County profile · official public datasets

Dawson County, NE

300 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 68% rated Good, 28.3% Fair, 3.7% Poor.

300
Public bridges
68%
Good condition
3.7%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Dawson County pairs a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

Top 35%
lowest Poor share in state
3.7%
Poor-condition share
300
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.

Dawson County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Dawson County ranks #31 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 3.7%). Dawson County, Nebraska contains 300 public highway bridges. Roughly 68% are rated “Good,” 28.3% “Fair,” and 3.7% “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.

Total bridges

300

Public highway bridges in Dawson County

Good condition

68%

204 of 300 rated 7-9

Fair condition

28.3%

85 of 300 rated 5-6

Poor condition

3.7%

11 of 300 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#31 of 88

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

Condition distribution

Share of 300 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
68% (204)
Fair
28.3% (85)
Poor
3.7% (11)

Dawson County's Poor-condition bridges carry 480 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 3.7% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 44 crossings a day against 1,847 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 300 of 300 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

49.3% of Dawson County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

148 of the 300 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 68% 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 35.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

CO RD 754/COL 7296 over CNPPID CANAL, built 1935, carries 170 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 11-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 480 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Dawson County's bridges were built

300 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 80 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 26.7% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1972, 5 years older than the Nebraska average of 1977.

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

How Dawson County compares with Nebraska's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Dawson County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 3.7% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1972 against a peer-group mean of 1978 is 6 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 87 Nebraska counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Dawson County and the 5 Nebraska counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Cedar County 313 6.4%
Saline County 312 8%
Custer County 303 7.9%
Madison County 302 8.3%
Dawson County (this page) 300 3.7%
Cass County 274 13.9%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NE (300 bridges here).

Similar average build year

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

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

All 300 Good 204 Fair 85 Poor 11

Good-condition bridges (204)

RD 435

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

.5N US30 & RD 435, Dawson, NE

Built 2008 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 100

CO RD 750/COL 7296

Good

Over: NORTH PLUM CREEK

6W N21 FRONTIER CL, Dawson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY ROAD 447

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1S 3E OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1984 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD 449

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1.5S SE OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1984 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 30

N23

Good

Over: STREAM

WCL FARNAM, Dawson, NE

Built 1958 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 850

N40

Good

Over: WOOD RIVER TRIB

8NW MILLER, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,040

COUNTY ROAD 442

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.5S 2W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1981 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROAD 443

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

2S 1W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1985 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 10

CO RD 448/COL 7387

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1.5S 4E OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1984 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY ROAD 765

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

3N 7.5E OF COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1981 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 755

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

2N OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1988 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

N21

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

3N LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1955 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 1,240

N47

Good

Over: 7TH/US30/UPRR 816-146-A

IN GOTHENBURG, Dawson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 5,485

COUNTY ROAD 409

Good

Over: GOTHENBURG CANAL

2N 2W OF GOTHENBURG, Dawson, NE

Built 1984 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 310

COUNTY ROAD 418

Good

Over: GOTHENBURG CANAL

JCT US30/N21 7.7N 3.5W, Dawson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY ROAD 440

Good

Over: WOOD RIVER

3.5NW OF SUMNER, Dawson, NE

Built 1985 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 10

N21

Good

Over: FRENCH CREEK

4N LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 2019 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 1,240

COUNTY ROAD 443

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

2.5N 1W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY ROAD 441

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1S 3W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1983 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 30

N23

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

1E FARNAM, Dawson, NE

Built 1954 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 975

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

5W OVERTON INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

3W HOLDREGE INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROAD 440

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

4W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 2002 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 20

CO RD 751/FAS 1560

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK CANYON

JCT I80/L-24A 4.2S 4.2W, Dawson, NE

Built 1981 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 485

N47

Good

Over: 6TH STREET

IN GOTHENBURG, Dawson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 5,485

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

5W COZAD INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1964 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

2W COZAD INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1964 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

3W LEXINGTON INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1964 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

3E LEXINGTON INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

2E OVERTON INTRCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 446

Good

Over: FIELD DRAIN

1.5N OF SUMNER, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 120

L24B OVERTON CNLK

Good

Over: I80

OVERTON INTERCHG, Dawson, NE

Built 1963 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 1,320

COUNTY ROAD 440

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

6E OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1986 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 424

Good

Over: FARMERS/MERCHANTS CANAL

2.5E OF COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1999 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 80

FAS 1705

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

EJCT US30/N21 3.5N 2E, Dawson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 690

ROAD 755

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.5E LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 2008 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 40

N21

Good

Over: TRI-COUNTY CANAL

8S COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1964 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 985

COUNTY ROAD 759

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

2W 3N OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1981 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 447

Good

Over: ELM CREEK

2.5E 6N OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 752

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

3.5W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 2014 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 30

L24B

Good

Over: UPRR & US30 VIADUCT

.5W OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 2005 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 935

COUNTY ROAD 774

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

2E N47 CUSTER CL, Dawson, NE

Built 1986 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROAD 771

Good

Over: STREAM

4N 1E GOTHENBURG, Dawson, NE

Built 2015 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 752

Good

Over: NORTH PLUM CREEK

2E 2N FARNAM, Dawson, NE

Built 2022 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY ROAD 751

Good

Over: NORTH PLUM CREEK

3E FARNAM, Dawson, NE

Built 1982 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

SMOKEY HILL ROAD

Good

Over: FIELD DRAINAGE DITCH

1.7S OF EDDYVILLE, Dawson, NE

Built 2017 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 447

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

3.5E 2S OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1997 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 10

CO RD 448/COL 7387

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

2.5E 2S OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1997 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY ROAD 765

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

3N 3E OF COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1994 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

ROAD 408

Good

Over: THIRTYMILE CANAL

4S US30 LINCOLN CL, Dawson, NE

Built 2014 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

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.