County profile · official public datasets

Marquette County, MI

147 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 47.6% rated Good, 38.8% Fair, 13.6% Poor.

147
Public bridges
47.6%
Good condition
13.6%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Marquette County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

53rd
of 83 on Poor share
13.6%
Poor-condition share
147
public highway bridges
1972
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.

Marquette County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Marquette County ranks #53 of 83 Michigan counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 13.6%). Marquette County, Michigan contains 147 public highway bridges. Roughly 47.6% are rated “Good,” 38.8% “Fair,” and 13.6% “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.

Total bridges

147

Public highway bridges in Marquette County

Good condition

47.6%

70 of 147 rated 7-9

Fair condition

38.8%

57 of 147 rated 5-6

Poor condition

13.6%

20 of 147 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#53 of 83

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

Condition distribution

Share of 147 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
47.6% (70)
Fair
38.8% (57)
Poor
13.6% (20)

Marquette County's Poor-condition bridges carry 16,666 vehicle crossings a day

That is 6.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 13.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 833 crossings a day against 1,228 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 147 of 147 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

49% of Marquette County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

72 of the 147 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 47.6% 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 43.2% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

M-553 (CO RD 553) over C & NW RAILROAD, built 1976, carries 7,200 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 20-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 16,666 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Marquette County's bridges were built

147 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1930s, when 28 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 85 to 94 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1972) matches the Michigan average (1976).

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

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

The 5 Michigan counties nearest Marquette County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 13.6% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1972 against a peer-group mean of 1977 is 5 years older.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Marquette County and the 5 Michigan counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Jackson County 158 10.1%
Kalamazoo County 151 6.6%
Marquette County (this page) 147 13.6%
Muskegon County 144 12.5%
Midland County 139 17.3%
St. Joseph County 132 12.1%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MI (147 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MI (1972 here).

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

All 147 Good 70 Fair 57 Poor 20

All bridges (147)

