County profile · official public datasets

Shelby County, IN

247 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 32.4% rated Good, 60.3% Fair, 7.3% Poor.

247
Public bridges
32.4%
Good condition
7.3%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

70th
of 92 on Poor share
7.3%
Poor-condition share
247
public highway bridges
1974
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.

Shelby County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Shelby County ranks #70 of 92 Indiana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.3%). Shelby County, Indiana contains 247 public highway bridges. Roughly 32.4% are rated “Good,” 60.3% “Fair,” and 7.3% “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

247

Public highway bridges in Shelby County

Good condition

32.4%

80 of 247 rated 7-9

Fair condition

60.3%

149 of 247 rated 5-6

Poor condition

7.3%

18 of 247 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#70 of 92

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

Condition distribution

Share of 247 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
32.4% (80)
Fair
60.3% (149)
Poor
7.3% (18)

Shelby County's Poor-condition bridges carry 11,160 vehicle crossings a day

That is 1.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 6.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 744 crossings a day against 2,659 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 244 of 247 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

49.8% of Shelby County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

123 of the 247 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 32.4% 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 51.1% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US 52 over BRANDYWINE CREEK, built 1955, carries 5,707 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 18-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 11,160 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Shelby County's bridges were built

247 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 40 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 16.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1974) matches the Indiana average (1978).

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

How Shelby County compares with Indiana's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Indiana counties nearest Shelby County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.3% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1974 against a peer-group mean of 1984 is 10 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 91 Indiana counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Shelby County and the 5 Indiana counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Clark County 257 1.6%
Montgomery County 252 2.4%
Morgan County 252 4%
Shelby County (this page) 247 7.3%
Spencer County 244 1.2%
Greene County 239 9.2%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside IN (247 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside IN (1974 here).

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

All bridges (247)

CR 325 EAST

Good

Over: NORTH FORK LEWIS CREEK

00.05 MI. N. OF CR 50 S, Shelby, IN

Built 1984 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 125

CR 350S

Good

Over: EAST FORK OF SLASH CREEK

00.75 W OF CR 75 W, Shelby, IN

Built 1999 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 100

CR 1050 NORTH

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SNAIL CREEK

00.60 W OF CR 200 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2003 Load: 27.1 t ADT: 100

I-74 EB

Good

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

00.93 E SR 9, Shelby, IN

Built 1959 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 16,395

I-74 WB

Good

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

00.93 E SR 9, Shelby, IN

Built 1959 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 16,395

SR 244

Good

Over: CONNS CREEK

02.73 E I-74, Shelby, IN

Built 1968 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 1,155

CR 700S

Good

Over: SLASH CREEK

00.50 W OF CR 300 W, Shelby, IN

Built 1999 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 100

CR 75 WEST

Good

Over: HILLS BRANCH

00.25 N OF CR 600 N, Shelby, IN

Built 1977 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 100

SR 9

Good

Over: N BRANCH LEWIS CREEK

04.54 S SR 44, Shelby, IN

Built 2012 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 6,506

CR 850 WEST

Good

Over: BRANCH LITTLE SUGAR CR

00.50 N OF CR 800 N, Shelby, IN

Built 1999 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 175

CR 400 NORTH

Good

Over: DRY FORK CREEK

00.75 W OF CR 550 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2007 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 1,000

CR 1100 NORTH

Good

Over: WEST LITTLE SUGAR CREEK

00.50 W OF CR 700 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2001 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 125

