County profile · official public datasets

Cass County, MI

52 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 25% rated Good, 59.6% Fair, 15.4% Poor.

52
Public bridges
25%
Good condition
15.4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Cass County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

58th
of 83 on Poor share
15.4%
Poor-condition share
52
public highway bridges
1970
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.

Cass County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Cass County ranks #58 of 83 Michigan counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 15.4%). Cass County, Michigan contains 52 public highway bridges. Roughly 25% are rated “Good,” 59.6% “Fair,” and 15.4% “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

52

Public highway bridges in Cass County

Good condition

25%

13 of 52 rated 7-9

Fair condition

59.6%

31 of 52 rated 5-6

Poor condition

15.4%

8 of 52 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#58 of 83

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

Condition distribution

Share of 52 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
25% (13)
Fair
59.6% (31)
Poor
15.4% (8)

Cass County's Poor-condition bridges carry 5,686 vehicle crossings a day

That is 4.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 15.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 711 crossings a day against 1,662 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 52 of 52 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

55.8% of Cass County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

29 of the 52 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 25% 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 45.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

POKAGON RD over POKAGON CREEK, built 1960, carries 2,590 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 8-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 5,686 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Cass County's bridges were built

52 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 9 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 17.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1970, 6 years older than the Michigan average of 1976.

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

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

The 5 Michigan counties nearest Cass County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 15.4% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1970 against a peer-group mean of 1967 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Cass County and the 5 Michigan counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Crawford County 54 18.5%
Iron County 54 20.4%
Schoolcraft County 54 5.6%
Alger County 53 11.3%
Cass County (this page) 52 15.4%
Iosco County 47 8.5%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MI (52 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MI (1970 here).

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

All bridges (52)

RIVERSIDE DRIVE

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.2 MI SOUTH OF DIVISION, Cass, MI

Built 1984 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 2,065

M-51

Fair

Over: POKAGON CREEK

IN POKAGON, Cass, MI

Built 1931 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 5,100

HENRY STREET

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.2 MI SOUTH OF HIGH ST, Cass, MI

Built 1980 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 639

SOUTH FRONT STREET

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.1 MI S OF HIGH STREET, Cass, MI

Built 1924 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 4,034

JEFFERSON AVE

Fair

Over: AMTRAK

0.1 MI EAST OF S FRONT ST, Cass, MI

Built 1982 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 680

ATWOOD ROAD

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

2.5 MI SW OF GLENWOOD, Cass, MI

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 287

CASS AVENUE

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.1 MI N OF JEFFERSON AVE, Cass, MI

Built 1970 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,430

CALVIN CENTER ROAD

Fair

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

0.25MI N OF WILLIAMSVILLE, Cass, MI

Built 1998 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,276

PEAVINE STREET

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

3 MI W OF M-51, Cass, MI

Built 1963 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 917

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

1.9 MI W OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1952 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 5,743

US-12

Fair

Over: M-60

0.3 MI NE OF BERRIEN COL, Cass, MI

Built 1960 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 9,010

CRYSTAL SPRINGS ST

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

1 MI N OF SUMNERVILLE, Cass, MI

Built 1923 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 306

UNION ROAD

Fair

Over: UNION AND STATE LINE DR

0.5 MI S OF UNION, Cass, MI

Built 1983 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 310

TWIN LAKES ROAD

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

1 MI NW OF GLENWOOD, Cass, MI

Built 1984 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 234

CHRISTIANA DRIVE

Fair

Over: JUNO LAKE CHANNEL

AT JUNO LAKE, Cass, MI

Built 1932 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 148

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

2.3 MI W OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1953 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 5,743

UNION ROAD

Fair

Over: UNION AND STATE LINE DR

1.2 MI S OF UNION, Cass, MI

Built 1983 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 310

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.1 MI E OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1950 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 7,355

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

2.3 MI SE OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1941 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 2,800

