2.7 M W JCT 4, Madison, IL

Built 1965 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 375

HUMBERT RD/FAU 899

Fair

Over: BLACK CK

N EDGE OF ALTON, Madison, IL

Built 1953 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 7,400

ILL 143

Fair

Over: CAHOKIA CREEK

NW ILL 159, Madison, IL

Built 1937 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 7,950

CH 13 SUMMERFIELD

Fair

Over: LITTLE SILVER CK

4.0 MI S ST JACOB, Madison, IL

Built 1969 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 275

SAND ROAD/ CITY ST

Fair

Over: I-270

0.4 mi W of IL 157, Madison, IL

Built 1963 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 20

US 40 WB/EB

Fair

Over: FAI 70

1/2 MI S OF 162, Madison, IL

Built 1996 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 14,000

CH 24 DAUDERMAN RD

Fair

Over: SUGAR FK

1.4MI S ALHAMBRA, Madison, IL

Built 1963 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 400

SALISBURY ST/FAU91

Fair

Over: MISS RIVER

VENICE, Madison, IL

Built 1910 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 14,300

I-55/70 WB

Fair

Over: A&SRR

0.75 mi E of IL 111, Madison, IL

Built 1980 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 26,800

CH 21 (STAUNTON RD

Fair

Over: FAI 70

1.8 M E FAI 55, Madison, IL

Built 1965 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,000

SILVER CRK RD/TR 1

Fair

Over: TR1B TO SILVER CK

1.5MI S LIVINGSTON, Madison, IL

Built 1969 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 100

I-55/70 EB

Fair

Over: A&SRR

0.75 mi E of IL 111, Madison, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 26,800

TR 110-Fairmont Av

Fair

Over: FAI 255

1.2MI N FAI 55 70, Madison, IL

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,050

ILL 160

Fair

Over: BUCKEYE BRANCH

3.1MI S OF HIGHLAND, Madison, IL

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,350

IL 160

Fair

Over: Tr to E Fk Silver Cr

350 N of Pokey Road, Madison, IL

Built 1936 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,850

IL 143

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

2 MI E OF IL 255, Madison, IL

Built 1973 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,500

WAFFLER RD/ TR 399

Fair

Over: SPANKER BR

4.5 MI SE HIGHLAND, Madison, IL

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

CH 49 WIESEMAN RD

Fair

Over: CAHOKIA CREEK

2.5 NW OF WORDEN, Madison, IL

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 275

TR 36/WOODSTATION

Fair

Over: W FORK WOOD RIVER CR

1.0 MI NE ALTON, Madison, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 375

SEILER RD TR 45

Fair

Over: PADDOCK CK

2.0 MI E DORSEY, Madison, IL

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

IBERG RD/ TR 355

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK

1.3 MI SE HIGHLAND, Madison, IL

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 475

CH 23 QUERCUS GROV

Fair

Over: CAHOKIA CREEK

1.5M N OF CARPENTER, Madison, IL

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

KECK ROAD/ TR 319

Fair

Over: E FK SILVER CK

1.75 MI NW ST JAC, Madison, IL

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125

TR 17

Fair

Over: SILVER CK

0.25 MI EAST BINNEY, Madison, IL

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100
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.