County profile · official public datasets

Saunders County, NE

506 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 27.7% rated Good, 64% Fair, 8.3% Poor.

506
Public bridges
27.7%
Good condition
8.3%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Saunders 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.

56th
of 88 on Poor share
8.3%
Poor-condition share
506
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.

Saunders County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Saunders County ranks #56 of 88 Nebraska counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 8.3%). Saunders County, Nebraska contains 506 public highway bridges. Roughly 27.7% are rated “Good,” 64% “Fair,” and 8.3% “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

506

Public highway bridges in Saunders County

Good condition

27.7%

140 of 506 rated 7-9

Fair condition

64%

324 of 506 rated 5-6

Poor condition

8.3%

42 of 506 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#56 of 88

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

Condition distribution

Share of 506 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
27.7% (140)
Fair
64% (324)
Poor
8.3% (42)

Saunders County's Poor-condition bridges carry 1,895 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0.7% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 8.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 45 crossings a day against 1,134 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 506 of 506 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

52.2% of Saunders County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

264 of the 506 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 27.7% 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 14.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

COLL 7841 over STREAM, built 1965, carries 280 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 42-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 1,895 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Saunders County's bridges were built

506 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1930s, when 102 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 20.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 85 to 94 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 Saunders County compares with Nebraska's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Nebraska counties nearest Saunders County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 8.3% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1972 against a peer-group mean of 1982 is 10 years older.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Saunders County and the 5 Nebraska counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Douglas County 509 2.9%
Saunders County (this page) 506 8.3%
Buffalo County 459 1.7%
Platte County 433 4.8%
Cuming County 402 2%
Gage County 394 8.1%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NE (506 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.

Fair-condition bridges (324)

FAS 3430

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT US77/N109 5N .3W, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 175

COLL 7842

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.7N 2.2E OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 1955 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 140

COLL 7842

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.7N 2.7E OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 2005 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 140

COUNTY ROAD 29

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK WAHOO CREEK

3.2S 2W OF PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5S 1E WANN, Saunders, NE

Built 2008 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 30

MAIN ST/FAS 3390

Fair

Over: HOBSONS BRANCH

CERESCO MAIN @ US77, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 1,250

US77/N92

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK TRIB

7NE WAHOO, Saunders, NE

Built 1926 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 8,520

N92

Fair

Over: WAHOO CREEK N FK TRIB

6W WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1924 Load: 22.0 t ADT: 3,240

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.5N .2E OF PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1990 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

3E .25S SWEDEBURG, Saunders, NE

Built 2000 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 30

ROAD V

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

2S .8E OF CEDAR BLUFFS, Saunders, NE

Built 1976 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 45

N66

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

4N ASHLAND, Saunders, NE

Built 1956 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,620

N79

Fair

Over: STREAM

0S PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1967 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,400

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

5N 1E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1940 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: WAHOO CREEK

5.2N 1E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1955 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

ROAD 25

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK TRIB

1.5N 3E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 2018 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MILLER BRANCH

3W .7N OF SWEDEBURG, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 3410

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

SJCT US77/N92 4E, Saunders, NE

Built 1978 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 165

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

.7N 2.7W OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 1990 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

COLL 7851

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

1.5N 3W OF COLON, Saunders, NE

Built 1967 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MILLERS BRANCH

4.1E OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MEMPHIS LAKE

WEST SIDE MEMPHIS LAKE, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 65

Y ROAD

Fair

Over: SKULL CREEK

16N N92 BUTLER CL, Saunders, NE

Built 2000 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

N79

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

4N PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1967 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 1,495

COUNTY ROAD Q

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

1W OF COLON, Saunders, NE

Built 1966 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 70

FAS 3405

Fair

Over: WAHOO CREEK

SJCT US77/N92 4W .9S, Saunders, NE

Built 1980 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 105

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MOSQUITO CREEK

6E .9N OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 1960 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 3365

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

JCT US77/N63 6E .5S, Saunders, NE

Built 1987 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 165

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

.7N 3.5W OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 1980 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 40

ROAD H

Fair

Over: WAHOO CREEK TRIB

.7W OF ITHACA, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 70

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.9S 1.7E OF LESHARA, Saunders, NE

Built 1955 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

1N .2E OF ITHACA, Saunders, NE

Built 1985 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 35

N79

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

1N PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1967 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 1,495

N92

Fair

Over: UPPER CLEAR CREEK

0E YUTAN, Saunders, NE

Built 1960 Load: 25.0 t ADT: 9,110

COLL 7762

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

3N 5.5E OF PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1965 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: N FK WAHOO CREEK

2S 2.6W OF MALMO, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 60

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: DUNLAP CREEK

4.5W OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1945 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MILLER BRANCH

2.5S 1.2E OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1999 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: NORTH OAK CREEK

2.2N 1.6W OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1989 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 55

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

5.5S 2.7E OF ITHACA, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 60

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: N FK WAHOO CREEK

2.2N .5W OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

Y ROAD

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

16N N92 BUTLER CL, Saunders, NE

Built 1972 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

3N 3E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1975 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 45

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

.5SE OF COLON, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 65

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: WAHOO CREEK

1NE OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1986 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.5W 3N OF MEAD, Saunders, NE

Built 1991 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 3420

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

JCT N92/S-78E 4N .4W, Saunders, NE

Built 1981 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 30

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

.7N 3.9W OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 2004 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7837

Fair

Over: STREAM

3W OF PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 1970 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 20

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

3S 2E OF MORSE BLUFF, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 50
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.