Ch 40 over Richland Creek
Shelby County, Illinois · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Ch 40 over Richland Creek in Shelby County, Illinois, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 2 (critical condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1923, making it 102 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 150 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2024).
- Its listed owner is the county highway agency.
- It is one of 26 of the 335 inventoried bridges in Shelby County rated poor (7.8%); 26 (7.8%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, would be posted or closed except for temporary shoring or other temporary measures (NBI item 41).
- It was rated fair in the 2024 inventory and is now poor (deck 5 to 4, superstructure 5 to 2).
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated February 2024, on a 24-month routine inspection cycle.
- 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 → (39.23601, -88.7871)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 2 | Critical condition |
| Substructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 62 ft |
| Location | 3.0 SE of Cowden |
| NBI structure number | 087304100000000 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, would be posted or closed except for temporary shoring or other temporary measures |
| Last inspection (item 90) | February 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 5: foundations stable, scour within the limits of the footing or piles |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Illinois department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Shelby County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fap 325 (il 16) over Swafford Branch | 1991 | 8,200 | Fair |
| Fap 325(IL 16) over Kaskaskia River | 1975 | 6,500 | Fair |
| Fap 325(ILL 16) over Robinson Creek | 1967 | 5,200 | Fair |
| Fap 325(ILL 16) over Stream | 1924 | 4,800 | Fair |
| US 51 (fap 322) over Long Grove CR. | 2002 | 4,800 | Fair |
| US 51 (fap 322) over Long Grove CR. | 2002 | 4,800 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Shelby County, IL bridge conditions · every bridge in Shelby County · Illinois bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.