CR 1000 NORTH

Good

Over: SNAIL CREEK

00.65 W OF CR 200 W, Shelby, IN

Built 1996 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 100

CR 25 EAST

Good

Over: BRANCH OF LEWIS CREEK

00.25 N OF CR 800 S, Shelby, IN

Built 2003 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 100

SR 244

Good

Over: I-74

11.66 W SR 3, Shelby, IN

Built 1959 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 1,572

CR 25 EAST

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK LEWIS CREEK

00.80 N OF CR 800 S, Shelby, IN

Built 2004 Load: 29.4 t ADT: 100

SR 9

Good

Over: FLATROCK RIVER

08.82 S SR 44, Shelby, IN

Built 2013 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 3,791

I-65 NB

Good

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

02.03 N SR 252, Shelby, IN

Built 1969 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 28,018

I-65 SB

Good

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

02.03 N SR 252, Shelby, IN

Built 1969 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 27,789

COUNTY LINE RD

Good

Over: I-74

04.63 E SR 244, Shelby, IN

Built 1961 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 3,220

BOGGSTOWN RD

Good

Over: DE PREZ DITCH

00.25 W OF CR 200 W, Shelby, IN

Built 1960 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 800

SR 44

Good

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

05.23 W SR 9, Shelby, IN

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,816

SR 44

Good

Over: GIBSON DITCH

03.77 E I-65, Shelby, IN

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,816

CR 325W

Good

Over: SNAIL CREEK

00.25 N OF CR 800 N, Shelby, IN

Built 1976 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CR 1000 NORTH

Good

Over: BRANDYWINE CREEK

00.15 W OF SR 9, Shelby, IN

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 275

SHORT BLUE RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

00.35 E OF CR625 E, Shelby, IN

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CR 400N

Good

Over: HAWKINS DITCH

00.60 MI. E. OF I-74, Shelby, IN

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 600

CR 400N

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SWAMP CREEK

00.65 MI. W. OF CR 300 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,325

CR 400N

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SWAMP CREEK

00.75 MI. W. OF CR 300 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,325

CR 400N

Good

Over: SNAIL CREEK

00.10 W OF CR 525 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,500

CR 300N

Good

Over: SWAMP CREEK

00.60 MI. W. OF CR 350 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 125

CR 300N

Good

Over: BRANDYWINE CREEK

00.15 MI. E. OF CR 350 W, Shelby, IN

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 150

CR 775E

Good

Over: CONNS CREEK

00.40 MI. S. OF CR 100 N, Shelby, IN

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

MORRISTOWN RD

Good

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

00.35 W OF SR 9, Shelby, IN

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,350

CR 600E

Good

Over: CONNS CREEK

00.65 N OF CR 500 S, Shelby, IN

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,550

MICHIGAN ROAD

Good

Over: NORTH FORK LEWIS CREEK

00.25 MI. W. OF CR 250 E, Shelby, IN

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 750

MARIETTA ROAD

Good

Over: HOWELL DITCH

00.35 S OF CR 400 S, Shelby, IN

Built 1982 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CR 150E

Good

Over: NORTH FORK LEWIS CREEK

00.80 N OF CR 350 S, Shelby, IN

Built 1976 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 125

CR 900S

Good

Over: BRANCH OF BIG BLUE RIVER

00.90 W OF CR 600 W, Shelby, IN

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 150

VANDALIA RD

Good

Over: FLATROCK RIVER

00.01 E OF CR300 E, Shelby, IN

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 350

RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: CONNS CREEK

00.40 W OF CR 600 E, Shelby, IN

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CR 200E

Good

Over: BRANCH OF HAW CREEK

00.25 N OF CR 1200 S, Shelby, IN

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CR 350 EAST

Good

Over: BRANCH OF LEWIS CREEK

00.40 N. OF MICHIGAN RD, Shelby, IN

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25

CR 650 NORTH

Good

Over: BRANDYWINE CREEK

00.01 E OF CR100 W, Shelby, IN

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 125

LEE RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

00.45 MI. N. OF SR 44, Shelby, IN

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,050

CR 600 WEST

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK

00.80 N OF CR 1100 N, Shelby, IN

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 900

CR 400N

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK

00.01 MI. W. OF LONDON RD, Shelby, IN

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,150

TOM HESSION DRIVE

Good

Over: HANKINS DITCH

00.25 MI. S. OF CR 400 N, Shelby, IN

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,900

CR 500 NORTH

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

00.25 W OF CR 775 E, Shelby, IN

Built 2021 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 175

CR 600 WEST

Good

Over: LITTLE SUGAR CREEK

00.10 N OF CR 1050 N, Shelby, IN

Built 2023 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 200
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.