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.

Poor-condition bridges (43)

PINE BLUFF RD

Poor

Over: DRAIN TO CYPRESS CREEK

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

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 360

HARMON JOHNSON RD

Poor

Over: DRAIN TO PRAIRIE BAYOU

2.2 MI. E. U.S. HWY., Ouachita, LA

Built 1968 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 570

SHORT WASHNGTON ST

Poor

Over: E. PRONG YOUNGS BAYOU

SHORT WASHINGTON ST., Ouachita, LA

Built 1972 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 200

FLYNN ST

Poor

Over: ROOTS CANAL

FLYNN ST. IN MONROE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1985 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 250

KIROLI RD

Poor

Over: N TUPAWEK CREEK

2.0 MILES NW W.MONROE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1980 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 300

GEORGE WAGONNER RD

Poor

Over: MOODY CREEK

5 MI W LUNA, Ouachita, LA

Built 1960 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 15

MINERAL SPRINGS RD

Poor

Over: CLARK CREEK

3 MI N CADEVILLE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1960 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 271

SHANANDOAH DR

Poor

Over: CANEY CREEK

.4 MI. E. HWY. 139, Ouachita, LA

Built 1976 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 50

HADLEY ST

Poor

Over: Airport Canal

HADLEY ST EAST BRIDG, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 400

LAURELI RD

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF CYPRESS CREEK

4 MILES SW LUNA, Ouachita, LA

Built 1980 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 16

AVERY RD

Poor

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

3 MI W LUNA, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 32

HARRISON/COLLIER

Poor

Over: CONCRETE CANAL

W1 BLOCK FROM POWELL AVE., Ouachita, LA

Built 1961 Load: 11.3 t

LA0134

Poor

Over: MILL BAYOU

2.0 MI EAST OF LA 136, Ouachita, LA

Built 1957 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 3,462

RIVER RD

Poor

Over: PRAIRION BAYOU

6.22 MI SE of LA 557, Ouachita, LA

Built 1968 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 75

HULL GEORGE RD

Poor

Over: ROGERS CREEK

2 MI SE OKALOOSA, Ouachita, LA

Built 1960 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 56

RUFFIN DR

Poor

Over: PINE BAYOU

0.4 Mi. EAST of US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 1972 Load: 14.8 t ADT: 300

LA0838

Poor

Over: STEEP BAYOU

6.4 MI EAST OF LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 1955 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 8,105

JOSEPH THOMAS RD

Poor

Over: PATRICK CREEK

1 MI S HWY 80, Ouachita, LA

Built 1960 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 104

LA0594

Poor

Over: CANEY CREEK

4.02 MI NORTH OF US 80, Ouachita, LA

Built 1954 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 2,642

LA0134

Poor

Over: CREEK

2.8 MI EAST OF LA 136, Ouachita, LA

Built 1957 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,462

VANCIL RD

Poor

Over: I-20

1.0 MI EAST OF LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 1963 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 5,890

DOWNING PINES RD

Poor

Over: I0020 & CONSTITUTION DR

4.2 MI EAST OF LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 1963 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 6,220

LA3033

Poor

Over: CHENIERE SPILLWAY

3.84 MI NORTH OF LA 34, Ouachita, LA

Built 1947 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 5,669

LA0134

Poor

Over: BAYOU DESAIRD

1.2 MI EAST OF US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 1979 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 3,462

LOVELADY RD

Poor

Over: LONGS CREEK

3 MI NW LUNA FIRETOW, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 23

LA0143

Poor

Over: DARBONNE BAYOU

2.8 MI NORTH OF LA 616, Ouachita, LA

Built 1962 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 3,674

C. RAWLS RD

Poor

Over: PRAIRION BAYOU

0.92 MI NE INT. 42 O, Ouachita, LA

Built 1960 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 37

LA0151

Poor

Over: CURRYS CREEK

2 MI NORTH OF I-20, Ouachita, LA

Built 1950 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 2,862

CRAWFORD RD

Poor

Over: PETTICOAT BAYOU

3 MI S PINE GROVE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1978 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 300

PLUM HILL RD

Poor

Over: DRAIN TO GUYTON CREEK

1.4 MI. N. INT. 178, Ouachita, LA

Built 1976 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 30

RAY RD

Poor

Over: BOOKER BRANCH

1 MI NW CADEVILLE, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 35

EVANS RD

Poor

Over: LONG BRIDGE CREEK

.1 MI. H. W. MORGAN, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 4

LA0034

Poor

Over: CHENIERE CREEK

2.35 MI EAST OF LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 1970 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 8,694

US0165

Poor

Over: YOUNGS BAYOU

.7 MI NORTH OF LA 15, Ouachita, LA

Built 1966 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 29,759

LA0151

Poor

Over: NORTH CHENIERE CR

5.21 MI NORTH OF LA 546, Ouachita, LA

Built 1958 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,828

ORANGE ST

Poor

Over: I-20

.4 MI EAST OF LA 594, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 40,300

LA0594

Poor

Over: LA 594 OVER I-20

0.68 MI NE OF LA 15, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 12,786

LA0151

Poor

Over: LA 151 OVER I-20

LA 151 OVER I-20, Ouachita, LA

Built 1960 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,862

AVERY RD

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF CYPRESS CREEK

3 MI SW LUNA, Ouachita, LA

Built 1965 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 32

RUSSELL SAGE RD

Poor

Over: I-20

5.5 MI EAST OF US 165, Ouachita, LA

Built 1968 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 3,950

LA0015

Poor

Over: BAYOU LAFOUCHE

5.4 MI EAST OF LA 841, Ouachita, LA

Built 1953 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 2,382

LA0151

Poor

Over: CREEK

2.12 M. W. OF S. JCT. LA, Ouachita, LA

Built 1967 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 2,862

LA0617

Poor

Over: LA 617 OVER I-20

LA 617 OVER I-20, Ouachita, LA

Built 1986 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 31,200
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.