County profile · official public datasets

Lancaster County, NE

661 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 56.3% rated Good, 38.9% Fair, 4.8% Poor.

661
Public bridges
56.3%
Good condition
4.8%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

Top 42%
lowest Poor share in state
4.8%
Poor-condition share
661
public highway bridges
1985
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.

Lancaster County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Lancaster County ranks #37 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 4.8%). Lancaster County, Nebraska contains 661 public highway bridges. Roughly 56.3% are rated “Good,” 38.9% “Fair,” and 4.8% “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

661

Public highway bridges in Lancaster County

Good condition

56.3%

372 of 661 rated 7-9

Fair condition

38.9%

257 of 661 rated 5-6

Poor condition

4.8%

32 of 661 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#37 of 88

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

Condition distribution

Share of 661 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
56.3% (372)
Fair
38.9% (257)
Poor
4.8% (32)

Lancaster County's Poor-condition bridges carry 160,220 vehicle crossings a day

That is 3.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 4.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 5,007 crossings a day against 9,043 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 659 of 661 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

31% of Lancaster County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

205 of the 661 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 56.3% 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 20.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

SB-I180/US34 over I80, built 1960, carries 32,795 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 32-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 160,220 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Lancaster County's bridges were built

661 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 113 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 17.1% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1985, 8 years newer than the Nebraska average of 1977.

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

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

The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Lancaster County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 4.8% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1985 against a peer-group mean of 1982 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Lancaster County and the 5 Nebraska counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Lancaster County (this page) 661 4.8%
Douglas County 509 2.9%
Saunders County 506 8.3%
Buffalo County 459 1.7%
Platte County 433 4.8%
Cuming County 402 2%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NE (661 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside NE (1985 here).

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

All 661 Good 372 Fair 257 Poor 32

All bridges (661)

NB-US77

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

1S CERESCO, Lancaster, NE

Built 1994 Load: 50.0 t ADT: 7,890

N 14TH ST

Good

Over: LITTLE SALT CR TRB(F 78)

JCT I80/I180 .8E 2.2E, Lancaster, NE

Built 2020 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 3,082

NW 98TH ST

Good

Over: MIDDLE CREEK (M 127)

JCT US34/S-55A 1N 1W, Lancaster, NE

Built 2012 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 153

ALVO RD

Good

Over: SALT CREEK TRIB (G111)

2S 2.5W OF WAVERLY, Lancaster, NE

Built 2019 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 144

WEST O ST

Good

Over: SALT CREEK

W O ST @ SUN VALLEY BLVD, Lancaster, NE

Built 1993 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 21,040

BLUFF ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM (G144)

SECTION 18 T11N R7E, Lancaster, NE

Built 2019 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 75

I180/US34

Good

Over: X STREET

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1996 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 33,410

I180/US34

Good

Over: X STREET

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1996 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 33,410

SB-US77

Good

Over: SALT CREEK

8S SCL LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1996 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 8,720

NB-US77

Good

Over: SALT CREEK

8S SCL LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1996 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 8,720

I180/US34

Good

Over: OAK CREEK

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1963 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 33,410

I180/US34

Good

Over: OAK CREEK

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1963 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 33,410

I180/US34

Good

Over: CHARLESTON ST/FAU 5242

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1996 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 33,410

I180/US34

Good

Over: CHARLESTON ST/FAU 5242

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1996 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 33,410

W MCKELVIE RD

Good

Over: OAK CREEK TRIB (F225)

JCT US77/S55-J 4S 1.2E, Lancaster, NE

Built 2018 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 91

WILDERNESHILLSBLVD

Good

Over: SALT CREEK TRIB

0.2 W OF S 40TH ST, Lancaster, NE

Built 2021 Load: 54.0 t

ROCA RD

Good

Over: HICKMAN BR TRIB(S-179)

JCT N2/N43 4S 4.5W, Lancaster, NE

Built 2020 Load: 56.0 t ADT: 839

N79

Good

Over: NORTH OAK CREEK TRIB.

