County profile · official public datasets

Bell County, TX

660 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 54.7% rated Good, 45% Fair, 0.3% Poor.

660
Public bridges
54.7%
Good condition
0.3%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Bell County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across large county bridge inventory.

Top 37%
lowest Poor share in state
0.3%
Poor-condition share
660
public highway bridges
1984
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.

Bell County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Bell County ranks #92 of 247 Texas counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 0.3%). Bell County, Texas contains 660 public highway bridges. Roughly 54.7% are rated “Good,” 45% “Fair,” and 0.3% “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

660

Public highway bridges in Bell County

Good condition

54.7%

361 of 660 rated 7-9

Fair condition

45%

297 of 660 rated 5-6

Poor condition

0.3%

2 of 660 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#92 of 247

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

Condition distribution

Share of 660 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
54.7% (361)
Fair
45% (297)
Poor
0.3% (2)

Bell County's Poor-condition bridges carry 6,071 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 0.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 3,036 crossings a day against 14,031 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 660 of 660 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

34.4% of Bell County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

227 of the 660 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 54.7% 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 94.4% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

SH 95 over DARRS CREEK, built 1922, carries 5,733 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 2-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 6,071 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Bell County's bridges were built

660 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 127 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1984) matches the Texas average (1980).

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

How Bell County compares with Texas's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Texas counties nearest Bell County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 0.3% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1984 against a peer-group mean of 1988 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 246 Texas counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Bell County and the 5 Texas counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
El Paso County 783 0.8%
McLennan County 714 2%
Montgomery County 710 0.7%
Ellis County 691 1.6%
Bell County (this page) 660 0.3%
Brazoria County 618 2.4%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside TX (660 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside TX (1984 here).

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

All 660 Good 361 Fair 297 Poor 2

Good-condition bridges (361)

FM 2670

Good

Over: GANN BRANCH

3.95 MI W OF SH 195, Bell, TX

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,148

FM 1123

Good

Over: SALADO CREEK

4.10 MI. SOUTH OF FM 436, Bell, TX

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 800

FM 2268

Good

Over: CAMPBELL BRANCH

0.10 MI N. OF T ARNOLD RD, Bell, TX

Built 2021 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,681

FM 439

Good

Over: LEON RIVER TRIBUTARY

1.50 MI NW OF SH 317, Bell, TX

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,094

FM 2410

Good

Over: LITTLE NOLAN CREEK

0.5 MI S OF BU 190, Bell, TX

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21,582

FM 2410

Good

Over: SPROTT BRANCH

0.25 MI W OF FM 3481, Bell, TX

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 36,870

FM 93

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK

0.1 MI East of US 190, Bell, TX

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,528

LP 121

Good

Over: NOLAN CREEK

0.60 MI N OF FM 93, Bell, TX

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14,589

BERGER RD

Good

Over: PECAN CRK #610

0.25 MI N OF FM 438, Bell, TX

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

STONE ROAD

Good

Over: CAMP CREEK

0.50 MI N OF SH 53, Bell, TX

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 132

BIG ELM CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: CAMP CREEK

0.50 MI S OF FM 940, Bell, TX

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

STALLION ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE ELM CREEK BRANCH

2.20 MI SE OF HEIDENHEIMR, Bell, TX

Built 1999 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 133

OLD HWY 95

Good

Over: BOGGY CREEK BRANCH

0.45 MI S OF FM 93, Bell, TX

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,623

SUNSHINE ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE RIVER

3.80 MI E OF SH 95, Bell, TX

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 112

APPLE CIDER ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB OF BIG ELM CREEK

