County profile · official public datasets

Berrien County, MI

272 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 27.6% rated Good, 66.5% Fair, 5.9% Poor.

272
Public bridges
27.6%
Good condition
5.9%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Berrien County posts a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

Top 18%
lowest Poor share in state
5.9%
Poor-condition share
272
public highway bridges
1979
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.

Berrien County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Berrien County ranks #15 of 83 Michigan counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 5.9%). Berrien County, Michigan contains 272 public highway bridges. Roughly 27.6% are rated “Good,” 66.5% “Fair,” and 5.9% “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

272

Public highway bridges in Berrien County

Good condition

27.6%

75 of 272 rated 7-9

Fair condition

66.5%

181 of 272 rated 5-6

Poor condition

5.9%

16 of 272 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#15 of 83

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

Condition distribution

Share of 272 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
27.6% (75)
Fair
66.5% (181)
Poor
5.9% (16)

Berrien County's Poor-condition bridges carry 28,696 vehicle crossings a day

That is 1.6% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 5.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,794 crossings a day against 5,504 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 272 of 272 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

44.9% of Berrien County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

122 of the 272 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 27.6% 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 52.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I-94 WB over M-140, built 1960, carries 15,032 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 16-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 28,696 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Berrien County's bridges were built

272 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 76 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 27.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1979) matches the Michigan average (1976).

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

How Berrien County compares with Michigan's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Michigan counties nearest Berrien County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 5.9% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1979 against a peer-group mean of 1977 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 82 Michigan counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Berrien County and the 5 Michigan counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Monroe County 297 15.5%
Berrien County (this page) 272 5.9%
Washtenaw County 262 20.2%
Ottawa County 254 6.3%
Allegan County 244 16.8%
Tuscola County 242 5%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MI (272 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MI (1979 here).

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

All bridges (272)

DOHM ROAD

Fair

Over: PIPESTONE CREEK

2 MI NE OF SODUS, Berrien, MI

Built 1970 Load: 7.5 t ADT: 28

EUCLID AVENUE

Fair

Over: BLUE CREEK

2 MI NE OF BENTON HARBOR, Berrien, MI

Built 1974 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 235

COPP ROAD

Fair

Over: MEI LI CREEK

4 MI SW OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1934 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 639

M-63

Fair

Over: CSX RR & WHITWAM DRIVE

IN ST JOSEPH, Berrien, MI

Built 2000 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 11,171

KINNE ROAD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

4 MI SE OF THREE OAKS, Berrien, MI

Built 1979 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 44

RICKERMAN ROAD

Fair

Over: DOWLING CREEK

3 MI S OF GALIEN, Berrien, MI

Built 1950 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 57

HIPPS HOLLOW ROAD

Fair

Over: FARMERS CREEK

2 MI W OF EAU CLAIRE, Berrien, MI

Built 1969 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 294

BUNDY ROAD

Fair

Over: PAW PAW RIVER

2.0 MI NW OF COLOMA, Berrien, MI

Built 1978 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 611

CHURCH STREET

Fair

Over: HICKORY CREEK

VILLAGE OF BARODA, Berrien, MI

Built 1977 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 400

I-94 EB

Fair

Over: M-140

6.6 MI E OF I-196, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 15,032

LIVINGSTON ROAD

Fair

Over: I-94

1.0 MI N OF BRIDGEMAN, Berrien, MI

Built 1961 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 300

THIRD STREET

Fair

Over: BRANDYWINE CREEK

0.5 MI S OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1982 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 5,588

HOCHBERGER ROAD

Fair

Over: PIPESTONE CREEK

3 MI N OF EAU CLAIRE, Berrien, MI

Built 1938 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 491

TERRITORIAL ROAD

Fair

Over: OX CREEK

2 BLKS W OF PAW PAW AVE, Berrien, MI

Built 1949 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 6,000

M-63

Fair

Over: ST JOSEPH RIVER

IN ST JOSEPH, Berrien, MI

Built 1949 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 11,015

BROADWAY STREET

Fair

Over: ST. JOSEPH RIVER

CITY OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1947 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 15,483

