National Bridge Inventory: Illinois



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 4,125 bridges.
  • This compares to 4,129 bridges that needed work in 2019.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Illinois will receive a total of $1.5 billion in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Illinois currently has access to $594.5 million of that total, and has committed $262.4 million towards 38 projects as of June 2023.
  • Of the 26,873 bridges in the state, 2,472, or 9.2 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 2,407 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2019.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 11.4 percent of total deck area on all structures.

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Cook 1949 156,300 Urban Interstate I- 94 Bishop Ford over RR - Ihb & CSXt
DuPage 1959 144,600 Urban Interstate I- 55 over Madison St
DuPage 1960 124,700 Urban Interstate I- 55 over Lemont Rd
Cook 1937 107,600 Urban other principal arterial Lake Shore Drive over Main Br Chicago Riv
Cook 1986 107,600 Urban other principal arterial Lake Shore Dr over Wacker Drive
Cook 1964 105,000 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 SB over US 14&UPRR Fau3512
Cook 1964 105,000 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 NB over US 14 NW Hwy & UP RR
Cook 1963 105,000 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 SB over Industrial Ave
Cook 1963 105,000 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 NB over Industrial Ave
Cook 1986 102,300 Urban other principal arterial Lake Shore Dr over Lower Lsd & Land
Will 1980 101,600 Urban Interstate I- 55 over IL 53
Cook 1986 100,900 Urban other principal arterial Lsd-Ramp 3 over Land
Cook 1964 96,500 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 SB over Palatine Rd
Cook 1941 96,000 Urban other principal arterial Lake Shore Dr over Belmont Av
Cook 1964 95,100 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 NB over Palatine Rd
Cook 1965 89,000 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 Fap 342 over Anderson Dr Ms 3240
Cook 1967 88,900 Urban other principal arterial Lake Shore Dr over Irving Park Rd
Cook 1965 80,800 Urban freeway/expressway IL 53 NB over US 12 (Rand Road)
Cook 1956 80,400 Urban other principal arterial Ohio St Feeder W A over RR - Up,Trib Parking
Cook 1956 80,400 Urban other principal arterial Ohio St Feeder E A over Kingsbury St
Cook 1961 80,400 Urban other principal arterial Ohio St Jfk Feeder over N Br Chicago River
Cook 1949 78,150 Urban Interstate I- 94 SB Bishop Fo over Little Cal River
Cook 1949 78,150 Urban Interstate I- 94 NB Bishop Fo over Little Cal River
Cook 1976 77,700 Urban other principal arterial US 12,20,45 NB over S&S & Im Cnls&Icg RR
Cook 1954 75,600 Urban other principal arterial I-290 Ike(Congress over Between Riv & Po
Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 876 788,514 10,185,625 68 115,854 643,650
Rural arterial 857 558,980 3,996,450 62 47,909 305,100
Rural minor arterial 1,555 775,279 3,833,700 94 77,136 243,350
Rural major collector 3,213 1,043,010 2,970,450 269 110,324 239,700
Rural minor collector 1,461 394,365 740,375 158 42,181 97,645
Rural local road 12,200 2,079,643 1,315,331 1,101 163,364 120,789
Urban Interstate 1,429 3,070,216 60,056,000 90 192,753 2,671,900
Urban freeway/expressway 218 300,357 5,318,000 24 26,626 1,315,150
Urban other principal arterial 1,368 2,094,325 27,441,200 130 360,197 3,244,745
Urban minor arterial 1,279 1,301,018 12,236,075 135 213,542 1,422,650
Urban collector 1,083 815,356 4,702,037 165 164,899 812,112
Urban local road 1,334 488,323 1,438,532 176 54,520 155,080
Total 26,873 13,709,386 134,233,775 2,472 1,569,306 11,271,871
Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,424 $3,644 10,262,284 1,256,297
Widening & rehabilitation 277 $713 3,807,870 359,063
Rehabilitation 2,214 $3,029 13,192,466 1,532,420
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 63 $313 3,300,550 156,522
Other structural work 147 $437 1,865,220 221,286
Total 4,125 $8,137 32,428,390 3,525,588

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on July 3, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2022 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

11
Compared to 14 in 2022

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. West Virginia 20.0%
10. North Dakota 11.0%
11. Illinois 9.0%
12. Missouri 9.0%

3
Compared to 3 in 2022

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,558
2. Pennsylvania 3,022
3. Illinois 2,472
4. Missouri 2,213

3
Compared to 3 in 2022

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. Rhode Island 15.0%
2. West Virginia 15.0%
3. Illinois 11.0%
4. Massachusetts 11.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on July 3, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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