Total bridges
523
Public highway bridges in Madison County
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.
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
- 1900s 12
1900–1909
12 bridges
- 1910s 3
1910–1919
3 bridges
- 1920s 6
1920–1929
6 bridges
- 1930s 19
1930–1939
19 bridges
- 1940s 12
1940–1949
12 bridges
- 1950s 33
1950–1959
33 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
101 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
47 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
91 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
76 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
71 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
41 bridges
- 2020s 11
2020–2029
11 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).
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.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Livingston County | 579 | 51.8% | 39.9% | 8.3% | 1978 |
| Iroquois County | 570 | 46.5% | 39.1% | 14.4% | 1980 |
| LaSalle County | 528 | 39.4% | 48.3% | 12.3% | 1978 |
| Madison County (this page) | 523 | 49.3% | 42.3% | 8.4% | 1979 |
| Vermilion County | 494 | 27.7% | 65% | 7.3% | 1979 |
| St. Clair County | 486 | 50% | 40.9% | 9.1% | 1977 |
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).
- Rapides County, LA · 523 bridges
- Kent County, MI · 523 bridges
- Williamson County, TN · 520 bridges
- New Castle County, DE · 527 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1979 here).
- Pima County, AZ · avg 1979 · 1,150 bridges
- Jefferson County, KY · avg 1979 · 662 bridges
- Spartanburg County, SC · avg 1979 · 638 bridges
- McPherson County, KS · avg 1979 · 586 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Good-condition bridges (258)
IL 255 NB
GoodOver: UPRR
4 mi N of I-270, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 28,300
FAU 9079/OLD COR R
GoodOver: MADISON CTY DITCH
2MI EAST IL 111, Madison, IL
Built 2007 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 2,200
IL 255 SB (FAP310S
GoodOver: E FORK WOOD RIVER CK
.75 MI S OF CULP LN, Madison, IL
Built 2005 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 16,300
IL 255 NB (FAP310N
GoodOver: E FORK WOODRIVER CK
.75 MI S OF CULP LN, Madison, IL
Built 2005 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 16,300
TR 281 LOWER MARIN
GoodOver: TRIB TO WENDELL CK
1/2 EAST TROY, Madison, IL
Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 575
IL 255 SB
GoodOver: UPRR
4 mi N of I-270, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 28,300
IL 255 SB (FAP310S
GoodOver: MADISON AVE/FAU8975
1/4 MI W S. ROXANA, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 28,300
IL 140
GoodOver: E Fork Silver Creek
0.5mi E of IL 160, Madison, IL
Built 2012 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,700
IL 255 NB (FAP310N
GoodOver: NEW POAG RD/LEVEE RD
2.70 MI NORTH OF 270, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 33,700
IL 255 SB (FAP310S
GoodOver: NEW POAG RD/LEVEE RD
2.70 MI NORTH OF 270, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 33,700
IL 255 NB
GoodOver: HUMBERT RD (CH 4)
2.8MI W OF SEMINARY, Madison, IL
Built 2012 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 9,850
IL 255 SB
GoodOver: HUMBERT RD (CH 4)
2.8MI W OF SEMINARY, Madison, IL
Built 2012 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 9,850
I-55 SB
GoodOver: UPRR
N OF NEW DOUGLAS RD, Madison, IL
Built 1973 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 14,400
IL 159
GoodOver: UPRR
3 mi N of IL 143, Madison, IL
Built 1996 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 5,050
OLD CARPENTER/TR 1
GoodOver: TRIB TO CAHOKIA CK
2.5MI N EDWARDSVILLE, Madison, IL
Built 2006 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 625
Albers Lane - MS 9
GoodOver: Rocky Branch Creek
N Bethalto, Madison, IL
Built 2022 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 700
US 67 NB
GoodOver: SO. BRANCH PIASA CR.
