Total bridges
233
Public highway bridges in Washington County
County profile · official public datasets
Washington County, IL
233 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 50.6% rated Good, 43.3% Fair, 6% Poor.
- 233
- Public bridges
- 50.6%
- Good condition
- 6%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Washington County pairs a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.
- Top 25%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 6%
- Poor-condition share
- 233
- public highway bridges
- 1973
- 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.
Washington County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Washington County ranks #25 of 102 Illinois counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 6%). Washington County, Illinois contains 233 public highway bridges. Roughly 50.6% are rated “Good,” 43.3% “Fair,” and 6% “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
50.6%
118 of 233 rated 7-9
Fair condition
43.3%
101 of 233 rated 5-6
Poor condition
6%
14 of 233 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#25 of 102
Among Illinois counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 233 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 50.6% (118)
Fair 43.3% (101)
Poor 6% (14)
Washington County's Poor-condition bridges carry 41,370 vehicle crossings a day
That is 8.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,955 crossings a day against 1,003 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 233 of 233 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
42.9% of Washington County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
100 of the 233 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 50.6% 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 33.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
I-64 EB over Prairie Rd Abandoned UPR, built 1972, carries 14,000 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 14-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 41,370 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Washington County's bridges were built
233 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1900s 1
1900–1909
1 bridges
- 1910s 11
1910–1919
11 bridges
- 1920s 18
1920–1929
18 bridges
- 1930s 17
1930–1939
17 bridges
- 1940s 2
1940–1949
2 bridges
- 1950s 4
1950–1959
4 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
26 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
27 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
50 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
48 bridges
- 2000s 17
2000–2009
17 bridges
- 2010s 8
2010–2019
8 bridges
- 2020s 4
2020–2029
4 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 50 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1973, 6 years older than the Illinois average of 1979.
How Washington County compares with Illinois's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Illinois counties nearest Washington County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 6% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1973 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is 10 years older.
Showing the 5 closest of 101 Illinois counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 234 | 48.7% | 42.7% | 8.5% | 1984 |
| Washington County (this page) | 233 | 50.6% | 43.3% | 6% | 1973 |
| Douglas County | 232 | 76.3% | 22.4% | 1.3% | 1982 |
| Clark County | 230 | 62.6% | 32.6% | 4.8% | 1978 |
| Jackson County | 228 | 66.2% | 27.2% | 6.6% | 1987 |
| McHenry County | 227 | 41.4% | 38.3% | 20.3% | 1983 |
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 Washington 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 Washington County, both outside Illinois so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside IL (233 bridges here).
- Pickens County, AL · 233 bridges
- Lawrence County, MO · 233 bridges
- Oswego County, NY · 233 bridges
- Mayes County, OK · 233 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside IL (1973 here).
- Jefferson County, AL · avg 1973 · 1,068 bridges
- Erie County, NY · avg 1973 · 906 bridges
- Davidson County, TN · avg 1973 · 832 bridges
- Lancaster County, PA · avg 1973 · 801 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (101)
TR 213A
FairOver: LITTLE MUDDY RIVER
1 MI N RADOM, Washington, IL
Built 1920 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 25
TR 13
FairOver: HERZOG CREEK
3.5 MI NE HOYLETON, Washington, IL
Built 1957 Load: 14.3 t ADT: 50
TR 237A
FairOver: BR OF MUD CREEK
3.5 MI SO.OF ELKTON, Washington, IL
Built 1959 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 100
TR 123
FairOver: NASHVILLE CREEK
2 MI N-1.25 MI W NAS, Washington, IL
Built 1920 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 600
CH 18
FairOver: BR GRAND POINT CREEK
1 MI SOUTH NOLTINGS, Washington, IL
Built 1937 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 500
TR 35
FairOver: GRAND POINT CR
3 MI NE HOYLETON, Washington, IL
Built 1926 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 25
FAS 788
FairOver: BR OF NORTH CR
1.8 MI S OF M&I RR, Washington, IL
Built 1941 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 500
TR 140
FairOver: BR OF LOCUST CREEK
5 MI SW NASHVILLE, Washington, IL
Built 1915 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 75
ILL 127
FairOver: SUGAR CREEK
7MI S OF NASHVILLE, Washington, IL
Built 1938 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 4,050
TR 62
FairOver: PLUM CREEK
