Total bridges
58
Public highway bridges in Union County
County profile · official public datasets
Union County, IN
58 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 27.6% rated Good, 67.2% Fair, 5.2% Poor.
- 58
- Public bridges
- 27.6%
- Good condition
- 5.2%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Union County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.
- 52nd
- of 92 on Poor share
- 5.2%
- Poor-condition share
- 58
- 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.
Union County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Union County ranks #52 of 92 Indiana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 5.2%). Union County, Indiana contains 58 public highway bridges. Roughly 27.6% are rated “Good,” 67.2% “Fair,” and 5.2% “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
27.6%
16 of 58 rated 7-9
Fair condition
67.2%
39 of 58 rated 5-6
Poor condition
5.2%
3 of 58 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#52 of 92
Among Indiana counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 58 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 27.6% (16)
Fair 67.2% (39)
Poor 5.2% (3)
Union County's Poor-condition bridges carry 775 vehicle crossings a day
That is 1.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 5.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 258 crossings a day against 834 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 58 of 58 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
51.7% of Union County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
30 of the 58 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 27.6% 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 38.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
OLD BROWNSVILLE RD over SILVER CREEK, built 1960, carries 300 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 3-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 775 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Union County's bridges were built
58 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 1
1920–1929
1 bridges
- 1930s 5
1930–1939
5 bridges
- 1940s 1
1940–1949
1 bridges
- 1950s 4
1950–1959
4 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
9 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
17 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
10 bridges
- 1990s 5
1990–1999
5 bridges
- 2000s 4
2000–2009
4 bridges
- 2010s 2
2010–2019
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 17 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 29.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1973, 5 years older than the Indiana average of 1978.
How Union County compares with Indiana's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Indiana counties nearest Union County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 5.2% 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 91 Indiana counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starke County | 86 | 53.5% | 40.7% | 5.8% | 1987 |
| Fulton County | 85 | 36.5% | 58.8% | 4.7% | 1977 |
| Blackford County | 73 | 31.5% | 63% | 5.5% | 1983 |
| Switzerland County | 62 | 41.9% | 50% | 8.1% | 1982 |
| Union County (this page) | 58 | 27.6% | 67.2% | 5.2% | 1973 |
| Ohio County | 41 | 46.3% | 51.2% | 2.4% | 1987 |
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 Union 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 Union County, both outside Indiana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside IN (58 bridges here).
- Wrangell City and County, AK · 58 bridges
- Jeff Davis County, GA · 58 bridges
- Putnam County, GA · 58 bridges
- Jessamine County, KY · 58 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside IN (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 (39)
PARK ROAD
FairOver: SPILLWAY CHANNEL
00.00 WHITEWATER STATE PA, Union, IN
Built 1977 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 200
TOWNSHIP LINE ROAD
FairOver: LITTLE 4 MILE CREEK
00.50 W OF STATE LINE, Union, IN
Built 1972 Load: 18.4 t ADT: 100
OLD BROWNSVILLE RD
FairOver: E FORK WHITEWATER RIVER
00.03 W OF 1ST STREET, Union, IN
Built 1974 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 550
SR 101
FairOver: DUBOIS CREEK
05.77 S US 27, Union, IN
Built 1932 Load: 22.6 t ADT: 2,410
FOUTS RD
FairOver: SILVER CREEK
00.10 S OF MITCHELL RD, Union, IN
Built 1987 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 100
PATTERSON ROAD
FairOver: CSX RR
01.00 S OF CR 200 N, Union, IN
Built 1981 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 250
