Hazel Swamp Road over W Br Otter River
Houghton County, Michigan · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Hazel Swamp Road over W Br Otter River in Houghton County, Michigan, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the substructure, rated 3 (serious condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1997, making it 28 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 10 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2013).
- It is one of 2 of the 59 inventoried bridges in Houghton County rated poor (3.4%); 2 (3.4%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, posting recommended but not legally implemented (NBI item 41).
- Its class is unchanged from 2024 (poor), but component ratings moved: superstructure 6 to 5, substructure 4 to 3.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated October 2024, on a 12-month routine inspection cycle.
- 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 → (46.81811, -88.71278)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Superstructure | 6 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 4 | 3 | Serious condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Timber slab |
| Length | about 44 ft |
| Location | 1.8 Mi N of N Laird Rd |
| NBI structure number | 000000000013725 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, posting recommended but not legally implemented |
| Last inspection (item 90) | October 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 5: foundations stable, scour within the limits of the footing or piles |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Michigan department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Houghton County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Us-41&m-26 Rr(abn) over Portage Lake & EB M-26 | 1960 | 24,754 | Fair |
| US-41 over Pilgrim River | 1916 | 5,543 | Fair |
| M-26 over Quincy Creek | 2021 | 5,200 | Good |
| US-41 over Sturgeon River Slough | 1956 | 3,985 | Fair |
| US-41 over Snake River | 1934 | 3,883 | Fair |
| US-41 over Backwater Portage River | 1929 | 3,883 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Houghton County, MI bridge conditions · every bridge in Houghton County · Michigan bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.