Total bridges
50
Public highway bridges in Putnam County
County profile · official public datasets
Putnam County, IL
50 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 26% rated Good, 64% Fair, 10% Poor.
- 50
- Public bridges
- 26%
- Good condition
- 10%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Putnam County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across rated county bridge inventory.
- 73rd
- of 102 on Poor share
- 10%
- Poor-condition share
- 50
- public highway bridges
- 1980
- 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.
Putnam County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Putnam County ranks #73 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 10%). Putnam County, Illinois contains 50 public highway bridges. Roughly 26% are rated “Good,” 64% “Fair,” and 10% “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
26%
13 of 50 rated 7-9
Fair condition
64%
32 of 50 rated 5-6
Poor condition
10%
5 of 50 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#73 of 102
Among Illinois counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 50 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 26% (13)
Fair 64% (32)
Poor 10% (5)
Putnam County's Poor-condition bridges carry 9,350 vehicle crossings a day
That is 14.4% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 10% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,870 crossings a day against 2,337 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 50 of 50 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
30% of Putnam County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
15 of the 50 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 26% 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 34.2% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
ILL 29 over SENACHWINE CREEK, built 1962, carries 3,200 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 5-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 9,350 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Putnam County's bridges were built
50 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1900s 1
1900–1909
1 bridges
- 1920s 3
1920–1929
3 bridges
- 1930s 2
1930–1939
2 bridges
- 1940s 2
1940–1949
2 bridges
- 1950s 3
1950–1959
3 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
4 bridges
- 1970s 3
1970–1979
3 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
9 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
7 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
10 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
4 bridges
- 2020s 2
2020–2029
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 2000s, when 10 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 20% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 15 to 24 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1980) matches the Illinois average (1979).
How Putnam County compares with Illinois's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Illinois counties nearest Putnam County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 10% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1980 against a peer-group mean of 1980 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 101 Illinois counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 81 | 53.1% | 43.2% | 3.7% | 1983 |
| Edwards County | 79 | 64.6% | 27.8% | 7.6% | 1982 |
| Cass County | 77 | 29.9% | 50.6% | 19.5% | 1986 |
| Brown County | 71 | 47.9% | 38% | 14.1% | 1975 |
| Hardin County | 61 | 57.4% | 36.1% | 6.6% | 1976 |
| Putnam County (this page) | 50 | 26% | 64% | 10% | 1980 |
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 Putnam 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 Putnam County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside IL (50 bridges here).
- Oglethorpe County, GA · 50 bridges
- Randolph County, GA · 50 bridges
- Simpson County, KY · 50 bridges
- Pointe Coupee County, LA · 50 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1980 here).
- Tulsa County, OK · avg 1980 · 1,135 bridges
- Miami-Dade County, FL · avg 1980 · 1,057 bridges
- Pulaski County, AR · avg 1980 · 721 bridges
- McLennan County, TX · avg 1980 · 714 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (50)
TR 18
FairOver: RI RR
850N 350E, Putnam, IL
Built 1988 Load: 15.6 t ADT: 10
DIVISION ST/GRANVI
FairOver: ALL FORKS CREEK
116 FT S HENNEPIN ST, Putnam, IL
Built 1900 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 350
TR 85
FairOver: STREAM
135N 1540E, Putnam, IL
Built 1967 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 25
ILL 26
FairOver: STREAM
6.88 MI S OF ILL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 1956 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 800
ILL 29
FairOver: ILL RIVER TRIB
3.17 MI N OF ILL 18, Putnam, IL
Built 1960 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 3,200
TR2
FairOver: CROW CREEK
310N 50E, Putnam, IL
Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50
TR 82
FairOver: ALLFORKS CREEK
1220N 1175E, Putnam, IL
Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150
TR 74
FairOver: ALLFORKS CREEK
1220N 1140E, Putnam, IL
Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100
TR 65
FairOver: TRIBUTARY TO CROW CR
400N 200E, Putnam, IL
Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25
TR 98
FairOver: LITTLE SANDY CR
1450E 130N, Putnam, IL
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25
