County profile · official public datasets

Ottawa County, MI

254 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 40.9% rated Good, 52.8% Fair, 6.3% Poor.

254
Public bridges
40.9%
Good condition
6.3%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

Top 24%
lowest Poor share in state
6.3%
Poor-condition share
254
public highway bridges
1977
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.

Ottawa County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Ottawa County ranks #20 of 83 Michigan counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 6.3%). Ottawa County, Michigan contains 254 public highway bridges. Roughly 40.9% are rated “Good,” 52.8% “Fair,” and 6.3% “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

254

Public highway bridges in Ottawa County

Good condition

40.9%

104 of 254 rated 7-9

Fair condition

52.8%

134 of 254 rated 5-6

Poor condition

6.3%

16 of 254 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#20 of 83

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

Condition distribution

Share of 254 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
40.9% (104)
Fair
52.8% (134)
Poor
6.3% (16)

Ottawa County's Poor-condition bridges carry 74,334 vehicle crossings a day

That is 2.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 6.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 4,646 crossings a day against 8,357 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 254 of 254 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

57.9% of Ottawa County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

147 of the 254 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 40.9% 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 31.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US-31 SB over BLACK RIVER, built 1958, carries 23,373 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 74,334 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Ottawa County's bridges were built

254 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 106 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 41.7% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1977) matches the Michigan average (1976).

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

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

The 5 Michigan counties nearest Ottawa County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 6.3% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1977 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 Ottawa County and the 5 Michigan counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Berrien County 272 5.9%
Washtenaw County 262 20.2%
Ottawa County (this page) 254 6.3%
Allegan County 244 16.8%
Tuscola County 242 5%
Ingham County 241 15.4%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MI (254 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MI (1977 here).

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

All 254 Good 104 Fair 134 Poor 16

Good-condition bridges (104)

M-6 WB RMP TO 8TH

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

JAMESTOWN TWP SEC 1, Ottawa, MI

Built 2002 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 9,300

M-45 EB

Good

Over: GRAND RIVER

TALLMADGE TWP SEC 20-29, Ottawa, MI

Built 1999 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 9,698

M-45 WB

Good

Over: GRAND RIVER

TALLMADGE TWP SEC 20-29, Ottawa, MI

Built 1999 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 9,698

BALSAM DR

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

HUDSONVILLE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1990 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 11,262

JACKSON ST

Good

Over: E BRANCH RUSH CREEK

SECTION 36 GEORGETOWN TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1970 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 868

40TH AVENUE

Good

Over: N BRANCH CROCKERY CREEK

SECTION 6 CHESTER TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1974 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 473

STATE ROAD

Good

Over: CROCKERY CREEK

SECTION 13 CROCKERY TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1973 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 370

MILL RD

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

SECTION 1B POLKTON TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1974 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 100

ROOSEVELT STREET

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

SECTION 17 WRIGHT TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1972 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 200

106TH AVE

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

SECTION 23 HOLLAND TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1976 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 2,550

92ND AVENUE

Good

Over: BASS CREEK

SECTION 31 ALLENDALE TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1973 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 100

116TH AVE

Good

Over: PIGEON CREEK

SECTION 3 OLIVE TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1975 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 100

TAYLOR STREET

Good

Over: BASS CREEK

SECTION 11 BLENDON TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 2016 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 100

CLEVELAND STREET

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

0.29 MILES E OF 32ND AVE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1975 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 1,358

112TH AVE

Good

Over: PIGEON CREEK

SECTION 3 OLIVE TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1973 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 540

FILLMORE ST

Good

Over: BASS CREEK

SECTION 31 ALLENDALE TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1978 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 3,880

144TH AVE

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

SECTION 18 HOLLAND TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1978 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 5,395

BUCHANAN ST

Good

Over: BASS CREEK

SECTION 24 ROBINSON TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1976 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 100

