County profile · official public datasets

McKinley County, NM

289 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 36.7% rated Good, 55% Fair, 8.3% Poor.

289
Public bridges
36.7%
Good condition
8.3%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

29th
of 32 on Poor share
8.3%
Poor-condition share
289
public highway bridges
1976
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.

McKinley County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, McKinley County ranks #29 of 32 New Mexico counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 8.3%). McKinley County, New Mexico contains 289 public highway bridges. Roughly 36.7% are rated “Good,” 55% “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

289

Public highway bridges in McKinley County

Good condition

36.7%

106 of 289 rated 7-9

Fair condition

55%

159 of 289 rated 5-6

Poor condition

8.3%

24 of 289 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#29 of 32

Among New Mexico counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 289 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
36.7% (106)
Fair
55% (159)
Poor
8.3% (24)

McKinley County's Poor-condition bridges carry 62,266 vehicle crossings a day

That is 2.3% 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 2,594 crossings a day against 9,523 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 289 of 289 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

50.2% of McKinley County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

145 of the 289 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 36.7% 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 38.7% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I-40 WBL over GOV ORD BASE/LOCAL RD., built 1963, carries 24,086 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 62,266 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When McKinley County's bridges were built

289 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 53 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 18.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1976) matches the New Mexico average (1973).

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

How McKinley County compares with New Mexico's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 New Mexico counties nearest McKinley 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 1976 against a peer-group mean of 1973 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 31 New Mexico counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for McKinley County and the 5 New Mexico counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
McKinley County (this page) 289 8.3%
Doña Ana County 261 3.1%
Santa Fe County 255 1.6%
Socorro County 188 7.4%
Sandoval County 182 4.9%
San Miguel County 175 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 McKinley 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 McKinley County, both outside New Mexico so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside NM (289 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside NM (1976 here).

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

All 289 Good 106 Fair 159 Poor 24

All bridges (289)

