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 523 Good 258 Fair 221 Poor 44

Good-condition bridges (258)

US 40

Good

Over: EAST FORK OF SILV.CK

0.4MI WEST ILL 4, Madison, IL

Built 1985 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 8,450

FAI 255

Good

Over: MCDONOUGH LAKE DITCH

.68MI N BLACK LANE, Madison, IL

Built 1987 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 40,300

IL 140

Good

Over: NSRR

2.9mi W of I-55, Madison, IL

Built 1985 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 4,800

PIN OAK RD/ TR 225

Good

Over: W. TRIB. SILVER CRK

3.3 MI E OF EDWARDSV, Madison, IL

Built 1989 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 150

FAU 8877/NEW POAG

Good

Over: ICG & CONRAIL RR

1 MI. S. HARFORD, Madison, IL

Built 1988 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 5,500

FAI 270 WB

Good

Over: FAI 55

JCT I-55/70/270 "3I", Madison, IL

Built 1964 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 15,100

I-255 SB Mainline

Good

Over: I-270

1.9MI W ILL 157, Madison, IL

Built 1987 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 20,250

FAI 255 NB

Good

Over: RP 1/RDWY B

N OF FAI 55 70;US 40, Madison, IL

Built 1987 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 20,100

IL 255 NB (FAP310N

Good

Over: FOSTERBURG RD

2.14MI N OF IL 140, Madison, IL

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 14,900

IL 255 SB (FAP310S

Good

Over: FOSTERBURG RD

2.13MI N OF IL 140, Madison, IL

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 14,900

MAIN ST

Good

Over: JUDYS BRANCH

S. MERIDIAN RD, Madison, IL

Built 2008 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,200

FAI 70 EB

Good

Over: SUGAR FORK

3.5 M E ILL 4, Madison, IL

Built 1964 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 13,750

CULP LANE

Good

Over: IL 255 - FAP 310

1.57 MI E FOSTERBURG, Madison, IL

Built 2004 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 1,400

TR 303

Good

Over: EAST FORK SILVER CR

ON HICKORY FLAT RD, Madison, IL

Built 1993 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 175

IL 140

Good

Over: Paddock Creek

1.9mi E of IL 159, Madison, IL

Built 1985 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 5,650

BLACK LANE

Good

Over: CANTEEN CREEK

.5 N OF COUNTY LINE, Madison, IL

Built 2001 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 950

FAS 775/POCAHONTAS

Good

Over: SUGAR FK CK

1.4MI E MARINE, Madison, IL

Built 1959 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 800

IL 140

Good

Over: UPRR

3.1mi W of I-55, Madison, IL

Built 1985 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 4,800

IL 255 NB (FAP310N

Good

Over: FAS 1765 SEMINARY RD

1.5MI S SEILER RD, Madison, IL

Built 2006 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 14,900

IL 255 SB (FAP310S

Good

Over: FAS 1765 SEMINARY RD

1.5MI S SEILER RD, Madison, IL

Built 2006 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 13,600

HORSESHOE LAKE RD

Good

Over: CAHOKIA Canal

1/2 MI W OF I-255, Madison, IL

Built 1995 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 9,600

ILL 143

Good

Over: STREAM

.5 MI E IL 111 W 310, Madison, IL

Built 1995 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 12,100

TR 281 LOWER MARIN

Good

Over: WENDELL BRANCH

1.0 MI NE TROY, Madison, IL

Built 2005 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 575

I-255 NB Mainline

Good

Over: I-270

1.9 MI W OF IL 157, Madison, IL

Built 1994 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 20,250

255 SB COLLECTOR

Good

Over: I-270

1.9 M W OF IL 157, Madison, IL

Built 1994 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 3,750

FAI 255 RAMP 6

Good

Over: DITCH

NB 255 TO WB 55/70, Madison, IL

Built 1986 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 450

FAS 1937 Troy-OFl

Good

Over: Mill Creek

3.3 Mi S of Troy, Madison, IL

Built 2022 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 8,050

IL 140

Good

Over: E Trib to Silver Crk

W end of Alahambra, Madison, IL

Built 2013 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 2,850

LEBANON RD/FAU 912

Good

Over: CANTEEN CREEK

2M EAST 159, Madison, IL

Built 2003 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 1,750

TR 208 (RIGGIN RD)

Good

Over: FAI 70

.8MI E FAI 55 70 270, Madison, IL

Built 1965 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 2,150

IL 255 NB (FAP 310

Good

Over: WAGON WHEEL ROXANA

.03 W. OF OLD WANDA, Madison, IL

Built 1995 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 28,300

IL 255 SB (FAP 310

Good

Over: WAGON WHEEL ROXANA

.04 W. OF OLD WANDA, Madison, IL

Built 1995 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 28,300

FAI 70

Good

Over: CANTEEN CK

1 MI E ILL 159, Madison, IL

Built 1939 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 45,600

FAS 737

Good

Over: SEILER CREEK

3MI E GDFRY, Madison, IL

Built 1964 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 1,600

Main St

Good

Over: FAI 270

1 M W JCT 159, Madison, IL

Built 1963 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 5,750

IL 140

Good

Over: W Trib to Silver Crk

0.2mi E of IL 4, Madison, IL

Built 1992 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 2,750

TR 336A N. FRNTG R

Good

Over: CANTEEN CREEK

1.07MI E OF IL 159, Madison, IL

Built 2007 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 775

ROCK HILL RD FAU89

Good

Over: FAP 310

S OF 111, Madison, IL

Built 2001 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 250

IL 162

Good

Over: FAI 55/70

W. OF TROY, Madison, IL

Built 2012 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 14,800

ILL 111

Good

Over: DRAIN TO HRSESHOE LK

.75 MI S IL 162, Madison, IL

Built 1940 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 6,800

IL 255 SB (FAP 310

Good

Over: IL 111

N OF IL 143, Madison, IL

Built 2001 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 23,000

IL 255 NB (FAP310N

Good

Over: FARMERS ACCESS RD

2 MI. SO. OF IL 143, Madison, IL

Built 1995 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 28,300

IL 255 SB (FAP310S

Good

Over: FARMERS ACCESS RD

2 MI. SO. OF IL 143, Madison, IL

Built 1995 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 28,300

MERIDIAN CONNECTOR

Good

Over: JUDYS CREEK

.31 EAST OF 270, Madison, IL

Built 2001 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 2,350

ILL 143

Good

Over: OLD CAHOKIA CR CHNNL

.25 M W JCT 143-159, Madison, IL

Built 1954 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 7,950

IL 162

Good

Over: CAHOKIA CANAL

.8MI EAST OF I-255, Madison, IL

Built 1996 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 5,350

GLEN CROS/FAU 8899

Good

Over: JUDYS BRANCH

100 W OF BIKE TRAIL, Madison, IL

Built 2001 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 3,600

STUTZ LN FAU 9009

Good

Over: IL 255 FAP 310

1.6 MI N OF IL 140, Madison, IL

Built 2005 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 500

IL 157

Good

Over: DELAPLAINE CR

ON 157@WOODLAND SCHL, Madison, IL

Built 1997 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 9,850

TR 153 Buchta Road

Good

Over: Indian Creek

4 M NW Edwardsville, Madison, IL

Built 2018 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,350

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

Related

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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.