Total bridges
246
Public highway bridges in Buchanan County
County profile · official public datasets
Buchanan County, MO
246 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 34.1% rated Good, 58.1% Fair, 7.7% Poor.
- 246
- Public bridges
- 34.1%
- Good condition
- 7.7%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Buchanan County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- Top 42%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 7.7%
- Poor-condition share
- 246
- public highway bridges
- 1981
- 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.
Buchanan County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Buchanan County ranks #48 of 115 Missouri counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.7%). Buchanan County, Missouri contains 246 public highway bridges. Roughly 34.1% are rated “Good,” 58.1% “Fair,” and 7.7% “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
34.1%
84 of 246 rated 7-9
Fair condition
58.1%
143 of 246 rated 5-6
Poor condition
7.7%
19 of 246 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#48 of 115
Among Missouri counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 246 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 34.1% (84)
Fair 58.1% (143)
Poor 7.7% (19)
Buchanan County's Poor-condition bridges carry 64,751 vehicle crossings a day
That is 6.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 7.7% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 3,408 crossings a day against 1,931 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 246 of 246 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
31.7% of Buchanan County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
78 of the 246 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 34.1% 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 26.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
US 36 E over IS 229 CST 6TH ST IS, built 1951, carries 17,137 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 19-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 64,751 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Buchanan County's bridges were built
246 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1900s 3
1900–1909
3 bridges
- 1910s 3
1910–1919
3 bridges
- 1920s 6
1920–1929
6 bridges
- 1930s 4
1930–1939
4 bridges
- 1940s 5
1940–1949
5 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
24 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
26 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
42 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
35 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
47 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
19 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
21 bridges
- 2020s 11
2020–2029
11 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 47 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19.1% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1981) matches the Missouri average (1979).
How Buchanan County compares with Missouri's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Missouri counties nearest Buchanan County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.7% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1981 against a peer-group mean of 1983 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 114 Missouri counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gentry County | 246 | 52% | 33.3% | 14.6% | 1992 |
| Buchanan County (this page) | 246 | 34.1% | 58.1% | 7.7% | 1981 |
| Pettis County | 243 | 43.6% | 45.3% | 11.1% | 1975 |
| St. Louis city County | 240 | 31.3% | 58.8% | 10% | 1982 |
| Lafayette County | 238 | 31.9% | 65.5% | 2.5% | 1980 |
| DeKalb County | 237 | 35% | 56.5% | 8.4% | 1985 |
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 Buchanan 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 Buchanan County, both outside Missouri so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside MO (246 bridges here).
- Cullman County, AL · 246 bridges
- Piatt County, IL · 246 bridges
- Jackson County, IA · 246 bridges
- Jackson County, KS · 246 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside MO (1981 here).
- Franklin County, OH · avg 1981 · 922 bridges
- Greenville County, SC · avg 1981 · 635 bridges
- Montgomery County, OH · avg 1981 · 632 bridges
- McLean County, IL · avg 1981 · 624 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (143)
IS 229 S
FairOver: CST AJAX RD WHITEHEAD C
S 34 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1965 Load: 37.8 t ADT: 11,475
FARAON ST E
FairOver: IS 29
S 11 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2001 Load: 37.8 t ADT: 8,256
IS 229 N
FairOver: IS 29
S 35 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1965 Load: 38.7 t ADT: 3,152
RP IS229S TO US36E
FairOver: IS 229 CST 6TH ST IS
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 38.7 t ADT: 3,058
US 36 E
FairOver: BNSF RR
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 38.7 t ADT: 7,853
IS 29 N
FairOver: CST EASTON RD ABANDONED
S 26 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 21,053
IS 229 S
FairOver: CST OAK ST
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 9,862
IS 229 N
FairOver: CST OAK ST
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 4,148
MO 116 E
FairOver: CASTILE CR
S 25 T 55 N R 34 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2004 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 706
US 59 N
FairOver: GAY BR
S 1 T 55 N R 37 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2012 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 5,729
IS 29 S
FairOver: PIDGEON CR
S 23 T 56 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1957 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 17,181
IS 29 N
FairOver: PIDGEON CR
S 23 T 56 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1957 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 16,970
SE. HILLYARD RD
FairOver: BR OF RILEY BR
S 2 T 56 N R 34 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1991 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 20
RP US36W TO IS229N
FairOver: CST 6TH ST
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 3,464
MO 116 E
FairOver: LOST CR
S 11 T 55 N R 37 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2012 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 774
IS 29 S
FairOver: CST EASTON RD ABANDONED
S 26 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 41.4 t ADT: 21,033
IS 29 S
FairOver: US 36
S 14 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 24,679
IS 29 N
FairOver: US 36
S 14 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 21,053
PIGEON HILL RD
FairOver: PIGEON CR
S 23 T 56 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1989 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 25
MO 752 E
FairOver: CRD SE MASON RD
S 33 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1977 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 10,004
SE MAULDEN CRK RD
FairOver: MALDEN CR
S 7 T 55 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1994 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 20
US 59 S
FairOver: BNSF RR
S 15 T 55 N R 37 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1994 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 5,521
RT FF S
FairOver: LIT PIGEON CR
S 29 T 56 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1956 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 2,049
RP MO759N TO IS229
FairOver: FILL
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 4,694
IS 229 S
FairOver: CST POULIN ST CST PRO
S 5 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1973 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 4,060
MO 31 S
FairOver: BEEKS BR
S 19 T 57 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1939 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 1,364
US 36 E
FairOver: PLATE RVR CHNL
S 21 T 57 N R 34 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1962 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 12,979
IS 229 N
FairOver: CST POULIN ST CST PROSP
S 5 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1973 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 4,469
US 59 N
FairOver: CLOVERDALE DTCH
S 29 T 56 N R 36 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2012 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 4,992
US 59 S
FairOver: KENMORE BR
S 22 T 56 N R 36 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1920 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 4,992
IS 29 S
FairOver: US 169
S 26 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 21,033
IS 29 N
FairOver: US 169
S 26 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 20,118
SE KERNS RD
FairOver: MALDEN CR
S 33 T 57 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2000 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 20
RP IS229N TO EDMON
FairOver: RP TO EDMOND ST BNSF RR
S 8 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1979 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 1,970
MO 6 E
FairOver: 102 RVR
S 6 T 57 N R 34 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1995 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 3,747
IS 229 S
FairOver: ROYS BR
S 6 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1973 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 4,866
RP US36E TO IS229N
FairOver: MO 759
S 20 T 57 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1982 Load: 55.8 t ADT: 2,270
RT NN E
FairOver: MALDEN CR
S 4 T 56 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1941 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 457
MO 31 S
FairOver: CLICK BR
S 6 T 56 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1939 Load: 65.7 t ADT: 720
US 169 S
FairOver: CR
S 32 T 57 N R 34 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1924 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 5,953
MO 31 S
FairOver: JAMES BR
S 30 T 56 N R 33 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1939 Load: 72.9 t ADT: 720
KING HILL RD
FairOver: TRIB OF CONTRARY C
S 6 T 56 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 2007 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 100
IS 29 S
FairOver: BEE CR BR
S 23 T 55 N R 35 W, Buchanan, MO
Built 1958 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 37,058
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.