I-40 WB

Good

Over: NM-118

12.7 Mi E of NM/AZ Line, McKinley, NM

Built 2007 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 23,872

I-40 WB

Good

Over: County Road 20

15.3 Mi E of NM/AZ Line, McKinley, NM

Built 2007 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 23,872

I-40 EB

Good

Over: County Road 20

15.3 Mi E of NM/Ariz Line, McKinley, NM

Built 2007 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 23,872

IRR/NM-602

Good

Over: RIO NUTRIA

1.6 Mi N of NM-53, McKinley, NM

Built 2007 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 1,109

IRR/US-491

Good

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

7.6 MI N OF TOHATCHI, McKinley, NM

Built 2018 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 5,746

IRR/US-491

Good

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

3.7 MI N OF TOHATCHI, McKinley, NM

Built 2018 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 5,746

I-40 WBL

Good

Over: SALT WATER WASH

11.4 M EAST OF ARIZ LINE, McKinley, NM

Built 1960 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 23,872

I-40 EBL

Good

Over: SALT WATER WASH

11.4 M EAST OF ARIZ LINE, McKinley, NM

Built 1960 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 23,872

IRR/US-491

Good

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

20.6 MI N OF I-40, McKinley, NM

Built 2018 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 5,457

I-40 WBL

Good

Over: MANUELITO CREEK

4.9 MI E OF ARIZ ST LINE, McKinley, NM

Built 2020 Load: 52.4 t ADT: 17,586

I-40 EBL

Good

Over: MANUELITO CREEK

4.9 MI E OF ARIZ ST LINE, McKinley, NM

Built 2020 Load: 52.4 t ADT: 17,586

31-003A

Good

Over: RIO PUERCO

0.2 MI N OF NM-118/GALLUP, McKinley, NM

Built 2018 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 2,621

I-40 WBL

Good

Over: NM-118

Jct I-40/NM-118 Gallup, McKinley, NM

Built 1993 Load: 55.0 t ADT: 17,255

NM-118

Good

Over: I-40 EBLS/WBLS mp 36.8

I-40 Exit 36, McKinley, NM

Built 2014 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 236

NM-610

Good

Over: Little Rio Puerco

120 S of HillSt/Gal., McKinley, NM

Built 2016 Load: 81.6 t ADT: 8,096

UNKNOWN ROAD

Poor

Over: UNKNOWN CREEK

1.4 KM SW OF BRIDGE 00144, McKinley, NM

Built 1943 ADT: 5

UNKNOWN ROAD

Poor

Over: UNKNOWN CREEK

1.5 KM NE OF BRIDGE 00145, McKinley, NM

Built 1943 ADT: 5

UNKNOWN ROAD

Poor

Over: UNKNOWN CREEK

2.9 KM NW OF BRIDGE 00143, McKinley, NM

Built 1943 ADT: 5

FDR 151

Poor

Over: MILK RANCH CR

6.25-mi S/O NM-400/1-40, McKinley, NM

Built 1995 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 150

IRR BIA RTE N108

Poor

Over: WASH

IN TOHATCHI N.M., McKinley, NM

Built 1976 Load: 6.7 t ADT: 900

IRR BIA RTE N9504

Poor

Over: FIQUERDO WASH

SOUTH EDGE NAKAIBITO NM, McKinley, NM

Built 1976 Load: 6.7 t ADT: 140

31-Z001

Poor

Over: MEXICAN SPR WASH

2.8 MI W US-491 @ MP-17.9, McKinley, NM

Built 1991 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 318

31-0009

Poor

Over: DEATH WASH

2.3 MI W US-491 @ MP-5.35, McKinley, NM

Built 1992 Load: 8.1 t ADT: 757

31-MC23

Poor

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

4.0 MI W NM-605 @ MP-10.6, McKinley, NM

Built 1975 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 475

31-Z002

Poor

Over: BREAD SPRINGS WASH

0.6 MI W NM-602/RED ROCK, McKinley, NM

Built 1976 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 318

31-Z001

Poor

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

NM-602 at MP 22.9, McKinley, NM

Built 1987 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 318

31-0004

Poor

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

North of NM-118 @MP6.8, McKinley, NM

Built 1975 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 318

31-0049

Poor

Over: RIO PUERCO OF THE WEST

8.3 MI N OF NM-566, McKinley, NM

Built 1988 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 169

31-Z043

Poor

Over: RIO PUERCO

0.1 MI N NM-118 /E GALLUP, McKinley, NM

Built 1972 Load: 14.6 t ADT: 318

31-MC43

Poor

Over: NOSE ROCK WASH

3.1 MI NW ON NM-566, McKinley, NM

Built 1977 Load: 14.6 t ADT: 318

UNKNOWN ROAD

Poor

Over: UNKNOWN CREEK

1.4 KM NE OF BRIDGE 00143, McKinley, NM

Built 1943 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 5

EAST ESACPE ROAD

Poor

Over: UNKNOWN CREEK

4.3 KM SE OF BRIDGE 00070, McKinley, NM

Built 1943 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 5

NAVAJO BLVD

Poor

Over: SOUTH FORK PUERCO RIVER

NORTH GATE, McKinley, NM

Built 1943 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 5

NM-566

Poor

Over: Rio Puerco/BNSF R/R

0.1 MI N OF NM-118, McKinley, NM

Built 1969 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 3,241

NM-566

Poor

Over: RIO PUERCO (NORTH FORK)

6.5 MI N OF NM-118, McKinley, NM

Built 1970 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 3,241

IRR BIA RTE N9660

Poor

Over: WASH

SOUTHEAST OF TWIN LAKES, McKinley, NM

Built 1989 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 83

IRR BIA RTE N11

Poor

Over: PINEDALE WASH

2.0 MI WEST OF PINEDALE, McKinley, NM

Built 1985 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 3,000

I-40 WBL

Poor

Over: GOV ORD BASE/LOCAL RD.

9.2 MI E OF JCT US-491, McKinley, NM

Built 1963 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 24,086

I-40 EBL

Poor

Over: GOV ORD BASE/LOCAL RD.

9.2 MI E OF JCT US-491, McKinley, NM

Built 1963 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 24,086

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.