County profile · official public datasets

Knox County, NE

329 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 60.5% rated Good, 36.5% Fair, 3% Poor.

329
Public bridges
60.5%
Good condition
3%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

Top 32%
lowest Poor share in state
3%
Poor-condition share
329
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.

Knox County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Knox County ranks #28 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 3%). Knox County, Nebraska contains 329 public highway bridges. Roughly 60.5% are rated “Good,” 36.5% “Fair,” and 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

329

Public highway bridges in Knox County

Good condition

60.5%

199 of 329 rated 7-9

Fair condition

36.5%

120 of 329 rated 5-6

Poor condition

3%

10 of 329 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#28 of 88

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

Condition distribution

Share of 329 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
60.5% (199)
Fair
36.5% (120)
Poor
3% (10)

Knox County's Poor-condition bridges carry 5,190 vehicle crossings a day

That is 6.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 519 crossings a day against 262 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 329 of 329 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

34.3% of Knox County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

113 of the 329 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 60.5% 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 24.6% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

IRR/N12 over BAZILE CREEK, built 1946, carries 1,275 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 10-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 5,190 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Knox County's bridges were built

329 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 67 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 20.4% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1981) matches the Nebraska average (1977).

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

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

The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Knox County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 3% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1981 against a peer-group mean of 1978 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Knox County and the 5 Nebraska counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Dodge County 334 3.6%
Knox County (this page) 329 3%
Cedar County 313 6.4%
Saline County 312 8%
Custer County 303 7.9%
Madison County 302 8.3%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NE (329 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside NE (1981 here).

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

All 329 Good 199 Fair 120 Poor 10

Good-condition bridges (199)

N84

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK TRIB

SJCT N84/121 4.5W, Knox, NE

Built 1982 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,320

N84

Good

Over: WEST BOW CREEK

SJCT N84/121 1W, Knox, NE

Built 1982 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,320

N84

Good

Over: NORWEGIAN BOW CREEK TRIB

9E BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 1983 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,205

H ROAD

Good

Over: WEIGAND CREEK

IN WEIGAND AREA, Knox, NE

Built 1996 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

COLL 7653

Good

Over: N BR VERDIGRIS CREEK

9.5W 1.4N OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 2003 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 40

COLL 7654

Good

Over: VERDIGRIS CREEK

6.7W 1.5N OF WINNETOON, Knox, NE

Built 2004 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 20

FAS 2965

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT N13/N84 5.5E .4S, Knox, NE

Built 2008 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 100

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK

2.4W 2.9S OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2007 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 30

IRR/TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

.4S 2E OF LINDY, Knox, NE

Built 1993 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK

1.4W 1.9S OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2015 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 60

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

7.3E OF BAZILE MILLS, Knox, NE

Built 2013 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7656

Good

Over: STREAM

3.5S 7.5W OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 1935 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 40

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

1.5E 3S OF WAUSA, Knox, NE

Built 2014 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 30

N13

Good

Over: BAZILE CREEK

JCT N13/N59 .3S, Knox, NE

Built 1985 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 935

COLL 7651

Good

Over: M BR VERDIGRIS RIVER

6W 3.7S OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 2006 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 105

891ST RD

Good

Over: STEEL CREEK

4W 4.5S OF VERDEL, Knox, NE

Built 2016 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 20

537TH AVE

Good

Over: HOWE CREEK

2.3W 2.1S OF LINDY, Knox, NE

Built 2020 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 30

PARK ROAD

Good

Over: WEIGAND CREEK

JCT N12/N121 7N 4W, Knox, NE

Built 2023 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 375

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK

.4W .4S OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2013 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 60

IRR/TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

3.4W 1N OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2007 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 25

BROADWAY STREET

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK

BLOOMFIELD BROADWAY ST, Knox, NE

Built 1993 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 220

N14

Good

Over: VERDIGRE CREEK TRIB

1S VERDIGRE SPUR, Knox, NE

Built 1980 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 1,030

N59

Good

Over: BAZILE CREEK

IN CREIGHTON, Knox, NE

Built 1986 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 2,390

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: PONCA CREEK

.1W OF VERDEL, Knox, NE

Built 2000 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 80

880TH RD

Good

Over: VERIDGRE CREEK TRIB

.7S .5EOF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1987 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 20

FAS 2635

Good

Over: NIOBRARA RIVER

1W 5S OF VERDEL, Knox, NE

Built 1983 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 90

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: BAZILE CREEK TRIBUTARY

2.7N 1E OF WINNETOON, Knox, NE

Built 2022 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 10

FAS 2975

Good

Over: WEST BOW CREEK

JCT N12/N121 1W 3.6S, Knox, NE

Built 2023 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 630

IRR/TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: BINGHAM CREEK

.3E 4.7S OF NIOBRARA, Knox, NE

Built 2002 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 10

FAS 2620

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

JCT N13/N59 3N .3W, Knox, NE

Built 2004 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 75

883RD RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK TRIB

.3W 2N OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2021 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 10

N13

Good

Over: BAZILE CREEK

2S CENTER, Knox, NE

Built 1956 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 615

N14

Good

Over: VERDIGRE CREEK TRIB

3N VERDIGRE SPUR, Knox, NE

Built 2021 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 1,095

N59

Good

Over: N FK ELKHORN RIVER

19E CREIGHTON, Knox, NE

Built 1991 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 500

N121

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK TRIB

3N CROFTON, Knox, NE

Built 1965 Load: 37.0 t ADT: 1,100

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

9.5W 6.5N OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 2009 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: VERIDGRE CREEK TRIB

.8S .5E VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 2004 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK

1N OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2002 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 80

N13

Good

Over: BAZILE CREEK

5S CENTER, Knox, NE

Built 1956 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 615

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: PISCHEL CREEK

6.5S 1.5W OF VERDEL, Knox, NE

Built 2017 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 15

526TH RD

Good

Over: MISSOURI RIVER TRIB

.2S 2E OF NIOBRARA, Knox, NE

Built 2018 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 10

FAS 2280

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT N14/N59 12.8W, Knox, NE

Built 2022 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 395

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: N BR VERDIGRIS CREEK

16S N12 HOLT CL, Knox, NE

Built 1980 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 30

IRR/COLL 7662

Good

Over: HOWE CREEK

1.2E 4.3N OF CENTER, Knox, NE

Built 1997 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 30

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: WEIGAND CREEK

4.4W 5.2N OF CROFTON, Knox, NE

Built 1991 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 15

IRR/TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

.4W 2N OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2014 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 20

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: BOW CREEK TRIBUTARY

3.4W 4S OF CROFTON, Knox, NE

Built 2015 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 10

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: CHICKEN SLOUGH

4.7S 10.6W OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1973 Load: 41.0 t ADT: 35

540TH AVE

Good

Over: LITTLE BASILE CREEK

3.4W 2.9S OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2020 Load: 41.0 t ADT: 50

S54A VERDIGRE SPUR

Good

Over: VERDIGRE CREEK

ECL VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1955 Load: 41.0 t ADT: 1,025

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.