County profile · official public datasets

Kent County, MI

523 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 36.9% rated Good, 57.7% Fair, 5.4% Poor.

523
Public bridges
36.9%
Good condition
5.4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

Top 16%
lowest Poor share in state
5.4%
Poor-condition share
523
public highway bridges
1975
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.

Kent County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Kent County ranks #13 of 83 Michigan counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 5.4%). Kent County, Michigan contains 523 public highway bridges. Roughly 36.9% are rated “Good,” 57.7% “Fair,” and 5.4% “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

523

Public highway bridges in Kent County

Good condition

36.9%

193 of 523 rated 7-9

Fair condition

57.7%

302 of 523 rated 5-6

Poor condition

5.4%

28 of 523 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#13 of 83

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

Condition distribution

Share of 523 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
36.9% (193)
Fair
57.7% (302)
Poor
5.4% (28)

Kent County's Poor-condition bridges carry 574,530 vehicle crossings a day

That is 6.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 5.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 20,519 crossings a day against 12,442 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 519 of 523 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

55.4% of Kent County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

290 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 36.9% 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 8.9% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I-296 (US-131) NB over US-131 BR (LEONARD), built 1961, carries 50,972 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 28-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 574,530 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Kent County's bridges were built

523 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 188 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 35.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1975) matches the Michigan average (1976).

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

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

The 5 Michigan counties nearest Kent County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 5.4% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1975 against a peer-group mean of 1979 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Kent County and the 5 Michigan counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Kent County (this page) 523 5.4%
Oakland County 508 7.5%
Macomb County 417 7.7%
Genesee County 371 15.4%
St. Clair County 327 8.3%
Saginaw County 315 18.4%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MI (523 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MI (1975 here).

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

All 523 Good 193 Fair 302 Poor 28

All bridges (523)

HAMMOND AVE

Good

Over: SCHOOLEY DRAIN

0.30 MI N OF 76TH ST, Kent, MI

Built 2009 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 5,268

20 MILE RD

Good

Over: WALTER CREEK DRAIN

200 FT E OF TYRONE AVE, Kent, MI

Built 2021 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 676

21 MILE RD

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.40 MI E OF KELLER AVE, Kent, MI

Built 2017 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 731

EASTERN AVENUE

Good

Over: PLASTER CREEK

GRAND RAPIDS, Kent, MI

Built 1991 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 16,890

M-46

Good

Over: ROGUE RIVER

3.0 MI E OF KENT CITY, Kent, MI

Built 2000 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 5,475

FALLASBURG PARK DR

Good

Over: PAGE CREEK

0.6 MI S OF 3 MILE RD, Kent, MI

Built 1985 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 230

I-196 WB RAMP

Good

Over: OTTAWA AVE & RAMP A

IN GRAND RAPIDS, Kent, MI

Built 1963 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 7,850

JUPITER AVE

Good

Over: GRAND RIVER

1000 FT N OF COIT AVE, Kent, MI

Built 1998 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 12,185

WILSON DRIVE

Good

Over: E FORK SAND CREEK

0.17 MI N OF 3 MILE ROAD, Kent, MI

Built 1996 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 800

MAIN STREET

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

30 FT N OF OAK STREET, Kent, MI

Built 2022 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 10,900

WEST BRIDGE STREET

Good

Over: ROGUE RIVER

100 FT E OF RIVER ST, Kent, MI

Built 2002 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 3,300

DIVISION AVENUE

Good

Over: PLASTER CREEK

GRAND RAPIDS, Kent, MI

Built 2007 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 17,251

BRIDGE STREET

Good

Over: GRAND RIVER

475 FT WEST OF MONROE AVE, Kent, MI

Built 1988 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 15,226

I-196 M-21 WB

Good

Over: US-131BR & IONIA

IN GRAND RAPIDS DIVISION, Kent, MI

Built 1964 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 34,546

CLYDE PARK AVENUE

Good

Over: PLASTER CREEK

IN WYOMING AND GRAND RAPI, Kent, MI

Built 1994 Load: 62.3 t ADT: 18,084

NORTH PARK STREET

Good

Over: GRAND RIVER

GRAND RAPIDS, Kent, MI

Built 1991 Load: 63.0 t ADT: 11,091

108TH ST

Good

Over: THORNAPPLE RIVER

0.2 MI W OF WHITNEYVILLE, Kent, MI

Built 1932 Load: 64.8 t ADT: 965

60TH STREET

Good

Over: ANDERSON COUNTY DRAIN

200 FT E OF HANNA LAKE, Kent, MI

Built 2002 Load: 65.4 t ADT: 7,047

STATE STREET

Good

Over: NASH CREEK

0.23 MI N OF DIVISION ST, Kent, MI

Built 1975 Load: 66.7 t ADT: 5,969

MICHIGAN ST

Good

Over: DIVISION AVE

IN GRAND RAPIDS, Kent, MI

Built 2007 Load: 67.7 t

GILES AVE

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.20 MI SOUTH OF 6 MI RD, Kent, MI

