Total bridges
341
Public highway bridges in Vernon County
County profile · official public datasets
Vernon County, LA
341 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 57.8% rated Good, 34.6% Fair, 7.6% Poor.
- 341
- Public bridges
- 57.8%
- Good condition
- 7.6%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Vernon County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.
- Top 28%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 7.6%
- Poor-condition share
- 341
- public highway bridges
- 1989
- 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.
Vernon County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Vernon County ranks #18 of 64 Louisiana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.6%). Vernon County, Louisiana contains 341 public highway bridges. Roughly 57.8% are rated “Good,” 34.6% “Fair,” and 7.6% “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
57.8%
197 of 341 rated 7-9
Fair condition
34.6%
118 of 341 rated 5-6
Poor condition
7.6%
26 of 341 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#18 of 64
Among Louisiana counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 341 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 57.8% (197)
Fair 34.6% (118)
Poor 7.6% (26)
Vernon County's Poor-condition bridges carry 14,420 vehicle crossings a day
That is 1.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 7.7% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 555 crossings a day against 2,622 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 338 of 341 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
17.6% of Vernon County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
60 of the 341 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 57.8% 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 25% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
JEAN ST over CASTOR BAYOU TRIB., built 1970, carries 3,600 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 26-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 14,420 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Vernon County's bridges were built
341 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1930s 2
1930–1939
2 bridges
- 1940s 11
1940–1949
11 bridges
- 1950s 8
1950–1959
8 bridges
- 1960s 21
1960–1969
21 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
63 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
55 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
70 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
60 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
45 bridges
- 2020s 6
2020–2029
6 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 70 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 20.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1989, 7 years newer than the Louisiana average of 1982.
How Vernon County compares with Louisiana's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Louisiana counties nearest Vernon County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.6% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1989 against a peer-group mean of 1981 is 8 years newer.
Showing the 5 closest of 63 Louisiana counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Tammany County | 360 | 33.3% | 60.6% | 6.1% | 1976 |
| Vernon County (this page) | 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 | 313 | 46% | 38.7% | 15.3% | 1983 |
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 Vernon 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 Vernon County, both outside Louisiana so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside LA (341 bridges here).
- Ramsey County, MN · 341 bridges
- Stephenson County, IL · 342 bridges
- Winneshiek County, IA · 342 bridges
- Noble County, OK · 342 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside LA (1989 here).
- Harris County, TX · avg 1989 · 4,029 bridges
- Mecklenburg County, NC · avg 1989 · 746 bridges
- Buffalo County, NE · avg 1989 · 459 bridges
- Brazos County, TX · avg 1989 · 370 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (118)
LA0392
FairOver: MILL CREEK
1.6 MI WEST OF LA 111, Vernon, LA
Built 1965 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 735
LA1211
FairOver: CREEK
4.73 MILES WEST OF US 171, Vernon, LA
Built 1958 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,663
HAWKS RD
FairOver: FLAT CREEK
1.2M WEST OF US 171, Vernon, LA
Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 490
MILL CREEK ROAD
FairOver: DRAKES CREEK
VE823384, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100
MILL CREEK ROAD
FairOver: WHISKEY CHITTO CREEK
VE 858 387, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50
MILL CREEK ROAD
FairOver: WHISKEY CHITTO CREEK
VE 859 388, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50
RIVERTON DRIVE
FairOver: BAYOU ZOURIE TRIB
VE 814 412, Vernon, LA
Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
PERIMETER ROAD
FairOver: COMRADE CREEK
VE 818 668, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
PERIMETER ROAD
FairOver: MARTIN CREEK
VE 753 653, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
PERIMETER ROAD
FairOver: DOWDEN CREEK
VE 713 664, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
