Total bridges
313
Public highway bridges in Natchitoches County
County profile · official public datasets
Natchitoches County, LA
313 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 46% rated Good, 38.7% Fair, 15.3% Poor.
- 313
- Public bridges
- 46%
- Good condition
- 15.3%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Natchitoches County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- 48th
- of 64 on Poor share
- 15.3%
- Poor-condition share
- 313
- public highway bridges
- 1983
- 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.
Natchitoches County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Natchitoches County ranks #48 of 64 Louisiana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 15.3%). Natchitoches County, Louisiana contains 313 public highway bridges. Roughly 46% are rated “Good,” 38.7% “Fair,” and 15.3% “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.
Good condition
46%
144 of 313 rated 7-9
Fair condition
38.7%
121 of 313 rated 5-6
Poor condition
15.3%
48 of 313 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#48 of 64
Among Louisiana counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 313 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 46% (144)
Fair 38.7% (121)
Poor 15.3% (48)
Natchitoches County's Poor-condition bridges carry 81,311 vehicle crossings a day
That is 5.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 15.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,694 crossings a day against 5,561 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 313 of 313 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
30.4% of Natchitoches County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
95 of the 313 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 46% 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 22.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
I0049 over BAYOU DERBONNE, built 1986, carries 18,305 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 48-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 81,311 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Natchitoches County's bridges were built
313 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 2
1920–1929
2 bridges
- 1930s 5
1930–1939
5 bridges
- 1940s 5
1940–1949
5 bridges
- 1950s 31
1950–1959
31 bridges
- 1960s 25
1960–1969
25 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
54 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
82 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
45 bridges
- 2000s 30
2000–2009
30 bridges
- 2010s 24
2010–2019
24 bridges
- 2020s 10
2020–2029
10 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 82 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 26.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1983) matches the Louisiana average (1982).
How Natchitoches County compares with Louisiana's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Louisiana counties nearest Natchitoches County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 15.3% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1983 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 63 Louisiana counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon County | 341 | 57.8% | 34.6% | 7.6% | 1989 |
| Ouachita County | 337 | 27.9% | 59.3% | 12.8% | 1981 |
| Lafayette County | 322 | 44.7% | 47.5% | 7.8% | 1986 |
| St. Landry County | 317 | 43.2% | 49.2% | 7.6% | 1980 |
| Natchitoches County (this page) | 313 | 46% | 38.7% | 15.3% | 1983 |
| Washington County | 285 | 44.2% | 44.2% | 11.6% | 1979 |
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 Natchitoches 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 Natchitoches County, both outside Louisiana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside LA (313 bridges here).
- Linn County, MO · 313 bridges
- Cedar County, NE · 313 bridges
- Jackson County, AL · 314 bridges
- Cloud County, KS · 314 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside LA (1983 here).
- Dallas County, TX · avg 1983 · 3,230 bridges
- Bexar County, TX · avg 1983 · 2,342 bridges
- Sedgwick County, KS · avg 1983 · 1,333 bridges
- Will County, IL · avg 1983 · 649 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Good-condition bridges (144)
FDR 354
GoodOver: MIKE BRANCH
NO DATA ENTERED, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2023 ADT: 50
FDR 570
GoodOver: RAGAN CREEK
NATIONAL FOREST ROAD, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2023 ADT: 50
FDR 570
GoodOver: RAGAN CREEK
NATIONAL FOREST ROAD, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2023 ADT: 50
FDR 570
GoodOver: RAGAN CREEK
NATIONAL FOREST ROAD, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2023 ADT: 50
NFSR 513
GoodOver: SALINE BAYOU
NATIONAL FOREST ROAD, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2003 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 30
NFSR 307
GoodOver: SHEARDS BRANCH
NATIONAL FOREST ROAD, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2003 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 30
LA0487
GoodOver: MAYOUS BAYOU
.32 MI. N OF LA120, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1958 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 570
LA0494
GoodOver: CANE RIVER
INT. LA 6B & LA 494 NATC, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2003 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 21,589
Pleasant Hill Ch
GoodOver: SALT CREEK
0.05 MI. EAST OF LA 9, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 132
Maricelli Rd
GoodOver: BOURBEAUX BAYOU
MARICELLI ROAD 1.1 MILES, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 103
Bayou Derbonne Rd
GoodOver: BAYOU DERBONNE