COUNTY RD 550

Good

Over: LITTLE GARLIC RIVER

1 MILE WEST OF BUCKROE, Marquette, MI

Built 2014 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 1,900

COUNTY ROAD 550

Good

Over: BIG GARLIC RIVER

3 MILES WEST OF BUCKROE, Marquette, MI

Built 2015 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 1,900

COUNTY RD 550

Good

Over: YELLOW DOG RIVER

AT ANTLERS, Marquette, MI

Built 2014 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 1,400

MK ROAD

Good

Over: WARNER CREEK

3.5 SE OF PALMER, Marquette, MI

Built 2015 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 565

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

1 MILE WEST OF M35, Marquette, MI

Built 2011 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 167

OLD M-28 BR

Good

Over: CARP RIVER CHANNEL

W LIMITS OF ISHPEMING, Marquette, MI

Built 2010 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 4,187

COUNTY RD 545

Good

Over: E BR CHOCOLAY RIV

2 MILES NO WEST OF CARLS, Marquette, MI

Built 1939 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 177

LB ROAD

Good

Over: TROUT FALLS CREEK

3 MI SW OF REPUBLIC, Marquette, MI

Built 1978 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 98

M-35

Good

Over: SWEITZERS CREEK

3.0 MI SE PALMER, Marquette, MI

Built 1986 Load: 52.8 t ADT: 1,146

CARSON ROAD

Good

Over: CARP RIVER

0.1 MI W OF LAKESHORE DR, Marquette, MI

Built 2006 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 121

CH ROAD

Good

Over: MIDDLE BR OF ESCANABA RI

2.8 MI W OF 581 HIGHWAY, Marquette, MI

Built 2013 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 93

COUNTY RD 565

Good

Over: ESCANABA RIVER OVERFLOW

7 MILES SOUTH OF PALMER, Marquette, MI

Built 2000 Load: 54.9 t ADT: 176

US-41

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

2.1 MI SE OF M-28, Marquette, MI

Built 1952 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 6,982

KE ROAD

Good

Over: BIG GARLIC RIVER

0.35 MI NE OF HWY 550, Marquette, MI

Built 2022 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 15

BAA ROAD

Good

Over: CHOCOLAY RIVER

IN HARVEY VILLAGE, Marquette, MI

Built 2020 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 500

EM ROAD

Good

Over: MEHL AND LITTLE LK OVRFL

3 MI E OF NEW SWANZY, Marquette, MI

Built 2015 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HWY 607

Good

Over: PESHEKEE RIVER

2 MI N OF US41, Marquette, MI

Built 1931 Load: 63.6 t ADT: 200

M-35

Good

Over: BR WARNER CREEK

1.3 MI NE OF PALMER, Marquette, MI

Built 2015 Load: 64.8 t ADT: 2,725

AAA ROAD

Good

Over: SALMON TROUT RIVER

CHAMPION TWP SEC 4, Marquette, MI

Built 2014 Load: 70.6 t ADT: 1,400

COUNTY RD 478

Good

Over: BLACK RIVER

3 MILES N E OF REPUBLIC, Marquette, MI

Built 2019 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 44

FX ROAD

Good

Over: MIDDLE BR OF ESCANABA RI

0.3 MI N OF HUMBOLDT, Marquette, MI

Built 2020 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 120

SI ROAD

Good

Over: HUNTERS BROOK

0.5 MI NE OF WATSON, Marquette, MI

Built 1930 Load: 88.2 t ADT: 70

M-35

Good

Over: FIFTEEN CREEK

6.0 MI S OF PALMER, Marquette, MI

Built 1988 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 1,146

HL ROAD

Good

Over: REANY CREEK

2.0 MI SW OF 550 HWY, Marquette, MI

Built 1950 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 30

OG ROAD

Good

Over: NELSON CREEK

SELMA, Marquette, MI

Built 2017 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 40

CR 601

Good

Over: BLACK RIVER

0.75 MI N OF CR 478, Marquette, MI

Built 2018 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 83

M-35

Good

Over: ONEAL CREEK

700 FT N OF COUNTY RD MU, Marquette, MI

Built 2019 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 675

M-553 (CO RD 553)

Poor

Over: C & NW RAILROAD

4.0 MI N OF M-35, Marquette, MI

Built 1976 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 7,200

JAD ROAD (OLD M41)

Poor

Over: CARP RIVER

0.02 MI N OF US-41, Marquette, MI

Built 1946 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 100

ESCANABA RIVER RD

Poor

Over: SAWMILL CREEK

5.3 MI NW OF MAPLE RDG RD, Marquette, MI

Built 1985 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 10

OC ROAD (OLD US41)

Poor

Over: NELSON CREEK

0.4 MI N OF SKANDIA, Marquette, MI

Built 1935 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 300

COUNTY RD 478

Poor

Over: GREENWOOD RESERVOIR

4.0 MILES SOUTH OF US41, Marquette, MI

Built 1972 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 350

LI ROAD

Poor

Over: MICHIGAMME RIVER

0.5 MI SE OF SO REPUBLIC, Marquette, MI

Built 1930 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 126

BLACK RIVER FALLS

Poor

Over: BLACK RIVER

1.3 MI W OF CR 581, Marquette, MI

Built 1930 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 10

OLD CAMP 4 ROAD

Poor

Over: SAND RIVER

USE LAT LON & HOPE 2 FIND, Marquette, MI

Built 1980 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 5

LLL ROAD (OLD M95)

Poor

Over: MICHIGAMME RIVER

1.4 MI N OF SO REPUBLIC, Marquette, MI

Built 1934 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 10

COUNTY RD 581

Poor

Over: WEST BR ESCANABA RIVER

9 MI SOUTH OF GREENWOOD, Marquette, MI

Built 1928 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 900

COUNTY RD 456

Poor

Over: CHOCOLAY RIVER

2 MILES WEST OF CARLSHEND, Marquette, MI

Built 1940 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 590

KK ROAD

Poor

Over: SALMON - TROUT RIVER

3.5 MI NW OF BIG BAY, Marquette, MI

Built 1947 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 137

COUNTY RD 557

Poor

Over: LITTLE WEST RIVER

5 MILES N OF MASHEK, Marquette, MI

Built 1928 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 525

EYZ ROAD

Poor

Over: E BRANCH ESCANABA RIVER

IN VILLAGE OF GWINN, Marquette, MI

Built 1925 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 40

COUNTY RD 438

Poor

Over: W BR ESCANABA RIVER

5 MILES WEST OF CO RD 557, Marquette, MI

Built 1959 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 35

M-94 (CO RD 462)

Poor

Over: C & N W RAILROAD

0.4 MI EAST OF 553, Marquette, MI

Built 1976 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,726

COUNTY RD 581

Poor

Over: ROCKY CREEK

9 MILES S OF GREENWOOD, Marquette, MI

Built 1940 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 890

COUNTY RD 438

Poor

Over: N BR W BR ESCANABA R

5 MILES WEST OF CO RD 557, Marquette, MI

Built 1928 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 67

LE ROAD

Poor

Over: TROUT FALLS CREEK

2 MI S OF REPUBLIC, Marquette, MI

Built 1938 Load: 69.3 t ADT: 140

M-35

Poor

Over: BR WARNER CREEK

0.9 MI N OF PALMER, Marquette, MI

Built 1964 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 2,505

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.