HAYNES SETTLEMENT
FairOver: DOWDEN CREEK
VE 713 688, Vernon, LA
Built 1967 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
DOWDEN CREEK RD
FairOver: DOWDEN CREEK
VE 703 688, Vernon, LA
Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
YELLOW BRICK ROAD
FairOver: COMRADE CREEK
VE 801 680, Vernon, LA
Built 1969 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
OAKIE FLAT ROAD
FairOver: TRIB OF COMRADE CREEK
V 803 670, Vernon, LA
Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
ROCK QUARRY ROAD
FairOver: TIGER CREEK
VE 823 727, Vernon, LA
Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
RIVERTON ROAD
FairOver: DRAINAGE TO ZOURIE BAYOU
NEAR WILLIAM ST, Vernon, LA
Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
PENDLETON DR
FairOver: ZOURIE BAYOU
NEAR RYAN, Vernon, LA
Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
BEN WEST RD
FairOver: UNKNOWN CREEK
Fort Polk, Vernon, LA
Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
MILL CREEK ROAD
FairOver: BIRDS CREEK
FORT POLK, Vernon, LA
Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 200
MILL CREEK ROAD
FairOver: BIRDS CREEK
FORT POLK, Vernon, LA
Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 200
MAV LZ
FairOver: W FORK 6MI CREEK
FORT POLK, Vernon, LA
Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40
SIXMILE CREEK RD
FairOver: TRIB TO W FORK 6 MI CRK
VE 981 379, Vernon, LA
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
SIXMILE CREEK RD
FairOver: TRIB TO W FORK 6 MI CRK
VE 965 374, Vernon, LA
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
MILL CREEK ROAD
FairOver: BIRDS CREEK
VE 919 379, Vernon, LA
Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
DRAKES CREEK ROAD
FairOver: OBANION BRANCH
VE 840 326, Vernon, LA
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 320
DRAKES CREEK ROAD
FairOver: TRIB TO DRAKES CREEK
VE 853 335, Vernon, LA
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 350
DRAKES CREEK ROAD
FairOver: TRIB TO DRAKES CREEK
VE 852 334, Vernon, LA
Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 320
COTTONWOOD RD
FairOver: POCOSIN CREEK
3.4 M. S. OF JIM CRYER RD, Vernon, LA
Built 1987 Load: 33.0 t
HARVEY CROSSING
FairOver: ANACOCO BAYOU RELIEF
3.45 MI. EAST OF LA 464, Vernon, LA
Built 1992 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 200
LAUREL HILL RD
FairOver: MILL CREEK
1.0 M NORTH OF LA 489, Vernon, LA
Built 1992 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 250
LA0028
FairOver: CYPRESS BAYOU
3.9 MI EAST OF LA 465, Vernon, LA
Built 1973 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 7,065
LA0008
FairOver: BAYOU-ANACOCO
3.1 MI EAST OF LA 464, Vernon, LA
Built 1977 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 4,071
LA0465
FairOver: CREEK
3.67 MI EAST OF LA 117, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 115
LA0465
FairOver: RELIEF
5.70 MI EAST OF LA 117, Vernon, LA
Built 1980 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 115
LA0465
FairOver: BUCK BRANCH
6.68 MI EAST OF LA 117, Vernon, LA
Built 1980 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 115
LA0028
FairOver: CALCASIEU RIVER
8.6 MI EAST OF LA 121, Vernon, LA
Built 1975 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 6,307
LA0465
FairOver: SHINGLE MILL BRANCH
2.75 MI EAST OF LA 8, Vernon, LA
Built 1981 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 500
LA0465
FairOver: SHINGLE MILL CREEK
2.86 MI EAST OF LA 8, Vernon, LA
Built 1981 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 500
LA0465
FairOver: TWO MILE BRANCH
6.5 MI EAST OF LA 8, Vernon, LA
Built 1981 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 500
LA0010
FairOver: BUNDICK CREEK
1.2 MI EAST OF LA 467, Vernon, LA
Built 1985 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,934
US0171
FairOver: BAYOU ZOURIE
1.1 MI NORTH OF LA 10, Vernon, LA
Built 1978 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 6,952
HARVEY CROSSING
FairOver: ANACOCO BAYOU
3.53 MI. E. OF LA 464, Vernon, LA
Built 2001 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 100
US0171
FairOver: CASTOR CREEK RELIEF
5.1 MI NORTH OF LA 10, Vernon, LA
Built 1975 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 12,466
US0171
FairOver: CASTOR CREEK RELIEF
5.1 MI NORTH OF LA 10, Vernon, LA
Built 1975 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 6,952
US0171
FairOver: SALES BRANCH
.25 MI NORTH OF LA 1211, Vernon, LA
Built 1975 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 14,458
LA0111
FairOver: ANACOCO CREEK RELIEF
2.92 MI. EAST OF LA 392, Vernon, LA
Built 1966 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 937
LA0111
FairOver: ANACOCO CREEK
3.09 MI EAST OF LA 392, Vernon, LA
Built 1966 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 937
LA0392
FairOver: BAYOU TORO
2.8 MI WEST OF LA 111, Vernon, LA
Built 1965 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 688
LA0399
FairOver: BR. OF WHISKEY CHITTO CR
2.72 MI. SOUTH OF LA 10, Vernon, LA
Built 2001 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 938
HOLLYSPRINGS EXT
FairOver: WHISKEY CHITTO CREEK
FORT POLK, Vernon, LA
Built 2007 Load: 48.0 t ADT: 120
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.