3.0 MILES WEST OF LA 1, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2012 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 104
Carolyn St
GoodOver: CADNEY BAYOU TRIB. II
0.6 MILES NORTH OF LA 494, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2001 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 102
Harmony Rd
GoodOver: MCKIMS CREEK
1.0 MILE NORTH OF LA 478, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1999 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 54
Harmony Rd
GoodOver: MCKIMS CREEK
1.2 MILES NORTH OF LA 478, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1999 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 54
Cemetery Road
GoodOver: CYPRESS BAYOU
0.03 M W LITTLE RIVER RD., Natchitoches, LA
Built 2003 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 27
Harmony Rd
GoodOver: PROVENCAL CREEK
0.8 MILES EAST OF LA 117, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1999 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 54
Old River Rd
GoodOver: OLD RIVER
0.02 M W OF OLD RIVER ROA, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 102
Goldonna Rd
GoodOver: BIG FORDOCHE CREEK
3.50 M. S. OF LA 156, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1984 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 173
Allen Marthaville
GoodOver: WATSON BAYOU
1 M. NE OF LA 120, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1999 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 82
Mammy Trail Rd
GoodOver: CHEE-CHEE CREEK
2.31 MI. NORTH OF LA 1226, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 255
Blanchard St
GoodOver: CADNEY BAYOU TRIBUTARY
0.5 M. N. OF LA 494, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 392
LA0120
GoodOver: COX BRANCH
1.2 MILES N OF JCT LA 6, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2009 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 1,715
Bayou Derbonne Rd
GoodOver: BAYOU DERBONNE TRIBUTARY
1.6 MILES NW OF LA 119, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2012 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 104
FH 59
GoodOver: KISATCHIE BAYOU
NO DATA ENTERED, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1967 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 80
I0049
GoodOver: EMMANUEL ROAD
1.62 MI. SOUTH OF LA 119, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1985 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 28,142
I0049
GoodOver: LA 119
I-49 / LA 119 INTG., Natchitoches, LA
Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 18,305
I0049
GoodOver: LA119
I-49 / LA 119 INTG., Natchitoches, LA
Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 28,142
Hart Rd
GoodOver: BAYOU BOURBEAUX
0.01 MILES NORTH OF LA 48, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2010 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 309
LA0478
GoodOver: SLATE BRANCH
2.74 MILES EAST OF LA 120, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 172
US0071
GoodOver: CREEK
2.01 MI. N OF INT LA6/US8, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1955 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,456
US0084
GoodOver: BOURBEAUX BAYOU
3.56 MI. EAST OF US 71, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,081
LA0001
GoodOver: DRY BRANCH CREEK
2.55 MI. N OF INT LA119, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 996
LA0001
GoodOver: DITCH
2.2 MI. N OF N INT LA119, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1936 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,835
LA0009
GoodOver: DRAIN
2.42 MI. N. OF LA 153, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1952 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,032
I0049
GoodOver: LIMEKILN BAYOU
1.2 MI. S OF JCT LA 6, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 18,305
I0049
GoodOver: CREEK
5.21 MI. NORTH OF LA 6, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 18,305
I0049
GoodOver: MIDDLE BAYOU
7.09 MI. NORTH OF LA 6, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 18,305
I0049
GoodOver: COW BAYOU
1.1 MI NORTH OF LA 485, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,334
I0049
GoodOver: INDIAN BAYOU
1.07 MI. NORTH OF LA 174, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,334
LA0484
GoodOver: CANE RIVER SPILLWAY
.82 MI. S OF INT LA494, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1948 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 111
Nid Aigie Rd
GoodOver: BAYOU NID AIGLE
1.44 MILES EAST OF LA 491, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 52
Robeline-Provencal
GoodOver: TRUDO CREEK
0.6 MILES WEST OF LA 117, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 302
Raplh St
GoodOver: DRAINAGE DITCH
0.3 MI. NORTH OF LA 494, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 52
Posey Rd
GoodOver: POSEY BRANCH
3.0 MILES WEST OF I-49, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 72
Mammy Trail Rd
GoodOver: CHEE CHEE CREEK
0.88 MI. NORTH OF LA 1226, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 350
Russell Cemetary
GoodOver: BAYOU DERBONNE
0.03 MI. W OF B. DERBONNE, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 72
EIGHT MILE LP
GoodOver: I-49
1.9 MI N OF LA 6, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 15,900
LA0120
GoodOver: Bayou Blue
3.65 MI E of LA 117, Natchitoches, LA
Built 2018 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 665
LA0118
GoodOver: LITTLE SANDY CREEK
1.2 MI. EAST OF LA 117, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1998 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 164
Nuel Williams Rd
GoodOver: I-49
2.81 MI. NORTH OF LA 174, Natchitoches, LA
Built 1987 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,650
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.