County profile · official public datasets

Meagher County, MT

53 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 20.8% rated Good, 69.8% Fair, 9.4% Poor.

53
Public bridges
20.8%
Good condition
9.4%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

43rd
of 56 on Poor share
9.4%
Poor-condition share
53
public highway bridges
1980
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.

Meagher County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Meagher County ranks #43 of 56 Montana counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 9.4%). Meagher County, Montana contains 53 public highway bridges. Roughly 20.8% are rated “Good,” 69.8% “Fair,” and 9.4% “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

53

Public highway bridges in Meagher County

Good condition

20.8%

11 of 53 rated 7-9

Fair condition

69.8%

37 of 53 rated 5-6

Poor condition

9.4%

5 of 53 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#43 of 56

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

Condition distribution

Share of 53 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
20.8% (11)
Fair
69.8% (37)
Poor
9.4% (5)

Meagher County's Poor-condition bridges carry 400 vehicle crossings a day

That is 4.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 9.4% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 80 crossings a day against 79 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 53 of 53 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

47.2% of Meagher County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

25 of the 53 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 20.8% 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 25% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

CANYON RD over SMITH RIVER 002, built 1957, carries 100 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 5-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 400 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Meagher County's bridges were built

53 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1950s, when 12 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 22.6% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 65 to 74 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1980) matches the Montana average (1977).

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

How Meagher County compares with Montana's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Montana counties nearest Meagher County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 9.4% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1980 against a peer-group mean of 1975 is 5 years newer.

Showing the 5 closest of 55 Montana counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Meagher County and the 5 Montana counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Roosevelt County 57 7%
Meagher County (this page) 53 9.4%
Judith Basin County 48 12.5%
Hill County 46 6.5%
Prairie County 46 6.5%
McCone County 44 9.1%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside MT (53 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MT (1980 here).

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

All bridges (53)

SIXTEENMILE RD

Fair

Over: SIXTEENMILE CREEK 044

18M SW RINGLING, Meagher, MT

Built 2022 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 100

FOREST LK. RD. 66

Fair

Over: W FK COTTONWOOD CREEK

4.5 MI SW CNTY-COTNWD JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1969 Load: 14.3 t ADT: 50

FDR #204

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

2.3 MI.NE OF JCT 119/204, Meagher, MT

Built 1956 Load: 14.3 t ADT: 50

FDR 204

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

3.5 MI NE OF 119/204 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1956 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 50

FDR 204

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

4 MI NE OF 119/204 RD JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1956 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 50

FDR 204

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

1.3 MI NE RD 119/204 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1956 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 50

FDR 1077

Fair

Over: SHEEP CREEK

JUMPING CREEK CAMPGROUND, Meagher, MT

Built 1958 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 50

FDR 6414

Fair

Over: SHEEP CREEK

0.1 MI N US89/FDR6413 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1958 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 50

FDR #204

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

6 MI NE OF RD 119/204 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1956 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 50

S 294

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

5M SW MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 1948 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 220

FDR 119

Fair

Over: SHEEP CREEK

3.8 MI WEST US89/119 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1956 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 50

US 89 FH 32

Fair

Over: SHEEP CREEK

17M SW NEIHART, Meagher, MT

Built 1939 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 369

ED LAVELL LN

Fair

Over: SIXTEENMILE CREEK 039

3M E RINGLING, Meagher, MT

Built 1959 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

FDR 211

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

4.5 MI SE US12/FDR211 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1973 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 50

US 12

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

6M NE WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1937 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 477

US 89 FH 32

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK SMITH RIVER

2M NE WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1955 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 596

MAIN ST

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK SMITH RIVER

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Meagher, MT

Built 1962 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 576

S 360 FH 65

Fair

Over: SMITH RIVER

2M E FORT LOGAN, Meagher, MT

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 128

FDR 211

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

5.8 MI SE US12/FDR211 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1972 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 50

BIRCH CREEK RD

Fair

Over: SMITH RIVER 001

4M NW WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1973 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 100

US 12

Fair

Over: N FORK MUSSELSHELL R

11M NW TWO DOT, Meagher, MT

Built 2014 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 499

MARTINSDALE RD

Fair

Over: S FK MUSSLESHELL OVF 040

MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 2009 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 100

MARTINSDALE RESERV

Fair

Over: MARTINSDALE RESERVOIR CA

SE MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

LINSHIRE RD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK 005

35M NW WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 79

CLEAR RANGE RD

Fair

Over: SMITH RIVER 014

CAMP BAKER, Meagher, MT

Built 1976 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

SMITH RIVER ROAD

Fair

Over: SHEEP CREEK 003

10M N FORT LOGAN, Meagher, MT

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 131

BIRKY RD

Fair

Over: S FORK SMITH RIVER 028

7M SW WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 31

S 294

Fair

Over: SAWMILL CREEK

15M SW MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 171

S 294

Fair

Over: S FORK MUSSELSHELL RIVER

MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 276

NFSR 119

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

4.4 MI WEST US89/119 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1971 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 50

US 12

Fair

Over: FLAGSTAFF CREEK

2M E CHECKERBOARD, Meagher, MT

Built 2012 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 341

FDR 836

Fair

Over: SHEEP CREEK

0.1 MI SE US89/RD.836 JCT, Meagher, MT

Built 1968 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 50

US 12

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK SMITH RIVER

8M S WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1997 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 905

US 12

Fair

Over: COOPER CREEK

5M SE CHECKERBOARD, Meagher, MT

Built 2012 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 341

COTTONWOOD CR RD

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK 025

9M S MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 1970 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 100

S 294

Fair

Over: MARTINSDALE SUPPLY CANAL

MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 2010 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 276

SLAUGHTER HSE LN

Fair

Over: S FORK SMITH RIVER 021

3M SW WHITE SULPHUR SPR, Meagher, MT

Built 1991 Load: 94.3 t ADT: 100

STUD HORSE CREEK R

Good

Over: LOWER HOLSTROM DITCH

OVER LOWER HOLSTROM DITCH, Meagher, MT

Built 2017 ADT: 50

NFSR 575

Good

Over: CAMAS CREEK

CAMAS CREEK, Meagher, MT

Built 1986 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 10

NFSR 274

Good

Over: MUSSELSHELL RIVER

SPRING CREEK 1, Meagher, MT

Built 1996 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 40

FINDON LANE RD

Good

Over: N FK MUSSELSHELL 019

3M N MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 2010 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

NF-581

Good

Over: S FORK MUSSELSHELL 026

LENNEP, Meagher, MT

Built 1987 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

NFSR 274

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

SPRING CREEK 2, Meagher, MT

Built 1996 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 50

NFSR 6438

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

N 3.9 MI. JCT. US12& 6438, Meagher, MT

Built 2010 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: SHEEP CREEK

DEADMAN 1, Meagher, MT

Built 1993 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

SHIELDS RIVER RD

Good

Over: SHIELDS RIVER

NORTH CRAZIES, Meagher, MT

Built 2016 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 50

US-12

Good

Over: WHETSTONE CREEK

5M E CHECKERBOARD, Meagher, MT

Built 2012 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 341

SHIELDS RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: SHIELDS RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Meagher, MT

Built 2016 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 128

Poor

Over: MUSSELSHELL RIVER 022

2M NE MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 1986 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 100

FDR #9202

Poor

Over: MOOSE CREEK

MOOSE CREEK CAMPGROUND D7, Meagher, MT

Built 1959 Load: 8.4 t ADT: 50
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.