Total bridges
118
Public highway bridges in Branch County
County profile · official public datasets
Branch County, MI
118 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 24.6% rated Good, 54.2% Fair, 21.2% Poor.
- 118
- Public bridges
- 24.6%
- Good condition
- 21.2%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Branch County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- 81st
- of 83 on Poor share
- 21.2%
- Poor-condition share
- 118
- public highway bridges
- 1973
- 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.
Branch County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Branch County ranks #81 of 83 Michigan counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 21.2%). Branch County, Michigan contains 118 public highway bridges. Roughly 24.6% are rated “Good,” 54.2% “Fair,” and 21.2% “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
24.6%
29 of 118 rated 7-9
Fair condition
54.2%
64 of 118 rated 5-6
Poor condition
21.2%
25 of 118 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#81 of 83
Among Michigan counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 118 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 24.6% (29)
Fair 54.2% (64)
Poor 21.2% (25)
Branch County's Poor-condition bridges carry 19,280 vehicle crossings a day
That is 7.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 21.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 771 crossings a day against 1,912 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 118 of 118 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
56.8% of Branch County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
67 of the 118 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 24.6% 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 29% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
NORTH MARSHALL RD over COLD CREEK, built 1930, carries 5,588 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 25-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 19,280 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Branch County's bridges were built
118 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1900s 4
1900–1909
4 bridges
- 1920s 3
1920–1929
3 bridges
- 1930s 6
1930–1939
6 bridges
- 1940s 1
1940–1949
1 bridges
- 1950s 9
1950–1959
9 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
41 bridges
- 1970s 10
1970–1979
10 bridges
- 1980s 13
1980–1989
13 bridges
- 1990s 7
1990–1999
7 bridges
- 2000s 14
2000–2009
14 bridges
- 2010s 8
2010–2019
8 bridges
- 2020s 2
2020–2029
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 41 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 34.7% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1973) matches the Michigan average (1976).
How Branch County compares with Michigan's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Michigan counties nearest Branch County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 21.2% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1973 against a peer-group mean of 1975 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 82 Michigan counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 129 | 32.6% | 60.5% | 7% | 1976 |
| Montcalm County | 121 | 37.2% | 57.9% | 5% | 1977 |
| Ionia County | 119 | 32.8% | 58.8% | 8.4% | 1974 |
| Branch County (this page) | 118 | 24.6% | 54.2% | 21.2% | 1973 |
| Chippewa County | 112 | 22.3% | 65.2% | 12.5% | 1974 |
| Hillsdale County | 105 | 24.8% | 58.1% | 17.1% | 1973 |
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 Branch 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 Branch County, both outside Michigan so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside MI (118 bridges here).
- Autauga County, AL · 118 bridges
- Perry County, AR · 118 bridges
- Montrose County, CO · 118 bridges
- Rabun County, GA · 118 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside MI (1973 here).
- Jefferson County, AL · avg 1973 · 1,068 bridges
- Erie County, NY · avg 1973 · 906 bridges
- Davidson County, TN · avg 1973 · 832 bridges
- Lancaster County, PA · avg 1973 · 801 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (64)
FILLMORE ROAD
FairOver: COLDWATER RIVER
OVID TWP SEC 8-9, Branch, MI
Built 1964 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 61
FISKE ROAD
FairOver: SAUK RIVER
COLDWATER TWP SEC 25-26, Branch, MI
Built 1963 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 500
SPRAGUE STREET
FairOver: COLDWATER RIVER
CITY OF COLDWATER, Branch, MI
Built 1951 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 3,500
SACKETT ROAD
FairOver: SWAN CREEK DRAIN #5100
BRONSON TWP SEC 3-10, Branch, MI
Built 1987 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 221
FISHER ROAD
FairOver: MARBLE LAKE CHANNEL
ALGANSEE TWP SEC 5, Branch, MI
Built 1973 Load: 18.7 t ADT: 300
OLD M-78 HWY
FairOver: UNNAMED CREEK
SHERWOOD TWP SEC 15-16, Branch, MI
Built 1953 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 700
STANCER ROAD
FairOver: STANCER DAM SPILLWAY
UNION TWP SEC 23, Branch, MI
Built 1920 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 100
PARK STREET
FairOver: ST JOSEPH RIVER
