County profile · official public datasets

Ouachita County, LA

337 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 27.9% rated Good, 59.3% Fair, 12.8% Poor.

337
Public bridges
27.9%
Good condition
12.8%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

40th
of 64 on Poor share
12.8%
Poor-condition share
337
public highway bridges
1981
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.

Ouachita County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Ouachita County ranks #40 of 64 Louisiana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 12.8%). Ouachita County, Louisiana contains 337 public highway bridges. Roughly 27.9% are rated “Good,” 59.3% “Fair,” and 12.8% “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

337

Public highway bridges in Ouachita County

Good condition

27.9%

94 of 337 rated 7-9

Fair condition

59.3%

200 of 337 rated 5-6

Poor condition

12.8%

43 of 337 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#40 of 64

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

Condition distribution

Share of 337 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
27.9% (94)
Fair
59.3% (200)
Poor
12.8% (43)

Ouachita County's Poor-condition bridges carry 186,531 vehicle crossings a day

That is 5.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 12.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 4,441 crossings a day against 3,906 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 333 of 337 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

44.5% of Ouachita County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

150 of the 337 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 27.9% 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 21.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

ORANGE ST over I-20, built 1965, carries 40,300 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 43-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 186,531 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Ouachita County's bridges were built

337 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 105 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 31.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1981) matches the Louisiana average (1982).

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

How Ouachita County compares with Louisiana's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Louisiana counties nearest Ouachita County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 12.8% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1981 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 63 Louisiana counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Ouachita County and the 5 Louisiana counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
St. Tammany County 360 6.1%
Vernon County 341 7.6%
Ouachita County (this page) 337 12.8%
Lafayette County 322 7.8%
St. Landry County 317 7.6%
Natchitoches County 313 15.3%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside LA (337 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside LA (1981 here).

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

Good-condition bridges (94)

LA0151

Good

Over: CHOUDRANT CREEK

1.1 MI NORTH OF SOUTH INT, Ouachita, LA

Built 1978 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 2,862

ANGUS RD

Good

Over: PRAIRIE BAYOU

2.51 MI NE of US 165 S, Ouachita, LA

Built 2005 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 3,000

KIROLI RD

Good

Over: SOUTH TUPAWEK CREEK

0.3 MI. NORTH OF LA 616, Ouachita, LA

Built 2012 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 4,200

ADAMS ST

Good

Over: E PRONG YOUNGS BAYOU

1.6 MI W OF US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 2017 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 36

larry henry road

Good

Over: Longs Creek

0.7 Mi. SE of La 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 2018 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 130

OLD STERLINGTON RD

Good

Over: CHAUVIN BAYOU

0.7 MI NE of US 165 N, Ouachita, LA

Built 2004 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 10,800

FANNIN RD

Good

Over: LAPINE BAYOU

1.7 MILE EAST HWY 557, Ouachita, LA

Built 1985 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 83

MCCORMICK RD

Good

Over: DRAIN INTO CHENIERE CREE

1 MI S HWY 80, Ouachita, LA

Built 1984 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 275

US0080

Good

Over: STEEP BAYOU

2.4 MI E OF LA 15, Ouachita, LA

Built 2017 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,971

LEE ANDING RD

Good

Over: CUT OFF BAYOU

5.81 MI E of LA 577, Ouachita, LA

Built 1993 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 169

LA0015

Good

Over: CHOUDRANT CREEK

4.7 MI NORTH OF LA 616, Ouachita, LA

Built 1979 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 6,512

LA0143

Good

Over: TUPAWEK BAYOU

.3 MI NORTH OF LA 616, Ouachita, LA

Built 1996 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 12,648

HADLEY ST

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

1.21 MI. EAST OF US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 2013 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 4,000

ORANGE ST

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

0.1 MI. SOUTH OF LA 594, Ouachita, LA

Built 2013 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 5,600

BUCKLEY HILL RD

Good

Over: PATRICK BAYOU

2.0 MILES EAST OF LA 139, Ouachita, LA

Built 2015 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 97

US0165

Good

Over: US 165-B & MP RR @ RILLA

.28 MI NORTH OF US 165 BU, Ouachita, LA

Built 1984 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 29,759

US0165

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

0.69 MILES NORTH OF LA 15, Ouachita, LA

Built 2013 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 7,259

US0165

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

0.69 MILES NORTH OF LA 15, Ouachita, LA

Built 2013 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 3,402

RUBY RD

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

4.6 MI S OF I-20, Ouachita, LA

Built 2015 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 50

KEYSTONE RD

Good

Over: STUX BAYOU

1.6 MI W of US 165 N, Ouachita, LA

Built 1993 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 245

TOM STURDIVANT RD

Good

Over: WILDERS CREEK

1.0 MI SE of LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 2005 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 350

PINE BLUFF RD

Good

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

1.9 MI. S. HWY. 557, Ouachita, LA

Built 1983 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 360

CAPLES RD

Good

Over: SOUTH CHENIERE CREEK

4 MI E CADEVILLE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1984 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 270

LAKEWOODS DR

Good

Over: PATRICK BAYOU

0.1 MI W of LA 139, Ouachita, LA

Built 1993 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,127

STROZIER RD

Good

Over: STROZIER CREEK

4 MI N. CHENIERE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1985 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 650

BRITTON RD

Good

Over: DRAIN TO CHENIERE CREEK

3.5 Mi N of LA546, Ouachita, LA

Built 2022 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 525

HERMAN DICKERSON

Good

Over: BROWN CREEK

1.6 MI S OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 2022 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 125

I0020

Good

Over: I-20;RAMP N4

1.9 MI EAST OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 15,642

I0020

Good

Over: I20;RAMP S4

2.0 MI EAST OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 15,642

Frontage Rd

Good

Over: Bennet Bayou

1.29 Mi. E. of Jct US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 2022 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 25

I0020

Good

Over: I20;RAMP 3

.8 MI EAST OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 15,642

US 80

Good

Over: I-20

1.69 Mi. E. of LA 151, Ouachita, LA

Built 2021 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 3,275

MOORE RD

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

0.50 MILES EAST OF LA 15, Ouachita, LA

Built 2015 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 700

CAPLES RD

Good

Over: CR

1.72 MI W of LA 3033, Ouachita, LA

Built 2009 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 2,272

LA3033

Good

Over: CREEK

3.06 MILES NORTH OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 2014 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 5,669

ELM ST

Good

Over: AIRPORT CANAL

0.9 MI E OF US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 2016 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 850

US0080

Good

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

.7 MI EAST OF LA 840-6, Ouachita, LA

Built 1962 Load: 48.1 t ADT: 17,683

I0020

Good

Over: I20;RAMP 2

.8 MI EAST OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 50.8 t ADT: 15,642

LA0557

Good

Over: RAWLS BRANCH

1.9 MI S OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 2016 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 3,528

LA0557

Good

Over: Cypress Creek

10.30 Mi. S. of LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 2019 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 1,073

CAPLES RD

Good

Over: BOOKER BRANCH

1.0 MILES EAST OF LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 2013 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 159

JOE HOLTON RD

Good

Over: BRANCH OF CLEAR CREEK

1.5 MILES SOUTH OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 2015 Load: 74.5 t ADT: 58

VOCATIONAL PARKWAY

Good

Over: PATRICK BAYOU

0.7 MILES WEST OF CAMP RO, Ouachita, LA

Built 2013 Load: 74.5 t ADT: 2,191

LA0015

Good

Over: HICKS CREEK

5.64 MI N of US 80, Ouachita, LA

Built 1998 Load: 74.5 t ADT: 6,512
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.