Total bridges
127
Public highway bridges in Elk County
County profile · official public datasets
Elk County, PA
127 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 39.4% rated Good, 49.6% Fair, 11% Poor.
- 127
- Public bridges
- 39.4%
- Good condition
- 11%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Elk County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- Top 43%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 11%
- Poor-condition share
- 127
- public highway bridges
- 1973
- 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.
Elk County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Elk County ranks #29 of 67 Pennsylvania counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 11%). Elk County, Pennsylvania contains 127 public highway bridges. Roughly 39.4% are rated “Good,” 49.6% “Fair,” and 11% “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
39.4%
50 of 127 rated 7-9
Fair condition
49.6%
63 of 127 rated 5-6
Poor condition
11%
14 of 127 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#29 of 67
Among Pennsylvania counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 127 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 39.4% (50)
Fair 49.6% (63)
Poor 11% (14)
Elk County's Poor-condition bridges carry 5,218 vehicle crossings a day
That is 2.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 11% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 373 crossings a day against 1,432 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 127 of 127 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
48% of Elk County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
61 of the 127 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 39.4% 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 47.3% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
SR 153-PA 153 over TOBY CREEK, built 1961, carries 2,467 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 14-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 5,218 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Elk County's bridges were built
127 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- pre-1900 2
Built before 1900
2 bridges
- 1900s 3
1900–1909
3 bridges
- 1910s 3
1910–1919
3 bridges
- 1920s 3
1920–1929
3 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
14 bridges
- 1940s
1940–1949
9 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
10 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
12 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
9 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
10 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
17 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
12 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
18 bridges
- 2020s 5
2020–2029
5 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 2010s, when 18 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 14.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 5 to 14 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1973) matches the Pennsylvania average (1970).
How Elk County compares with Pennsylvania's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Pennsylvania counties nearest Elk County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 11% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1973 against a peer-group mean of 1968 is 5 years newer.
Showing the 5 closest of 66 Pennsylvania counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 158 | 35.4% | 38.6% | 25.9% | 1971 |
| Wyoming County | 140 | 42.1% | 35% | 22.9% | 1973 |
| Carbon County | 134 | 20.9% | 60.4% | 18.7% | 1960 |
| Elk County (this page) | 127 | 39.4% | 49.6% | 11% | 1973 |
| Sullivan County | 119 | 43.7% | 47.1% | 9.2% | 1967 |
| Montour County | 108 | 50% | 44.4% | 5.6% | 1968 |
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 Elk 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 Elk County, both outside Pennsylvania so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside PA (127 bridges here).
- Yuba County, CA · 127 bridges
- Jefferson County, ID · 127 bridges
- Harrison County, IN · 127 bridges
- Vermillion County, IN · 127 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside PA (1973 here).
- Jefferson County, AL · avg 1973 · 1,068 bridges
- Erie County, NY · avg 1973 · 906 bridges
- Davidson County, TN · avg 1973 · 832 bridges
- Sacramento County, CA · avg 1973 · 740 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (63)
NFSR 135
FairOver: BIG MILL CREEK
AT INTERSECTION NFSR 143, Elk, PA
Built 2010 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 50
FR 131
FairOver: MUDDY FORK
4.1 MILE FROM SR 3002, Elk, PA
Built 1933 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 10
SR 4007
FairOver: W BRANCH CLARION RIVER
JOHNSONBURG BORO, Elk, PA
Built 1974 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,344
ON TSR 301
FairOver: WYNCOOP RUN
BELLTOWN, Elk, PA
Built 1894 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 191
FR 339
FairOver: BEAR RUN
1.8 MILES E OF FR 136, Elk, PA
Built 1986 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 5
T-322 PIGS EAR RD.