IN VILLAGE OF UNION CITY, Branch, MI
Built 1975 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,800
BELL ROAD
FairOver: HOG CREEK
GIRARD TWP SEC 17, Branch, MI
Built 1978 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 305
GARFIELD ROAD
FairOver: COLDWATER RIVER
COLDWATER TWP SEC 19-30, Branch, MI
Built 1947 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 1,455
STOKES ROAD
FairOver: I-69
0.5 MI N OF INDIANA STATE, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 340
HOLLOW ROAD
FairOver: SWAN CREEK DRAIN #5100
BRONSON TWP SEC 17, Branch, MI
Built 1987 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 179
OLD M-78 HWY
FairOver: SPENCER DRAIN #5010
SHERWOOD TWP SEC 3-4, Branch, MI
Built 1954 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 700
GIRARD ROAD
FairOver: COLDWATER RIVER
UNION TWP SEC 15-22, Branch, MI
Built 1971 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 716
RILEY ROAD
FairOver: ST JOSEPH RIVER
SHERWOOD TWP SEC 11, Branch, MI
Built 1978 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 322
SOUTHERN ROAD
FairOver: I-69
1.9 MI N OF INDIANA STATE, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 340
GIRARD ROAD
FairOver: I-69
6.5 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 430
CLAY STREET
FairOver: SAUK (COLDWATER) RIVER
IN COLDWATER, Branch, MI
Built 1951 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,800
BENNETT ROAD
FairOver: PRIDGEON & WARNER DRAIN
ALGANSEE TWP SEC 9, Branch, MI
Built 1990 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 100
BUTTERS AVENUE
FairOver: SAUK (COLDWATER) RIVER
IN COLDWATER, Branch, MI
Built 1976 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,800
CRANSON ROAD
FairOver: PRAIRIE RIVER
BETHEL TWP SEC 29-32, Branch, MI
Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 372
RACE STREET
FairOver: SAUK(COLDWATER) RIVER
NEAR RIVERSIDE DRIVE, Branch, MI
Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 800
JAY STREET
FairOver: SAUK (COLDWATER) RIVER
IN COLDWATER, Branch, MI
Built 1951 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,850
HERRICKSVILLE ROAD
FairOver: I-69
8.5 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 400
UNION CITY ROAD
FairOver: HOG CREEK
UNION TWP SEC 24, Branch, MI
Built 1980 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 2,422
CLARENDON ROAD
FairOver: SOUTH BR HOG CREEK
BUTLER TWP SEC 34, Branch, MI
Built 1963 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 380
GORBELL ROAD
FairOver: SOUTH BR HOG CREEK
GIRARD TWP SEC 24, Branch, MI
Built 2001 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 40
ELY ROAD
FairOver: SOAP CREEK DRAIN #15
BUTLER TWP SEC 1, Branch, MI
Built 2000 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 105
I-69 SB
FairOver: SAUK RIVER
0.8 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 17,675
I-69 NB
FairOver: SAUK RIVER
0.8 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 17,675
LAKE WARREN ROAD
FairOver: I-69
7.0 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 400
BURR OAK ROAD
FairOver: SWAN CREEK DRAIN #5100
BRONSON TWP SEC 3, Branch, MI
Built 1964 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 419
I-69 NB
FairOver: US-12
IN COLDWATER, Branch, MI
Built 2002 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 10,583
BIDWELL ROAD
FairOver: SOUTH BR HOG CREEK
BUTLER TWP SEC 28-33, Branch, MI
Built 1993 Load: 36.4 t ADT: 232
UNION CITY ROAD
FairOver: COLDWATER RIVER
UNION TWP SEC 4, Branch, MI
Built 1955 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 2,155
GIRARD ROAD
FairOver: SOUTH BR HOG CREEK
GIRARD TWP SEC 14-23, Branch, MI
Built 1966 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 550
JONESVILLE ROAD
FairOver: I-69
3.4 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 900
I-69 BL (FENN RD)
FairOver: I-69
2.9 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 2,300
NEWTON ROAD
FairOver: I-69
2.4 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 345
COPELAND ROAD
FairOver: I-69
10.0 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,000
I-69 NB
FairOver: HOG CREEK
6.7 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 10,926
STATE ROAD
FairOver: I-69
1.4 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,035
CENTRAL ROAD
FairOver: I-69
7.6 MI N OF INDIANA STATE, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 800
DORRANCE ROAD
FairOver: I-69
1.8 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,450
I-69 SB
FairOver: US-12
IN COLDWATER, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 10,583
I-69 SB
FairOver: HOG CREEK
6.7 MI N OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 10,926
ARNEY ROAD
FairOver: ST JOSEPH RIVER
SHERWOOD TWP SEC 28, Branch, MI
Built 1977 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 468
IYOPAWA ISLAND RD
FairOver: I-69
9.3 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 20
I-69 NB
FairOver: COLDWATER LAKE DRAIN
7.1 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 10,467
PEARL BEACH ROAD
FairOver: I-69
8.0 MI S OF US-12, Branch, MI
Built 1967 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 260
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.