Built 1970 Load: 68.7 t ADT: 91

VINTON AVE

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

0.10 MI N OF HAYES, Kent, MI

Built 1979 Load: 69.7 t ADT: 684

ALGOMA AVE

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.25 MI N OF 14 MILE RD, Kent, MI

Built 1935 Load: 70.3 t ADT: 3,725

48TH STREET

Good

Over: THORNAPPLE RIVER

0.80 MI E OF BURGER DRIVE, Kent, MI

Built 2003 Load: 72.7 t ADT: 1,513

18 MILE RD

Good

Over: ROGUE RIVER

0.20 MI E OF AFTON AVE, Kent, MI

Built 2023 Load: 72.9 t ADT: 925

NB CONN TO I-96 WB

Good

Over: I-96 WB TO 36TH SB CONN

CASCADE TWP, Kent, MI

Built 2005 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 12,500

I-96 RAMPS

Good

Over: WETLANDS WILDLIFE PATH

CASCADE TWP, Kent, MI

Built 2005 Load: 75.2 t

BURTON STREET

Good

Over: PLASTER CREEK

450 FT EAST OF CLYDE PARK, Kent, MI

Built 1996 Load: 75.8 t ADT: 22,635

ALPINE AVENUE

Good

Over: INDIAN MILL CREEK

0.2 MI SOUTH OF ANN ST, Kent, MI

Built 2007 Load: 76.5 t ADT: 19,510

14 MILE RD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.30 MI W OF ALGOMA AVE, Kent, MI

Built 1969 Load: 78.7 t ADT: 942

BURLINGAME AVE

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

200 FT S OF 44TH ST, Kent, MI

Built 1979 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 12,559

WEALTHY STREET

Good

Over: GRAND RIVER

300 FT WEST OF MARKET AVE, Kent, MI

Built 1976 Load: 82.9 t ADT: 12,230

EGNER STREET

Good

Over: DUKE CREEK

.30 MI W OF CEDAR SPRINGS, Kent, MI

Built 1962 Load: 87.5 t ADT: 282

TURNER AVENUE

Good

Over: INDIAN MILL CREEK

450 FT SOUTH OF ANN ST, Kent, MI

Built 1984 Load: 93.7 t ADT: 10,251

M-37

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

4.0 MI N OF WALKER, Kent, MI

Built 1948 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 16,670

RED PINE DRIVE

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.90 MI S OF 20 MILE RD, Kent, MI

Built 1986 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 981

CLYDE PARK AVE

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

0.25 MILE S OF 76TH ST, Kent, MI

Built 1963 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 6,431

PETTIS AVE

Good

Over: HONEY CREEK

0.40 MI NW OF HONEY CREEK, Kent, MI

Built 1985 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 3,164

WINGEIER AVE

Good

Over: PRATT LAKE DRAIN

200 FT S OF 72ND ST, Kent, MI

Built 1966 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 234

THORNAPPLE RIV DRV

Good

Over: UNNAMED

0.35 MI N OF 60TH ST, Kent, MI

Built 1967 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 1,201

COLLEGE AVENUE

Good

Over: GRAND TRUNK RR

GRAND RAPIDS, Kent, MI

Built 2008 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 11,382

UNION STREET

Good

Over: NASH CREEK

0.14 MI N OF DIVISION ST, Kent, MI

Built 1937 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 1,625

M-6

Good

Over: PLASTER CREEK

GAINES TWP SEC 3, Kent, MI

Built 2001 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 40,180

M-6

Good

Over: ANDERSON DRAIN

GAINES TWP SEC 2, Kent, MI

Built 2002 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 40,180

M-6

Good

Over: ANDERSON DRAIN

GAINES TWP SEC 2, Kent, MI

Built 2002 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 40,180

CHICAGO DRIVE

Poor

Over: BUCK CR

IN GRANDVILLE, Kent, MI

Built 1933 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 27,400

BALL CREEK RD

Poor

Over: BALL CREEK

0.30 MI NW OF 17 MILE RD, Kent, MI

Built 1925 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 2,100

BALL CREEK RD

Poor

Over: BALL CREEK

0.14 MI SE OF MAIN ST, Kent, MI

Built 1925 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 2,100

44TH STREET

Poor

Over: BUCK CREEK

IN WYOMING, Kent, MI

Built 1976 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 27,397

RIVERSIDE PARK DR

Poor

Over: GRAND RIVER LAGOON

RIVERSIDE PARK, Kent, MI

Built 1930 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 200

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

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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.