Total bridges
177
Public highway bridges in Pierce County
County profile · official public datasets
Pierce County, NE
177 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 39% rated Good, 47.5% Fair, 13.6% Poor.
- 177
- Public bridges
- 39%
- Good condition
- 13.6%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Pierce County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.
- 74th
- of 88 on Poor share
- 13.6%
- Poor-condition share
- 177
- public highway bridges
- 1968
- 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.
Pierce County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Pierce County ranks #74 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 13.6%). Pierce County, Nebraska contains 177 public highway bridges. Roughly 39% are rated “Good,” 47.5% “Fair,” and 13.6% “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.
Good condition
39%
69 of 177 rated 7-9
Fair condition
47.5%
84 of 177 rated 5-6
Poor condition
13.6%
24 of 177 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#74 of 88
Among Nebraska counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 177 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 39% (69)
Fair 47.5% (84)
Poor 13.6% (24)
Pierce County's Poor-condition bridges carry 7,900 vehicle crossings a day
That is 6.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 13.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 329 crossings a day against 1,133 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 177 of 177 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
50.8% of Pierce County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
90 of the 177 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 39% 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 53.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
US81 over YANKTON SLOUGH TRIB, built 1938, carries 4,245 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 24-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 7,900 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Pierce County's bridges were built
177 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1910s 9
1910–1919
9 bridges
- 1920s 1
1920–1929
1 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
59 bridges
- 1940s 2
1940–1949
2 bridges
- 1950s 7
1950–1959
7 bridges
- 1960s 8
1960–1969
8 bridges
- 1970s 17
1970–1979
17 bridges
- 1980s 11
1980–1989
11 bridges
- 1990s 21
1990–1999
21 bridges
- 2000s 17
2000–2009
17 bridges
- 2010s 12
2010–2019
12 bridges
- 2020s 13
2020–2029
13 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1930s, when 59 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 33.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 85 to 94 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1968, 9 years older than the Nebraska average of 1977.
How Pierce County compares with Nebraska's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Pierce County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 13.6% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1968 against a peer-group mean of 1972 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 87 Nebraska counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nemaha County | 179 | 44.1% | 19.6% | 36.3% | 1967 |
| Pierce County (this page) | 177 | 39% | 47.5% | 13.6% | 1968 |
| Hamilton County | 175 | 32% | 56% | 12% | 1965 |
| Johnson County | 173 | 47.4% | 27.2% | 25.4% | 1971 |
| Merrick County | 173 | 65.3% | 26% | 8.7% | 1976 |
| Burt County | 169 | 36.7% | 60.4% | 3% | 1983 |
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 Pierce 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 Pierce County, both outside Nebraska so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside NE (177 bridges here).
- Hale County, AL · 177 bridges
- Macon County, AL · 177 bridges
- Washington County, AL · 177 bridges
- Seminole County, FL · 177 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside NE (1968 here).
- Montgomery County, PA · avg 1968 · 828 bridges
- San Joaquin County, CA · avg 1968 · 644 bridges
- Providence County, RI · avg 1968 · 476 bridges
- Imperial County, CA · avg 1968 · 444 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (177)
549 AVE
FairOver: E BR N FK ELKHORN RIVER
2.5E OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 40
554 AVE
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
1.2N OF HADAR, Pierce, NE
Built 1920 Load: 4.0 t ADT: 50
556 AVE
FairOver: STREAM
3.5N 6E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1914 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30
552 AVE
FairOver: YANKTON SLOUGH
4N 2E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30
857 ROAD
FairOver: STREAM
3N 5.5E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1910 Load: 6.0 t ADT: 25
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: WILLOW CREEK
9S US20 ANTELOPE CL, Pierce, NE
Built 1987 Load: 7.0 t ADT: 10
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: DRY CREEK
2N OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 8.0 t ADT: 40
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
4S 2.5E OF MCLEAN, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 9.0 t ADT: 25
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
5S US20 ANTELOPE CL, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 10.0 t ADT: 35
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
1N OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 20
547 AVE
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
.7NE OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 80
552 AVE
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
1S 2E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 25
STATE STREET
FairOver: STREAM
OSMOND STATE @ CHESTNUT, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 100
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
2.5S OF PLAINVIEW, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 35
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
4S 4.2E OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 15
FAS 2945
FairOver: STREAM
JCT N13/N121 2.2N 3W, Pierce, NE
Built 1959 Load: 14.0 t ADT: 70
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
3S OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 14.0 t ADT: 25
COLL 7647
FairOver: STREAM
18S US20 ANTELOPE CL, Pierce, NE
Built 1971 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 30
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
.2E OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 100
553 AVE
FairOver: HADAR CREEK
.5SW OF HADAR, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 60
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
2.5N 4E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1973 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 40
STATE STREET
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
OSMOND STATE @ CHESTNUT, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 15.0 t ADT: 100
COLL 7703
FairOver: DRY CREEK
2.5SE OF PLAINVIEW, Pierce, NE
Built 1979 Load: 16.0 t ADT: 50
FAS 2935
FairOver: STREAM
JCT US20/N13 .3E 4.1S, Pierce, NE
Built 1969 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 210
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
5S 1.2W OF MCLEAN, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 40
COLL 7714
FairOver: HADAR CREEK
.1W HADAR, Pierce, NE
Built 1980 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 75
N13
FairOver: DRY CREEK
6NW FOSTER, Pierce, NE
Built 1939 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 1,395
COLL 7647
FairOver: STREAM
18S US20 ANTELOPE CL, Pierce, NE
Built 1971 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 30
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
5.5E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1981 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 45
858 ROAD
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
.5S 4.5E OF FOSTER, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 15
857 ROAD
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
3N 1.2W OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 40
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: YANKTON SLOUGH
1N 1E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 40
854TH RD
FairOver: ELKHORN RIVER N FK TRIB
.5N 7.7E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 165
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
6S 4.2E OF MCLEAN, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 40
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
1NE OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 80
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: N FK ELKHORN RIVER
1W US81 MADISON CL, Pierce, NE
Built 1989 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 50
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: W BR N FK ELKHORN RIVER
2N 3W OF OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1978 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 35
COLL 7716
FairOver: STREAM
NJCT US81/N98 3N 3.3E, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 80
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: W BR N FK ELKHORN RIVER
1.5E 4N OF BRESLAU, Pierce, NE
Built 1979 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 25
ROAD 541
FairOver: STREAM
5.2N OF BRESLAU, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35
FAS 2945
FairOver: W BR N FK ELKHORN RIVER
EJCT US20/N121 5W .3N, Pierce, NE
Built 1975 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 785
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: YANKTON SLOUGH
3N 1.5E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 35
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: WILLOW CREEK
6.5S OF FOSTER, Pierce, NE
Built 1994 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 25
COUNTY HIGHWAY
FairOver: STREAM
3S 1W OSMOND, Pierce, NE
Built 1995 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 40
FAS 2850
FairOver: STREAM
JCT US81/N13 .1E, Pierce, NE
Built 1981 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 555
N13
FairOver: ELKHORN R OVERFLOW
.6E HADAR, Pierce, NE
Built 1975 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 3,970
N13
FairOver: SOUTH DRY CREEK
6NW FOSTER, Pierce, NE
Built 1940 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 1,395
N13
FairOver: DRY CREEK
7NW FOSTER, Pierce, NE
Built 1939 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 1,395
US81
FairOver: STREAM
4N NORFOLK, Pierce, NE
Built 1938 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 8,565
COUNTY HIGHWAY 541
FairOver: BRESLAU CREEK
.7N OF BRESLAU, Pierce, NE
Built 1935 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 100
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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.