3 MI NW OF OKAWVILLE, Washington, IL
Built 1972 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 25
ILL 15
FairOver: ELKHORN CREEK
0.10 MI E ILL 153, Washington, IL
Built 1933 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 2,050
TR 172
FairOver: NORTH CREEK
2 MI E-1MI S NEWMIND, Washington, IL
Built 1957 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 150
TR 263
FairOver: BR MUD CREEK
2 MI N TILDEN, Washington, IL
Built 1967 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 250
TR 153
FairOver: BR LITTLE MUDDY
0.75 MI N-1MI W ASHL, Washington, IL
Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 50
TR 196
FairOver: BR BEAUCOUP CREEK
4 MI WEST OF DUBOIS, Washington, IL
Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 50
TR 206A
FairOver: SUGAR CREEK
BEAUCOUP-ASHLEY TWP, Washington, IL
Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 75
TR 268
FairOver: WEBSTER CREEK
2.7 MI N OF IRVINGTO, Washington, IL
Built 1962 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 325
CH 12
FairOver: LITTLE MUDCREEK
1.8 MI S STONE CHURC, Washington, IL
Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 225
TR 0074
FairOver: TRIBUTARY WEAVER CR
.25 MI S OF RT ILL15, Washington, IL
Built 1966 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 25
TR 196
FairOver: HICKORY CREEK
NW 1/4 SEC23 T3S R2W, Washington, IL
Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 150
TR 267
FairOver: BR OF SWANWICK CR
2 MI SE OF OAKDALE, Washington, IL
Built 1964 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 25
TR 187
FairOver: BR ELKHORN CR
1.5 MI N-2MI E LIVEL, Washington, IL
Built 1901 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 10
CH 27
FairOver: BEAVER POND CREEK
2 MI SOUTH COVINGTON, Washington, IL
Built 1963 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 250
Covington Rd - CH
FairOver: FAI 64
6 M E ILL 177, Washington, IL
Built 1969 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 250
FAI 64 EB
FairOver: MIDDLE CREEK
3.5 M E ILL 127, Washington, IL
Built 1972 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 14,000
FAI 64 WB
FairOver: MIDDLE CREEK
1.70 MI E OF TR 162A, Washington, IL
Built 1972 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 14,000
ILL 15
FairOver: NASHVILLE CREEK
0.2 MI W NASHVILLE, Washington, IL
Built 1921 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 3,450
FAI 64 EB
FairOver: MIDDLE CREEK
2.5 MI E ILL 127, Washington, IL
Built 1972 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 14,000
FAI 64 WB
FairOver: MIDDLE CREEK
2.5 MI E ILL 127, Washington, IL
Built 1972 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 14,000
FAS RT 835
FairOver: ELKHORN CREEK
2.2 MI NE OF OAKDALE, Washington, IL
Built 1940 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 1,000
FAS 788 - CO HWY 1
FairOver: FAI 64
3.74 MI S HOYLETON, Washington, IL
Built 1972 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 300
FAI 64 EB
FairOver: LITTLE CROOKED CREEK
3.0 MI NW ILL 127, Washington, IL
Built 1969 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,650
FAI 64 WB
FairOver: LITTLE CROOKED CK
3 MI N W RT 127, Washington, IL
Built 1969 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,650
IL ROUTE 177
FairOver: W TRIB LTL CROOKD CR
1.5 MI W OF IL 127, Washington, IL
Built 1932 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,550
TR 123
FairOver: WILLOW CREEK
2 MI N-2.75 MI W NAS, Washington, IL
Built 1917 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50
TR 123
FairOver: NASHVILLE CREEK
2 MI N NASHVILLE, Washington, IL
Built 1920 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 550
TR 156
FairOver: BR LITTLE CROOKED
EAST OF NEW MINDEN, Washington, IL
Built 1925 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25
CH 6
FairOver: ELKHORN CREEK
0.5 M E OF VENEDY, Washington, IL
Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200
TR 70A
FairOver: WILLIAMS CREEK
5.5 MI S OF OKAWVILL, Washington, IL
Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 175
TR 90
FairOver: BR WILLIAMS CR
3 MI SW OFADDIEVILLE, Washington, IL
Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50
TR 236
FairOver: BR GRAND POINT CREEK
2 MI SW OF IRVINGTON, Washington, IL
Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200
TR44
FairOver: BRANCH OF ELKHORN CR
2 MI NE LIVELY GROVE, Washington, IL
Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25
TR 225
FairOver: ELKHORN CREEK
4 MI E LIVELY GROVE, Washington, IL
Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75
TR 253
FairOver: LOCUST CREEK
NW 1/4 SEC19 T3S R2W, Washington, IL
Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75
TR 159
FairOver: LITTLE MUD CREEK
4MI NW LIVELY GROVE, Washington, IL
Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75
TR 237 A
FairOver: MUD CREEK
SW 1/4 SEC30 T3S R4W, Washington, IL
Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50
TR 211
FairOver: BEAUCOUP CREEK
SW 1/4 SEC 35 T2SR2W, Washington, IL
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 175
TR114 014/TR130 09
FairOver: KASKASKIA RIVER
2.5 MI N COVINGTON, Washington, IL
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 650
FAS 833
FairOver: ELKHORN CREEK
0.5 MI NORTH VENEDY, Washington, IL
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 625
FAS 788
FairOver: BRANCH OF MIDDLE CK
NE 1/4 SEC 11 T2S R2, Washington, IL
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300
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.