Total bridges
523
Public highway bridges in Rapides County
County profile · official public datasets
Rapides County, LA
523 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 53.3% rated Good, 39.6% Fair, 7.1% Poor.
- 523
- Public bridges
- 53.3%
- Good condition
- 7.1%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Rapides County pairs a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.
- Top 23%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 7.1%
- Poor-condition share
- 523
- public highway bridges
- 1987
- 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.
Rapides County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Rapides County ranks #15 of 64 Louisiana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.1%). Rapides County, Louisiana contains 523 public highway bridges. Roughly 53.3% are rated “Good,” 39.6% “Fair,” and 7.1% “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
53.3%
279 of 523 rated 7-9
Fair condition
39.6%
207 of 523 rated 5-6
Poor condition
7.1%
37 of 523 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#15 of 64
Among Louisiana counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 523 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 53.3% (279)
Fair 39.6% (207)
Poor 7.1% (37)
Rapides County's Poor-condition bridges carry 87,260 vehicle crossings a day
That is 2.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 7.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,358 crossings a day against 9,427 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 523 of 523 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
22% of Rapides County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
115 of the 523 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 53.3% 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 27.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
I0049 over BAYOU CLEAR DIV. CANAL, built 1990, carries 24,080 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 37-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 87,260 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Rapides County's bridges were built
523 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1920s 1
1920–1929
1 bridges
- 1930s 9
1930–1939
9 bridges
- 1940s 19
1940–1949
19 bridges
- 1950s 15
1950–1959
15 bridges
- 1960s 32
1960–1969
32 bridges
- 1970s 53
1970–1979
53 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
102 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
191 bridges
- 2000s 58
2000–2009
58 bridges
- 2010s 32
2010–2019
32 bridges
- 2020s 11
2020–2029
11 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 191 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 36.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1987, 5 years newer than the Louisiana average of 1982.
How Rapides County compares with Louisiana's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Louisiana counties nearest Rapides County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.1% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1987 against a peer-group mean of 1980 is 7 years newer.
Showing the 5 closest of 63 Louisiana counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge County | 548 | 41.8% | 38.5% | 19.7% | 1980 |
| Rapides County (this page) | 523 | 53.3% | 39.6% | 7.1% | 1987 |
| Tangipahoa County | 477 | 40.7% | 45.9% | 13.4% | 1977 |
| Calcasieu County | 463 | 19% | 73% | 8% | 1983 |
| Orleans County | 382 | 43.7% | 46.3% | 9.9% | 1976 |
| Jefferson County | 379 | 58.6% | 36.9% | 4.5% | 1984 |
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 Rapides 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 Rapides County, both outside Louisiana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside LA (523 bridges here).
- Madison County, IL · 523 bridges
- Kent County, MI · 523 bridges
- Williamson County, TN · 520 bridges
- New Castle County, DE · 527 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside LA (1987 here).
- St. Louis County, MO · avg 1987 · 912 bridges
- Ellis County, TX · avg 1987 · 691 bridges
- St. Louis County, MN · avg 1987 · 663 bridges
- Palm Beach County, FL · avg 1987 · 610 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Poor-condition bridges (37)
Cutts Rd
PoorOver: HEMPHILL CREEK
1.25 MI. NW OF LA 121, Rapides, LA
Built 1983 Load: 3.4 t ADT: 275
Martin Springs Rd
PoorOver: CARRS CREEK BAY
0.3 M. W. OF H. STRANGE R, Rapides, LA
Built 1998 Load: 5.8 t ADT: 200
Bryn Mawr St
PoorOver: Hynson Bayou
0.32 MI. NW OF US 165B, Rapides, LA
Built 1951 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 1,500
Applewhite St
PoorOver: Chatlin Lake Canal
APPLEWHITE STREET, Rapides, LA
Built 1983 Load: 9.4 t ADT: 240
Libuse Cut-off Rd
PoorOver: FLAGON BAYOU
1.0 MI. NORTH OF LA 28, Rapides, LA
Built 1979 Load: 9.4 t ADT: 220
Beeson St
PoorOver: FLAGON BAYOU TRIB.