2S AGNEW, Lancaster, NE

Built 2018 Load: 65.0 t ADT: 2,750

CAPITAL PKWY WEST

Good

Over: US77

LINCOLN WEST BYPASS, Lancaster, NE

Built 2007 Load: 66.0 t ADT: 22,760

N2

Good

Over: HICKMAN BRANCH

LINCOLN SOUTH BELTWAY, Lancaster, NE

Built 2022 Load: 71.0 t ADT: 1,610

N 148TH ST

Good

Over: STEVENSCREEKTRIB J143

JCT HWY34/HWY43 5W 0.8N, Lancaster, NE

Built 2018 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 4,500

US77

Good

Over: SALT CREEK TRIBUTARY

LINCOLN SOUTH BELTWAY, Lancaster, NE

Built 2022 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 1,610

N2

Good

Over: SALT CREEK TRIBUTARY

LINCOLN SOUTH BELTWAY, Lancaster, NE

Built 2022 Load: 77.0 t ADT: 1,610

N-79

Good

Over: STREAM

1.5S AND 0.8E AGNEW, Lancaster, NE

Built 2017 Load: 80.0 t ADT: 2,750

HWY 79

Good

Over: OAK CREEK TRIB

1S AGNEW, Lancaster, NE

Built 2018 Load: 92.0 t ADT: 2,860

N2

Good

Over: HICKMAN BRANCH

LINCOLN SOUTH BELTWAY, Lancaster, NE

Built 2022 Load: 93.0 t ADT: 1,610

JAMAICA AVE

Good

Over: SALT CREEK TRIB

JCT 27TH/SALTILLO .2E .4S, Lancaster, NE

Built 2023 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 6,805

84TH STREET

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT 84TH/SALTILLO .2W .2S, Lancaster, NE

Built 2023 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 3,110

82ND STREET

Good

Over: HICKMAN BRANCH TRIB

_, Lancaster, NE

Built 2020 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 139

S 25TH ST

Poor

Over: M BR BIG NEMAHA RI (X 9)

1.2SE OF PRINCETON, Lancaster, NE

Built 1950 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 42

ROCA RD/FAS 3290

Poor

Over: STREAM (R 184)

JCT N2/N43 4S .2W, Lancaster, NE

Built 1958 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 578

PANAMA RD/FAS 3270

Poor

Over: HICKMAN BRANCH (X 129)

JCT US77/S-55G 2S 3E, Lancaster, NE

Built 1963 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 260

PINE LAKE RD

Poor

Over: STEVENS CREEK (Q 110)

1.5W 4N OF BENNET, Lancaster, NE

Built 1970 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 135

MARTELL RD

Poor

Over: STREAM (R 202)

2.5S .2E OF BENNET, Lancaster, NE

Built 1961 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 144

234TH STREET

Poor

Over: WESTERN SARPY BRANCH TRB

2.6S 8.2W SPRINGFIELD, Lancaster, NE

Built 1935 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 2

ADAMS ST/FAU 5250

Poor

Over: I180

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1963 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 7,350

NW 84TH ST/FAS3395

Poor

Over: I80

2W LINCOLN AIRPARK INTRCH, Lancaster, NE

Built 1962 Load: 16.0 t ADT: 885

US6

Poor

Over: STREAM

1E EMERALD, Lancaster, NE

Built 1942 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 4,215

US6

Poor

Over: STREAM

1E EMERALD, Lancaster, NE

Built 1942 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 4,215

W AGNEW RD/FAS3380

Poor

Over: STREAM (D 80)

JCT N79/S-55J 4N 3.6W, Lancaster, NE

Built 1936 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 102

W WAVERLY RD

Poor

Over: OAK CREEK (F 181)

2S OF RAYMOND, Lancaster, NE

Built 1972 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 169

S 27TH ST/FAS 3345

Poor

Over: STREAM (P 27)

JCT N2/N43 .3S 9.3W, Lancaster, NE

Built 1936 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 6,050

S55J RAYMOND SPUR

Poor

Over: NORTH OAK CREEK

JCT N79/S55J .4E, Lancaster, NE

Built 1974 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 1,400

W BRANCHED OAK RD

Poor

Over: LITTLE SALT CR (C 253)

1.5E 1N OF RAYMOND, Lancaster, NE

Built 1940 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 76

W PIONEERS BLVD

Poor

Over: STREAM (N 225)

1E OF CONESTOGA LAKE, Lancaster, NE

Built 1954 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 125

US6

Poor

Over: UP/BNSF RR 815-574-T

IN LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1936 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 11,505

14TH ST

Poor

Over: US6

14TH & CORNHUSKER LINCOLN, Lancaster, NE

Built 1961 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 19,190

N43

Poor

Over: STREAM

0S BENNET, Lancaster, NE

Built 1961 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 2,940

96TH ST

Poor

Over: HICKMAN BRANCH (X 84)

.5E 5N OF FIRTH, Lancaster, NE

Built 1974 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 113

HUNTINGTON AVE

Poor

Over: DEAD MANS RUN

LINCOLN HUNTINGTON @ 35TH, Lancaster, NE

Built 1972 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 6,605

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.