1.4MI SO. JERSEY CO., Madison, IL
Built 2009 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 11,200
ILL 157
GoodOver: ST LOUIS ROAD
C-VILLE-E OF RAMONS, Madison, IL
Built 1992 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 10,150
CH 42 Pin Oak Road
GoodOver: Little Mooney Creek
0.5 Mi E Edwardsvill, Madison, IL
Built 2020 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 200
IL 143
GoodOver: Indian Creek
3.5 M NW Edwardsvill, Madison, IL
Built 2018 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 10,500
TR 95 McCoy Road
GoodOver: Rocky Branch
1.5 Mi NW Moro, Madison, IL
Built 2020 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 300
Meridian Rd
GoodOver: FAI 270
1.25 MI E OF IL 157, Madison, IL
Built 1963 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 4,300
FAI 70 WB
GoodOver: FAI 55 NB & SB
FAI 70 & FAI 55, Madison, IL
Built 1963 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 23,050
ILL 143
GoodOver: SUGAR FORK CREEK
1.7 M E MARINE, Madison, IL
Built 1939 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 4,450
IL 140
GoodOver: Mid Trib Silver Crk
0.4mi E of IL 4, Madison, IL
Built 1992 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,750
STAMPER LN/ MSS 11
GoodOver: ROCKY FORK
1MI NW ALTON, Madison, IL
Built 1967 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,150
IL 255 (FAP 310)
GoodOver: IL 140
BETHALTO, Madison, IL
Built 2005 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 16,300
TR 228
GoodOver: CONRAIL RR
1MI SE OF TROY, Madison, IL
Built 1997 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 125
IL 255 NB (FAP310N
GoodOver: COMM DR & CTY DITCH
1.25 M N OF I-270, Madison, IL
Built 1994 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 36,500
IL 255 SB (FAP310S
GoodOver: COMM DR & CTY DITCH
1.25 M N OF I-270, Madison, IL
Built 1994 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 36,500
TR 236 Pin Oak Roa
GoodOver: Silver Creek
4 Mi NW Marine, Madison, IL
Built 2020 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 50
IL 140
GoodOver: Cahokia Creek
2.5mi E of IL 159, Madison, IL
Built 2008 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 5,650
IL 3
GoodOver: PIASA CREEK
3.6 M S JCT 100-109, Madison, IL
Built 2011 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 3,500
FAS 2735
GoodOver: CAHOKIA CK
4MI E PRRTWN, Madison, IL
Built 1953 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 1,650
OLD CARPENTER/TR 1
GoodOver: TRIB TO CAHOKIA CR.
2.5MI SW CARRPENTER, Madison, IL
Built 2003 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 350
ILL 157
GoodOver: BURDICK BRANCH
3.5 N I-70, Madison, IL
Built 1933 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 6,300
IL 111 NB
GoodOver: CAHOKIA CANAL
.5MI N JCT 70, Madison, IL
Built 2002 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 4,050
US 67
GoodOver: TRIB S BR PIASA CRK
1.4MI S JERSEY CO LN, Madison, IL
Built 1988 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 11,200
IL 159 NB AND SB
GoodOver: FAI 270
INT. OF 159 AND I270, Madison, IL
Built 2001 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 20,600
IL 140
GoodOver: I-55
Hamel, Madison, IL
Built 1956 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 8,550
US 67
GoodOver: ALBY ST
1.42MI S. BELTLINE, Madison, IL
Built 1990 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 12,000
IL 255 NB (FAP310N
GoodOver: FAP 789 IL 143
IN ROXANNA, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 23,000
WOOD STATION RD TR
GoodOver: IL 255 - FAP 310
1 MILE N OF ALTON, Madison, IL
Built 2005 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 375
WENZEL RD MSS 6925
GoodOver: IL 255 FAP 310
1.1MI NW SEMINARY RD, Madison, IL
Built 2010 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 425
FAU8902 GOVS PKWY
GoodOver: TRIB TO DUNLAP CRK
EDWARDSVILLE, Madison, IL
Built 2008 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 8,950
Lebanon Rd (CH 32)
GoodOver: Mill Creek
7 Mi E Collinsville, Madison, IL
Built 2020 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 350
POAG ROAD/FAU 8877
GoodOver: MCT Goshen Trail
1 M W IL 157, Madison, IL
Built 1966 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 4,100
IL 255 NB (FAP310N
GoodOver: MADISON AVE/FAU 8975
1/4 M W OF S.ROXANA, Madison, IL
Built 1995 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 28,300
AIRLINE DR FAU 896
GoodOver: IL 255 - FAP 310
.95MI SW IL 140, Madison, IL
Built 2005 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 6,900
IL 140
GoodOver: Silver Creek
0.5mi E of IL 4, Madison, IL
Built 1992 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 2,750
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.