0.45 MI S OF FM 438, Bell, TX

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 65

BACKSTRUM CROSSING

Good

Over: S NOLAN CRK #109

0.10 MI N OF FM 93, Bell, TX

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

ELM GROVE ROAD

Good

Over: LAMPASAS RIVER

1.55 MI S OF FM 436, Bell, TX

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 452

DOVE ROAD

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK

1.2 MI SW OF FM 107, Bell, TX

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

SHORT CUT ROAD

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

0.1 MI S OF FM 2086, Bell, TX

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

EAST AMITY RD

Good

Over: SALADO CREEK #60

2.20 Mi East OF IH 35, Bell, TX

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 330

BCR 5318 (W VIL RD

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK #652

0.25 MI W OF IH 35, Bell, TX

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 644

HARBER ROAD

Good

Over: SOUTH DARRS CREEK

0.80 MI N OF LINDEMANN RD, Bell, TX

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 85

OAKALLA ROAD

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

0.20 MI NE OF BURNET C/L, Bell, TX

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 267

OLD WACO ROAD

Good

Over: KINGS BRANCH

1.0 Mi N of FM 1237, Bell, TX

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,907

EAST AVE H

Good

Over: BNSF & MKT RR

1.90 MI E OF IH 35, Bell, TX

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,946

WEST ELMS ROAD

Good

Over: SOUTH NOLAN CREEK TRIB

0.01 MI W OF ROBINETT RD, Bell, TX

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 200

SOUTH PENELOPE ST

Good

Over: NOLAN CREEK

0.10 MI S OF CENTRAL AVE, Bell, TX

Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,230

TOLL BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: LAMPASAS RI #48BEL

1.55 MI SE OF IH 35, Bell, TX

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 200

WEST 9TH AVENUNE

Good

Over: NOLAN CREEK

0.25 EAST OF N. LOOP 121, Bell, TX

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,310

ROY REYNOLDS DRIVE

Good

Over: SOUTH NOLAN CREEK

0.45 MI N OF US 190 BU, Bell, TX

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,221

BELL STREET

Good

Over: KINGS BRANCH

0.05 MI E OF CYPRESS ST, Bell, TX

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 340

58TH ST

Good

Over: PAVED DITCH

S TANK DESTROYER BLVD INT, Bell, TX

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 300

S 62ND ST

Good

Over: PAVED DITCH

W BLDG 4510, Bell, TX

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

STORCK RD

Good

Over: PAVED CHANNEL

B/W SMITH RD & GROFF ST, Bell, TX

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

TANK DESTROYER

Good

Over: PAVED CHANNEL

E/O 31ST ST, Bell, TX

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,000

S RANGE RD

Good

Over: LAKE DRAINAGE

N/O TANK WASH LAKE, Bell, TX

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

W RANGE RD

Good

Over: HENSON CREEK

W RANGE RD, Bell, TX

Built 1952 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 50

IH 35 NBFR

Good

Over: NOLAN CREEK

0.70 MI SW OF FM 93, Bell, TX

Built 1975 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 1,590

US 190

Good

Over: BRANCH OF S NOLAN CREEK

0.31 MI W OF FM 439, Bell, TX

Built 1939 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 17,521

US 190 EBML

Good

Over: SOUTH NOLAN CREEK RELIEF

1.47 MI E OF FM 3423, Bell, TX

Built 1976 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 26,140

US 190 WBFR

Good

Over: SOUTH NOLAN CREEK RELIEF

1.47 MI E OF FM 3423, Bell, TX

Built 1976 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 570

SOUTH 2ND STREET

Good

Over: SOUTH NOLAN CREEK

0.10 MI S OF US 190 BU, Bell, TX

Built 1961 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 5,150

IH 35 SBML

Good

Over: LEON RIVER

0.1 MI NE OF FM 93, Bell, TX

Built 1975 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 52,330

US 190 WBFR

Good

Over: SOUTH NOLAN CREEK RELIEF

1.68 MI E OF FM 439, Bell, TX

Built 1977 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 47,990

FM 3117

Good

Over: BUG BRANCH

2.20 MI S OF SH 53, Bell, TX

Built 1969 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 537

CLEAR CREEK RD

Good

Over: STORM DRAINAGE

WEST OF LAKE HENRY, Bell, TX

Built 2020 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 100

FM 817

Good

Over: PEPPER CREEK

1.90 MI NE OF FM 93, Bell, TX

Built 1994 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 6,449

LP 363 ML

Good

Over: BNSF RR

0.20 MI NW OF IH 35, Bell, TX

Built 2009 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 21,331

LP 363 WBFR

Good

Over: BNSF RR

0.20 MI NW OF IH 35, Bell, TX

Built 2008 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 51,654

FM 437

Good

Over: SOUTH ELM CREEK

6.86 MI S OF SH 53, Bell, TX

Built 1996 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 710

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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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.