NORTH SHORE DRIVE

Fair

Over: OX CREEK

5 BLKS N OF MAIN ST, Berrien, MI

Built 1939 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 3,900

SCHMUHL ROAD

Fair

Over: I-196

1.5 MI N OF I-94, Berrien, MI

Built 1962 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 1,632

LEMON CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: HICKORY CREEK

VILLAGE OF BARODA, Berrien, MI

Built 1978 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 1,000

FRIDAY ROAD

Fair

Over: I-94

4.4 MI E OF I-196, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 4,903

MAIDEN LANE

Fair

Over: HICKORY CREEK

0.5 MI E OF SHOREHAM, Berrien, MI

Built 1962 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 2,397

MEADOWBROOK ROAD

Fair

Over: US-31

8.3 MI N OF OLD US-31, Berrien, MI

Built 2001 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 9,200

15TH STREET

Fair

Over: BRANDYWINE CREEK

0.25 MI S OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1993 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 614

BENTON CENTER ROAD

Fair

Over: I-94 & BLUE CREEK

3.0 MI E OF BENTON HARBOR, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 1,189

JOHN GOFF ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK BRANCH

2 MI SW OF WATERVLIET, Berrien, MI

Built 1983 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 59

NICKERSON AVE

Fair

Over: I-94

1.6 MI S OF BENTON HARBOR, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 5,381

STEVENSVILLE BAROD

Fair

Over: HICKORY CREEK

0.25 MI S OF STEVENSVILLE, Berrien, MI

Built 1958 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,301

BUTTERNUT STREET

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

470 FT EAST OF MAIN ST, Berrien, MI

Built 1976 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 617

DAYTON ROAD

Fair

Over: NAT RAIL PASS CO AMTRAK

IN DAYTON, Berrien, MI

Built 1982 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 184

PARDEE ROAD

Fair

Over: GALIEN RIVER

3 MI NW OF GALIEN, Berrien, MI

Built 1985 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 334

THREE OAKS ROAD

Fair

Over: I-94

1.5 MI SE OF HARBERT, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 3,740

GLENLORD ROAD

Fair

Over: HICKORY CREEK

1.75MI NE OF STEVENSVILLE, Berrien, MI

Built 1961 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 6,381

LAKE STREET

Fair

Over: AMTRAK RAILROAD

CITY OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1984 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 5,024

RANGE LINE ROAD

Fair

Over: US-31

7.9 MI N OF US-12, Berrien, MI

Built 1997 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 2,200

I-94 EB

Fair

Over: LAKE STREET

0.5 MI E OF RED ARROW HWY, Berrien, MI

Built 1961 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 18,964

I-94 WB

Fair

Over: LAKE STREET

0.5 MI E OF RED ARROW HWY, Berrien, MI

Built 1961 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 18,964

RIVERSIDE ROAD

Fair

Over: I-196

0.5 MI N OF RIVERSIDE, Berrien, MI

Built 1963 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 894

WASHINGTON AVE

Fair

Over: I-94

2.3 MI S OF ST JOSEPH, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 3,469

BUCHANAN ROAD

Fair

Over: US-31

2.0 MI W OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1973 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 7,073

GLASSMAN ROAD

Fair

Over: GALIEN RIVER

4 MI NW OF NEW BUFFALO, Berrien, MI

Built 1908 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 35

HIGHLAND AVENUE

Fair

Over: OX CREEK

1 BLK W OF PAW PAW AVE, Berrien, MI

Built 1953 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 3,000

I-94 BL (MAIN ST)

Fair

Over: OX CREEK

0.1 MI W OF PAW PAW AVE, Berrien, MI

Built 1950 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,317

I-94 BL

Fair

Over: ST JOSEPH RIVER

0.3 MI W OF RIVERVIEW, Berrien, MI

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,850

I-94 EB

Fair

Over: CSX RR SPUR (ABN)

0.2 MI N OF BRIDGEMAN, Berrien, MI

Built 1961 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,675

HARBERT ROAD

Fair

Over: I-94

1.5 MI E OF HARBERT, Berrien, MI

Built 1961 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 560

I-94 EB

Fair

Over: LINCOLN AVE

2.2 MI S OF ST JOSEPH, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,145

I-94 WB

Fair

Over: LINCOLN AVE

2.2 MI S OF ST JOSEPH, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,145

ROSLYN RD

Fair

Over: I-94

3.3 MI SW OF COLOMA, Berrien, MI

Built 1960 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200

GRANT STREET

Fair

Over: AMTRAK RAILROAD

CITY OF NILES, Berrien, MI

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,950

TERRITORIAL ROAD

Fair

Over: I-94

2.7 MI NE BENTON HARBOR, Berrien, MI

Built 2021 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,254
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.