FairOver: EAST BRANCH SPRING CREEK
1.2 MI SOUTH OF RT 66 JCT, Elk, PA
Built 1900 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 69
SR 4007
FairOver: SILVER CREEK
JOHNSONBURG BORO, Elk, PA
Built 1970 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 512
SR 948-PA 948
FairOver: CLARION RIVER
REAR ADMIRAL PAUL H. SPEE, Elk, PA
Built 1975 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 6,743
SR 120-PA 120
FairOver: ELK CREEK
3 MILES EAST OF RIDGWAY, Elk, PA
Built 1948 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 3,322
SR 255-PA 255
FairOver: POWERS RUN
1 MI E JOHNSONBURG, Elk, PA
Built 1931 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 4,062
T-427
FairOver: DENTS RUN
0.5 MI NW OF SR 555 INT, Elk, PA
Built 1997 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 59
EAST HICKS RUN RD
FairOver: EAST BRANCH HICKS RUN
1 MI NW BARR HOLLOW RD, Elk, PA
Built 1997 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 15
SR 321-PA 321
FairOver: WEST BRANCH CLARION R
WILCOX, Elk, PA
Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,168
SR 1008
FairOver: BEAR RUN
3 MI W RATHBUN, Elk, PA
Built 1935 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,287
SR 1008
FairOver: NORTH FORK CREEK
1 MI W RATHBUN, Elk, PA
Built 1935 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 175
SR 153-PA 153
FairOver: BEAR RUN
1 MI SW CHALLENGE, Elk, PA
Built 1961 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,467
SR 948-PA 948
FairOver: LITTLE MILL CREEK
MONTMORENCI, Elk, PA
Built 1937 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,172
SR 1003
FairOver: ELK CREEK
1 MI N ST MARYS, Elk, PA
Built 1958 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 4,746
SR 120-PA 120
FairOver: LAUREL RUN
2 MI W ST MARYS, Elk, PA
Built 1949 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,322
SR 120-PA 120
FairOver: ELK CREEK
CITY OF ST MARYS, Elk, PA
Built 1935 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,042
SR 948-PA 948
FairOver: MILL CREEK
4 MI NW MONTMORENCI, Elk, PA
Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,172
T-331 BOGGY RUN RD
FairOver: LITTLE TOBY CREEK
420 FT SOUTH OF SR 219, Elk, PA
Built 1911 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 234
T-335 (ELBON ROAD)
FairOver: BRANDY CAMP CREEK
500 FT EAST OF SR 219, Elk, PA
Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300
T-351 Water St Ex
FairOver: LITTLE MILL CREEK
WATER ST. EXTENSION, Elk, PA
Built 1999 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 681
SR 66-PA 66
FairOver: S BR TIONESTA CREEK
JAMES CITY, Elk, PA
Built 1932 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 1,657
SR 219-US 219
FairOver: JOHNSON RUN
CHALLENGE, Elk, PA
Built 1965 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 6,582
SR 2003
FairOver: BRANDY CAMP CREEK
CHALLENGE, Elk, PA
Built 1953 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 2,178
SR 120-PA 120
FairOver: MILL CREEK
DAGUSCAHONDA, Elk, PA
Built 1947 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 3,322
SR 2013
FairOver: TOBY CREEK
3 MI NE CHALLENGE, Elk, PA
Built 1952 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 60
SR 3001
FairOver: CLARION RIVER
BELLTOWN, Elk, PA
Built 1961 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 742
SR 3002
FairOver: SPRING CREEK
1 MI NW HALLTON, Elk, PA
Built 1901 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 86
T-364 (DAHOGA RD)
FairOver: HOFFMAN RUN
1000FT SW OF DAHOGA, Elk, PA
Built 1990 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 134
T-368 HORNER ROAD
FairOver: W BRANCH CLARION RIVER
600FT WEST OF US219 INTER, Elk, PA
Built 1930 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 50
SR 1001
FairOver: CROOKED CREEK
GLEN HAZEL, Elk, PA
Built 1973 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 654
T-307 (SPRING CR)
FairOver: BEAR CREEK
2.8 MILE WEST OF SR 3002, Elk, PA
Built 1925 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 200
SR 1003
FairOver: ELK CREEK
1 MI N ST MARYS, Elk, PA
Built 1958 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,068
SR 2219-US 219 TR
FairOver: SR 120-PA 120 ELK CREEK
1 MILE EAST OF RIDGWAY, Elk, PA
Built 1987 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 517
SR 321-PA 321
FairOver: HIGH PRESSURE GAS LINES
DAHOGA, Elk, PA
Built 1975 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 2,168
SR 1008
FairOver: WEST CREEK
RATHBUN, Elk, PA
Built 1963 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 175
T-350 BRIDGE STR.
FairOver: ELK CREEK
126FT N OF SR 120 INTER, Elk, PA
Built 1990 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 430
4TH STREET
FairOver: ELK CREEK
450FT NW OF SR 120 INT, Elk, PA
Built 2000 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 3,569
SR 120-PA 120
FairOver: IRON RUN
CITY OF ST MARYS, Elk, PA
Built 1949 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 4,411
SR 219-US 219
FairOver: KARNES RUN
BRANDY CAMP, Elk, PA
Built 1965 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 4,668
SR 949-PA 949
FairOver: ISLAND RUN
2 MI SW RIDGWAY, Elk, PA
Built 1959 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 397
SR 4001
FairOver: ALYWORTH RUN
RIDGWAY, Elk, PA
Built 1987 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 748
SR 2219-US 219 TR
FairOver: BUFFALO & PITTSBURGH RR
1 MI EAST RIDGWAY, Elk, PA
Built 1987 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 517
SR 1001
FairOver: EAST BR CLARION RIVER
GLEN HAZEL, Elk, PA
Built 1977 Load: 48.1 t ADT: 481
SR 1009
FairOver: EAST BR CLARION RIVER
JOHNSONBURG BORO, Elk, PA
Built 1959 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 3,245
SR 120-PA 120
FairOver: ELK CREEK
CITY OF ST MARYS, Elk, PA
Built 1957 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 10,759
T-410 REDWOOD AVE
FairOver: BENNETT BR SINNEMAHONING
1200 FT NE OF SR 255 INTE, Elk, PA
Built 1988 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 250
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.