DUTCH SETTLEMENT R

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

5 MI E OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1957 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 968

US-12

Fair

Over: BRANDYWINE CREEK

0.8 MI SE OF M-60, Cass, MI

Built 1982 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 7,438

US-12

Fair

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

IN ADAMSVILLE, Cass, MI

Built 1941 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 8,072

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.1 MI N OF LAGRANGE, Cass, MI

Built 1941 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 2,800

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK MILL RACE

0.2 MI N OF LAGRANGE, Cass, MI

Built 1941 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 2,800

CALIFORNIA ROAD

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

2.5 MI W OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1984 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 273

DEWEY LAKE STREET

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

1.5 MI W OF GLENWOOD, Cass, MI

Built 1992 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 970

M-51

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.3 MI W OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1949 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 8,127

M-62

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.5 MI W OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1954 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 5,340

M-51

Fair

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

3.0 MI S OF VAN BUREN COL, Cass, MI

Built 1952 Load: 64.8 t ADT: 6,146

CHAIN LAKE STREET

Fair

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

3 MI E OF M-62, Cass, MI

Built 2006 Load: 67.1 t ADT: 40

UNION RD

Fair

Over: UNION & STATE LINE DRAIN

1.8 MI N OF US-12, Cass, MI

Built 1970 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 1,412

M-51

Good

Over: PEAVINE CREEK

4 MI S OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,037

BURTON ROAD

Good

Over: MCKINZIE CREEK

HOWARD TWP SEC 7, Cass, MI

Built 1919 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

SINK ROAD

Good

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

5 MI N OF SUMNEVILLE, Cass, MI

Built 2019 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 413

MONETTE STREET

Good

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

3 MI E OF M-62, Cass, MI

Built 1993 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 3,400

WOOD ROAD

Good

Over: POKAGON CREEK

IN SUMNERVILLE, Cass, MI

Built 1988 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 82

US-12

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

0.3 MI E OF UNION, Cass, MI

Built 2011 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 7,350

LOWE STREET

Good

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

0.1 MI N OF JEFFERSON AVE, Cass, MI

Built 2003 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 709

MOUNT ZION STREET

Good

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

CALVIN TWP SEC 19, Cass, MI

Built 2017 Load: 52.5 t ADT: 232

IRR BIA RTE 1214

Good

Over: PEAVINE CREEK

EDWARDS STREET, Cass, MI

Built 2008 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 25

NORTHROP STREET

Good

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

0.25 MI E OF CHAIN LK ST, Cass, MI

Built 2008 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 143

OKEEFE ROAD

Good

Over: DOWAGIAC CREEK

4 MI N OF CASSOPOLIS, Cass, MI

Built 2021 Load: 65.1 t ADT: 495

REDFIELD STREET

Good

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

ONTWA TWP SEC 13/24, Cass, MI

Built 2012 Load: 65.4 t ADT: 2,555

RUDY ROAD

Good

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

1 MI E OF M-51, Cass, MI

Built 2022 Load: 75.5 t ADT: 70

FROST STREET

Poor

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

4 MI W OF M-51, Cass, MI

Built 1930 Load: 7.1 t ADT: 56

YAW STREET

Poor

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

1 MI N OF M-62, Cass, MI

Built 1930 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 26

CASSOPOLIS RD

Poor

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

580 FT N OF MT ZION ST, Cass, MI

Built 1960 Load: 10.7 t ADT: 159

NORTH SHORE DRIVE

Poor

Over: CHRISTIANA CREEK

3 MI N OF ADAMSVILLE, Cass, MI

Built 1930 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 146

MIDDLE CROSSING RD

Poor

Over: DOWAGIAC RIVER

2 MI NW OF DOWAGIAC, Cass, MI

Built 1961 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 1,688

THOMSON RD

Poor

Over: ABANDONED RR ROW

1.5 MI E OF M-51, Cass, MI

Built 1919 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 30
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.