County profile · official public datasets

Nuckolls County, NE

255 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 33.3% rated Good, 57.6% Fair, 9% Poor.

255
Public bridges
33.3%
Good condition
9%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

59th
of 88 on Poor share
9%
Poor-condition share
255
public highway bridges
1979
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.

Nuckolls County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Nuckolls County ranks #59 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 9%). Nuckolls County, Nebraska contains 255 public highway bridges. Roughly 33.3% are rated “Good,” 57.6% “Fair,” and 9% “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

255

Public highway bridges in Nuckolls County

Good condition

33.3%

85 of 255 rated 7-9

Fair condition

57.6%

147 of 255 rated 5-6

Poor condition

9%

23 of 255 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#59 of 88

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

Condition distribution

Share of 255 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
33.3% (85)
Fair
57.6% (147)
Poor
9% (23)

Nuckolls County's Poor-condition bridges carry 3,720 vehicle crossings a day

That is 9.5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 162 crossings a day against 180 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 255 of 255 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

32.2% of Nuckolls County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

82 of the 255 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 33.3% 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 43.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

N14 over OX BOW CREEK, built 1937, carries 1,625 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 23-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 3,720 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Nuckolls County's bridges were built

255 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 51 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 20% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1979) matches the Nebraska average (1977).

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

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

The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Nuckolls County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 9% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1979 against a peer-group mean of 1977 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Nuckolls County and the 5 Nebraska counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Richardson County 258 13.6%
Nuckolls County (this page) 255 9%
Colfax County 252 2%
Wayne County 251 9.6%
Scotts Bluff County 250 5.2%
Seward County 244 7.8%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NE (255 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside NE (1979 here).

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

All 255 Good 85 Fair 147 Poor 23

Fair-condition bridges (147)

ROAD 2700

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

8.5W .2N SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 10

ROAD 2800

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

7.5W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1947 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

FAS 1990 / ROAD D

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

SJCT US136/N14 6.8W 2.5S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1940 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 100

ROAD P

Fair

Over: STREAM

S EDGE NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1979 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

ROAD 3700

Fair

Over: OX BOW CREEK

1E 2.3N NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1983 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 10

ROAD B

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

.2S 5.6W OF SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1947 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 5

ROAD K

Fair

Over: STREAM

4S 2.8E NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 25

ROAD 3500

Fair

Over: WALNUT CREEK

.5W 8N NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 35

ROAD P

Fair

Over: THAWES CREEK

3S 3E OAK, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1947 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 5

ROAD 3700

Fair

Over: OX BOW CREEK

1E 2N NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 7.0 t ADT: 10

ROAD A

Fair

Over: GIMLET CREEK

8W N14 KANSAS SL, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 7.0 t ADT: 15

ROAD 2900

Fair

Over: STREAM

7W 9N OF SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1987 Load: 8.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 1990

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

SJCT US136/N14 10.6W 3S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3S 7.2W NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1994 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 30

FAS 1990

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

SJCT US136/N14 9.8W 3.5S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 25

ROAD 4800

Fair

Over: STREAM

2E 4S RUSKIN, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1989 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 35

ROAD E

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

2N 7W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 30

FAS 1990

Fair

Over: AYERS CREEK

SJCT US136/N14 10.9W 3S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1974 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 25

FAS 1990

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

SJCT US136/N14 10.3W 3.3S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 14.0 t ADT: 25

ROAD P

Fair

Over: STREAM

.4W NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1985 Load: 14.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

5N 9.7W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1978 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: MIDDLE CREEK

7.5W 3.8N SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1981 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: OX BOW CREEK

2.5E 3.5N NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1987 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

3N 8.7W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1979 Load: 16.0 t ADT: 20

ROAD 3800

Fair

Over: OX BOW CREEK

1.5E 2N NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 16.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

4W N14 CLAY CL, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1964 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

2S NORA, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1991 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BLAKELY CREEK

4N .3E SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1989 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

4N 2W OF HARDY, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1990 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 10

ROAD A

Fair

Over: FORSHA CREEK

10E N14 KANSAS SL, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1982 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.5E .4S SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1996 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.8E NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1985 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: ELK CREEK

1.5W OAK, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1981 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7586

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

.5S ANGUS, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1975 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: ELK CREEK

.5W 3.8N NORA, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1982 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 30

FAS 2355

Fair

Over: LIBERTY CREEK

SJCT N4/N14 10W 3S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1970 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 190

COLL 7589

Fair

Over: OAK CREEK

7W 1N OF SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1947 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2N 5W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1991 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 5

FAS 2385

Fair

Over: THAWES CREEK

NJCT US136/N14 10E 2N, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1963 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 210

FAS 2385

Fair

Over: TURTLE CREEK

JCT N4/S-65A 1E 5.7S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1980 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 170

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SUPERIOR CANAL

IN BOSTWICK, Nuckolls, NE

Built 2003 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 70

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

5.5W 1.8N SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1996 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

2N .5W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1985 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 60

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: WALNUT CREEK

6E 1.1N LAWRENCE, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1990 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: OX BOW CREEK

.5W 2N NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1947 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: S FK BIG SANDY CREEK

2.5N 4E ANGUS, Nuckolls, NE

Built 2003 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.8S RUSKIN, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1986 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35

ROAD A

Fair

Over: FORSHA CREEK

11E N14 KANSAS SL, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.2E SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1991 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 10

N8

Fair

Over: REPUBLICAN RIVER TRIB

3E SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1941 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 1,035

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.