M-121 WB

Good

Over: MACATAWA RIVER

ZEELAND TWP SEC 10, Ottawa, MI

Built 2004 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 4,668

48TH AVE

Good

Over: I-96

6.5 MI NW OF KENT CO LINE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1957 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,800

LAKEWOOD BLVD

Good

Over: COUNTY DRAIN NO 40

0.4 MILES E OF BEELINE RD, Ottawa, MI

Built 1974 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 28,150

64TH AVE

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

SECTION 15A POLKTON TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1985 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 1,180

FITZGERALD STREET

Good

Over: CROCKERY CREEK

SECTION 23 CROCKERY TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1977 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 100

LAKEWOOD BLVD

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

0.75 MILES E OF 152ND AVE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1974 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 10,320

STANTON STREET

Good

Over: BASS CREEK

SECTION 5 BLENDON TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1975 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 100

WINAN ST

Good

Over: BASS CREEK

SECTION 25 ROBINSON TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1975 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 100

NEW HOLLAND STREET

Good

Over: BUTTERMILK CREEK

0.4 MI W OF 32ND AVENUE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,000

32ND ST

Good

Over: N BRANCH BLACK RIVER

HOLLAND, Ottawa, MI

Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,632

32ND STREET

Good

Over: KELLY LAKE DRAIN

PARK TWP SEC 33, Ottawa, MI

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,500

QUINCY ST

Good

Over: MILLER CREEK

SECTION 12 JAMESTOWN TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1976 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 210

RILEY STREET

Good

Over: BLACK RIVER

SECTION 16 ZEELAND TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1976 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 910

LINCOLN ST

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

SECTION 15 TALLMADGE TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1994 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 410

104TH AVE

Good

Over: PIGEON CREEK

SECTION 2 OLIVE TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1974 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 100

I-96 WB

Good

Over: M-231 RAMP

0.2 MI N OF M-104, Ottawa, MI

Built 2013 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 23,300

24TH AVE

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

SECTION 21 WRIGHT TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1972 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 740

APPLE DRIVE

Good

Over: I-96

2.5 MI SE OF MUSKEGON COL, Ottawa, MI

Built 1961 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 1,000

GREEN ST

Good

Over: STEARNS BAYOU

0.43 MILES E OF 144TH ST, Ottawa, MI

Built 1967 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 4,370

PORT SHELDON ST

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

0.25 MILES EAST OF M-121, Ottawa, MI

Built 1985 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 19,200

I-196 EB

Good

Over: 22ND AVE

2.2 MI N OF JAMESTOWN, Ottawa, MI

Built 1972 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 20,761

I-96 WB

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

1.3 MI NW OF KENT CO LINE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1960 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 36,000

M-231

Good

Over: LEONARD STREET

1 MI S OF I-96, Ottawa, MI

Built 2013 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 18,700

OTTAWA BEACH DRIVE

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

0.75 MILES E OF 152ND AVE, Ottawa, MI

Built 1974 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,600

MAIN STREET

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

0.1 MI SE OF CHICAGO DRIV, Ottawa, MI

Built 1965 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 6,200

OAK STREET

Good

Over: BUTTERMILK CREEK

HUDSONVILLE, Ottawa, MI

Built 2015 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 2,446

M-231

Good

Over: NORTH CEDAR DRIVE

4.2 MI N OF M-45, Ottawa, MI

Built 2012 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 1,544

32ND AVENUE

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

SECTION 17 WRIGHT TWP, Ottawa, MI

Built 1973 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 100

M-6 EB

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

JAMESTOWN TWP SEC 1-2, Ottawa, MI

Built 2002 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 17,279

M-231

Good

Over: LITTLE ROBINSON CREEK

3.7 MI N OF M-45, Ottawa, MI

Built 2013 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 18,700

M-6 WB

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

JAMESTOWN TWP SEC 1-2, Ottawa, MI

Built 2002 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 17,279

M-231

Good

Over: BUCHANAN STREET

1.0 MI N OF M-45, Ottawa, MI

Built 2014 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 3,500

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

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.