PARK ROAD
FairOver: DUNLAPSVILLE RD
00.00 QUAKERTOWN R.A., Union, IN
Built 1978 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 200
US 27
FairOver: RICHLAND CREEK
04.70 N SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1928 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 5,308
SR 44
FairOver: E FORK WHITEWATER RIVER
03.82 W US 27, Union, IN
Built 1974 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 4,248
US 27
FairOver: RICHLAND CREEK
04.26 N SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1930 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 5,308
PHILOMATH ROAD
FairOver: SIMPSON CREEK
00.40 S OF WATT ROAD, Union, IN
Built 1970 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 200
US 27
FairOver: RICHLAND CREEK
04.38 N SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1930 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,308
OLD BROWNSVILLE RD
FairOver: WHITEWATER RIVER OVERFLO
00.05 E OF PHILOMATH ROAD, Union, IN
Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 550
STATE LINE ROAD
FairOver: LITTLE 4 MILE CREEK
00.60 N OF US 27, Union, IN
Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 425
PENTECOST RD
FairOver: LITTLE 4 MILE CREEK
00.25 W OF STATE LINE, Union, IN
Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100
MARKET STREET
FairOver: BEAR CREEK
00.20 E OF US-27, Union, IN
Built 1930 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 125
STONE ROAD
FairOver: FOUR MILE CREEK
00.55 N OF VELOCIPEDE PIK, Union, IN
Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 150
BROOKVILLE PIKE
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
00.80 N OF CONTRERAS PIKE, Union, IN
Built 1967 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 250
BYRD ROAD
FairOver: RICHLAND CREEK
00.25 W OF CR 100 W, Union, IN
Built 1967 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 150
CLIFFTON ROAD
FairOver: WOODS CREEK
00.01 W OF ABINGTON RD, Union, IN
Built 1960 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 150
STOUT RD
FairOver: SILVER CREEK
00.10 N OF KITCHEL RD, Union, IN
Built 1970 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 100
US 27
FairOver: CSX RR
00.80 S SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1984 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 3,969
SAND RUN ROAD
FairOver: WEST FORK OF 4 MILE RUN
00.10 E OF BROOKVILLE PIK, Union, IN
Built 1979 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 200
CLIFFTON ROAD
FairOver: E FORK WHITEWATER RIVER
00.60 W OF CR 250 W, Union, IN
Built 1977 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 150
SR 44
FairOver: FOUR MILE CREEK
05.46 E US 27, Union, IN
Built 1947 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 871
GREENWOOD CHURCH R
FairOver: LITTLE 4 MILE CREEK
00.60 W OF STATE LINE, Union, IN
Built 1975 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 100
VELOCIPEDE PIKE
FairOver: DUBOIS CREEK
00.35 W OF LIBERTY PIKE, Union, IN
Built 1983 Load: 44.8 t ADT: 100
SR 44
FairOver: SILVER CREEK
00.66 W US 27, Union, IN
Built 1933 Load: 46.4 t ADT: 4,248
BROWNSVILLE ROAD
FairOver: RICHLAND CREEK
00.07 N OF SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1976 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 600
VELOCIPEDE PIKE
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
00.30 W OF STONE ROAD, Union, IN
Built 1965 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 200
DUNLAPSVILLE ROAD
FairOver: BROOKVILLE LAKE
02.20 W OF SR 101, Union, IN
Built 1974 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 550
SAND RUN ROAD
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
00.50 E OF STONE ROAD, Union, IN
Built 1981 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 200
PHILOMATH ROAD
FairOver: TURKEY CREEK
01.00 N OF SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1972 Load: 53.4 t ADT: 100
FOSDICK ROAD
FairOver: HANNAHS CREEK
00.90 E OF SR 101, Union, IN
Built 1973 Load: 56.8 t ADT: 125
SR 44
FairOver: HANNAH CREEK
01.37 E US 27, Union, IN
Built 1956 Load: 62.1 t ADT: 1,474
SNAKEHILL ROAD
FairOver: SILVER CREEK
00.35 W OF SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1979 Load: 65.4 t ADT: 100
BROOKVILLE PIKE
FairOver: BRANDYWINE CREEK
00.10 N OF CONTRERAS PIKE, Union, IN
Built 1965 Load: 66.1 t ADT: 150
CLIFTON ROAD
FairOver: RICHLAND CREEK
00.10 W OF US 27, Union, IN
Built 1970 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 250
US 27
FairOver: SILVER CREEK
01.73 N SR 44, Union, IN
Built 1957 Load: 88.2 t ADT: 5,308
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.