Local over Elkhorn Creek
Audubon County, Iowa · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Local over Elkhorn Creek in Audubon County, Iowa, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 4 (poor condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1973, making it 52 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 62 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2022).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 37 of the 204 inventoried bridges in Audubon County rated poor (18.1%); 37 (18.1%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, no restriction (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated March 2023, on a 24-month routine inspection cycle.
- It is coded scour critical (NBI item 113 = 3): scour critical: foundations unstable for the assessed or calculated scour.
- It has fracture-critical members (NBI item 92A): steel tension members without a redundant load path, which get their own scheduled inspections.
- A poor rating means at least one major component - deck, superstructure, or substructure - is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale. It does not by itself mean the bridge is unsafe; bridges judged unsafe are closed or load-restricted by their owners.
View this bridge on a map → (41.58194, -95.04087)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 60 ft |
| Location | 078360604 |
| NBI structure number | 000000000066921 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, no restriction |
| Last inspection (item 90) | March 2023 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 3: scour critical: foundations unstable for the assessed or calculated scour |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Iowa department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Audubon County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 71 over Stream | 1983 | 3,700 | Good |
| US 71 over Bluegrass Creek | 2006 | 3,080 | Good |
| US 71 over East Nishnabotna River | 1959 | 2,470 | Fair |
| US 71 over Stream | 1923 | 2,380 | Fair |
| US 71 over Stream | 1961 | 2,380 | Fair |
| US 71 over Stream | 1961 | 2,380 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Audubon County, IA bridge conditions · every bridge in Audubon County · Iowa bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.