0.14 MI. WEST OF US 165, Rapides, LA
Built 1970 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 200
LA1199
PoorOver: CREEK
.18 MI. N OF LA488, Rapides, LA
Built 1965 Load: 10.0 t ADT: 362
Wayne Headrick Rd
PoorOver: LITTLE INDIAN CREEK
0.3 MI. SOUTH OF LA 28, Rapides, LA
Built 2004 Load: 10.0 t ADT: 40
Philadelphia Rd
PoorOver: HAINES CREEK
4.09 MI. ENE OF LA 1205, Rapides, LA
Built 1980 Load: 10.7 t ADT: 200
LA0121
PoorOver: CREEK
0.28 MI. SW. OF LA 461, Rapides, LA
Built 1973 Load: 12.4 t ADT: 1,932
FDR 287
PoorOver: BRANCH CREEK
NATIONAL FOREST ROAD, Rapides, LA
Built 1963 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 60
LA1206
PoorOver: CREEK
1.32 MILES EAST OF LA 115, Rapides, LA
Built 1975 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 1,042
FDR 240
PoorOver: BRUSHY CREEK
NO DATA ENTERED, Rapides, LA
Built 1980 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 30
Doshie Rd
PoorOver: CHERRY WINCHE CREEK TRIB
1.1 MILES NORTH OF LA 112, Rapides, LA
Built 1978 Load: 15.6 t ADT: 100
LA1243
PoorOver: FLAT BAYOU
2.7 MI. N OF LA488, Rapides, LA
Built 1980 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 2,861
Strothers Crossing
PoorOver: CALCASIEU RIVER
1.11 MILES EAST OF LA 112, Rapides, LA
Built 1981 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 90
Potato Farm Rd
PoorOver: CAMPGROUND CREEK
0.49 MI. N. OF SUNSET RD., Rapides, LA
Built 1978 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 75
Potato Farm Rd
PoorOver: LEMEUSE CREEK
2.5 MI. N. OF SUNSET RD., Rapides, LA
Built 1978 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 70
Turkey Cr Cut-off
PoorOver: CLEAR CREEK
3.6 MILES SE OF US 165, Rapides, LA
Built 1980 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 300
Will White Rd
PoorOver: SPANISH BRANCH
1.19 M. S. PINE COUPEE RD, Rapides, LA
Built 1970 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 140
FDR 240
PoorOver: CASTOR
NO DATA ENTERED, Rapides, LA
Built 1972 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 30
LA1204
PoorOver: KITCHEN CREEK
1.71 MI. E OF LA3225, Rapides, LA
Built 1973 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 2,440
LA0121
PoorOver: CALCASIEU RIVER TRIBUTAR
0.52 MI. SW OF LA 461, Rapides, LA
Built 1973 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,932
LA0456
PoorOver: BAYOU LAMOURIE
0.01 MI. EAST OF LA 470, Rapides, LA
Built 1950 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,009
LA1204
PoorOver: FLAGON BAYOU
1.38 MI. E OF LA3225, Rapides, LA
Built 1973 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 2,440
LA0121
PoorOver: CALCASIEU RIVER
0.76 MI. SW OF LA 461, Rapides, LA
Built 1973 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 1,932
LA1204
PoorOver: FLAGON BAYOU
1.29 MI. E OF LA3225, Rapides, LA
Built 1973 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 2,440
Brown Creek Rd
PoorOver: BROWN CREEK
1.79 MI. NORTH OF LA 28, Rapides, LA
Built 1993 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 50
I0049
PoorOver: BAYOU CLEAR DIV. CANAL
0.64 MI. NORTH OF LA 3265, Rapides, LA
Built 1990 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 24,080
Lamourie Rd
PoorOver: LAMOURIE BAYOU
1.74 MILES EAST OF US 71, Rapides, LA
Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 120
Tulane Ave
PoorOver: HYNSON BAYOU
TULANE AVENUE, Rapides, LA
Built 1981 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 200
Virgina St
PoorOver: BAYOU BOEUF
0.08 MILE SOUTH OF LA 112, Rapides, LA
Built 1991 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 40
LA0462
PoorOver: STEEP GULLY BRANCH
1.25 MI. S OF LA113, Rapides, LA
Built 1940 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 77
LA1208-1
PoorOver: HORSESHOE CANAL
3.0 MI. E OF US71, Rapides, LA
Built 1975 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 4,442
US0165
PoorOver: LA. & ARKANSAS RR
1.44 MI. N OF INT US71, Rapides, LA
Built 1997 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 20,902
I0049
PoorOver: B CLEAR DIVERSION CANAL
0.64 MI. NORTH OF LA 3265, Rapides, LA
Built 1990 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 11,969
Donahue Ferry Rd
PoorOver: BAYOU MARIA
0.25 MI. EAST OF LA 3144, Rapides, LA
Built 1993 Load: 74.5 t ADT: 3,220
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.