TR 94A
FairOver: ALLFORKS CREEK
1300E 1180N, Putnam, IL
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100
CH 4
FairOver: CLEAR CREEK
625N 1200E, Putnam, IL
Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 125
TR 73
FairOver: CLEAR CREEK
300 N 1060E, Putnam, IL
Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25
TR 7
FairOver: ALLFORKS CREEK
1250N 950E, Putnam, IL
Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200
TR 75
FairOver: TRIB CLEAR CREEK
2.5 MI SW MCNABB, Putnam, IL
Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75
TR 36A
FairOver: COFFEE CREEK
NE1/4-11-T32NR2W, Putnam, IL
Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,500
CH 5
FairOver: CLEAR CR
305N 1150E, Putnam, IL
Built 1978 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 100
OLD ILL 29
FairOver: SENACHWINE CREEK
660N 325E, Putnam, IL
Built 1920 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 550
BOAT CLUB ROAD
FairOver: STREAM
.01 MI E OF IL89, Putnam, IL
Built 2001 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 100
IL 26/FAS 2370
FairOver: CLEAR CREEK (OVRFLW)
8.20 MI S OF IL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 2001 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 800
IL 18
FairOver: LITTLE SANDY CREEK
50FT W of IL 89, Putnam, IL
Built 2005 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 2,100
IL 89
FairOver: UNNAMED STREAM
1.65 MILE S OF US 6, Putnam, IL
Built 2001 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 5,450
IL 26
FairOver: STREAM
0.5 mi n of IL 18, Putnam, IL
Built 1993 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 800
TR 20
FairOver: SENACHWINE LAKE TRIB
425N 395E, Putnam, IL
Built 1955 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 50
ILL 71
FairOver: COFFEE CREEK
0.6mi E of IL 26, Putnam, IL
Built 1993 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 3,400
TR 2 A
FairOver: SANDY CREEK
140N 1600E, Putnam, IL
Built 1940 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 50
IL 26/FAS 2370
FairOver: TRIB TO ILL RIVER
3.76 MI S OF IL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 2001 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 800
IL 26/FAS 2370
FairOver: CLEAR CREEK
7.95 MI S OF IL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 2001 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 800
CH 10
FairOver: COFFEE CR
970N 780E, Putnam, IL
Built 1939 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 225
IL 89 (FAP 698)
FairOver: LITTLE SANDY CREEK
0.05 MI N OF IL 18, Putnam, IL
Built 2001 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 1,550
HENNEPIN STREET
FairOver: ALL FORKS
1100N 1170E, Putnam, IL
Built 1940 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 650
IL 26
FairOver: COFFEE CREEK
1.21 MI S OF IL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 2009 Load: 70.0 t ADT: 1,000
TR 55A
GoodOver: BR CLEAR CREEK
600N 1210E, Putnam, IL
Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75
TR 47 A
GoodOver: SENACHWINE CR.
670 N 235 E, Putnam, IL
Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 550
TR 75
GoodOver: STREAM
2.5MI NNE MAGNOLIA, Putnam, IL
Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50
ILL 89
GoodOver: ALLFORKS CREEK NORTH
1.2 MI N OF IL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 2012 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 4,100
CH 11(FAS 254)
GoodOver: CLEAR CREEK
NE-9-T31NR1W, Putnam, IL
Built 2008 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 700
IL 71
GoodOver: INTERMITTENT STREAM
3.18 MI W OF IL 89, Putnam, IL
Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,100
ILL 89
GoodOver: ALLFORKS CREEK SOUTH
1 MI N OF IL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 2012 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 4,100
ILL 71
GoodOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
1.14 MI W OF ILL 89, Putnam, IL
Built 2015 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,700
ILL 29
GoodOver: SENACHWINE CR TRIB
1 MI N OF PUTNAM, Putnam, IL
Built 1963 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 3,200
FAS 1254-CH 16
GoodOver: ILL RIVER TRIB
1360N 1415E, Putnam, IL
Built 2020 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 3,000
TR 36
GoodOver: COFFEE CREEK
1055N 875E, Putnam, IL
Built 2022 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 100
ILL 71
GoodOver: COFFEE CREEK
5.14 MI W OF ILL 89, Putnam, IL
Built 1977 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 3,600
ILL 18
GoodOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
1.45 MI E OF ILL 26, Putnam, IL
Built 1979 Load: 67.7 t ADT: 2,100
ILL 29
PoorOver: SENACHWINE CREEK
1.25 MI N OF PUTNAM, Putnam, IL
Built 1962 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 3,200
ILL 26/FAS 2370
PoorOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
4.75 MI S OF ILL 71, Putnam, IL
Built 1956 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 800
ILL 89
PoorOver: CLEAR CREEK
1.39 MI N OF ILL 18, Putnam, IL
Built 1928 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,550
ILL 89
PoorOver: CLEAR CREEK TRIB
2.79 MI N OF ILL 18, Putnam, IL
Built 1928 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,700
ILL 18
PoorOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
0.65 MI E OF ILL 26, Putnam, IL
Built 1932 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 2,100
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.