County profile · official public datasets

Hawaii County, HI

237 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 44.7% rated Good, 51.1% Fair, 4.2% Poor.

237
Public bridges
44.7%
Good condition
4.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Hawaii County pairs a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

Top 25%
lowest Poor share in state
4.2%
Poor-condition share
237
public highway bridges
1956
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.

Hawaii County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Hawaii County ranks #1 of 4 Hawaii counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 4.2%). Hawaii County, Hawaii contains 237 public highway bridges. Roughly 44.7% are rated “Good,” 51.1% “Fair,” and 4.2% “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

237

Public highway bridges in Hawaii County

Good condition

44.7%

106 of 237 rated 7-9

Fair condition

51.1%

121 of 237 rated 5-6

Poor condition

4.2%

10 of 237 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#1 of 4

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

Condition distribution

Share of 237 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
44.7% (106)
Fair
51.1% (121)
Poor
4.2% (10)

Hawaii County's Poor-condition bridges carry 24,405 vehicle crossings a day

That is 1.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 4.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,441 crossings a day against 6,753 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 235 of 237 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

77.2% of Hawaii County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

183 of the 237 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 44.7% 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 39.3% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

PAUAHI ST over PAUAHI ST-WAIOLAMA CANAL, built 1949, carries 9,600 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 10-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 24,405 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Hawaii County's bridges were built

237 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1930s, when 40 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 16.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 85 to 94 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1956, 5 years older than the Hawaii average of 1961.

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

How Hawaii County compares with Hawaii's closest counties by inventory size

The 3 Hawaii counties nearest Hawaii County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 4.2% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 4. Its average build year of 1956 against a peer-group mean of 1960 is in line with the group.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Hawaii County and the 3 Hawaii counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Honolulu County 682 6.9%
Hawaii County (this page) 237 4.2%
Maui County 185 5.9%
Kauai County 90 11.1%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside HI (237 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside HI (1956 here).

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

All 237 Good 106 Fair 121 Poor 10

All bridges (237)

Hawaii Belt Rd.

Good

Over: Ninole Stream

0.76 MI S/Punaluu BLK, Hawaii, HI

Built 2021 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 3,600

HAWAII BELT RD

Good

Over: KALAPAHAPUU GULCH

1.5MI SE/PAAUILO TOWN, Hawaii, HI

Built 1985 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 7,200

Route 11

Good

Over: UNMD GLH

1.94MI S/PALANI RD, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 25,900

KAPIOLANI ST

Good

Over: WAIAKEA STREAM

TMK: 2-4-001:019, Hawaii, HI

Built 2016 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 2,300

MAMALAHOA HWY

Good

Over: POPOO STRM

0.80MI S/WAIKALOA, Hawaii, HI

Built 2001 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 5,900

HAWAII BELT RD

Good

Over: HANAWI STRM

1.23MI W/KAIEIE RD, Hawaii, HI

Built 1968 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 10,000

MAMALAHOA HWY

Good

Over: AUWAIAKEAKUA STRM

0.12MI W/WAIKALOA DEVELOP, Hawaii, HI

Built 2001 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 5,900

KAPUNA RD

Good

Over: AHUALOA GULCH

TMK 4-6-008:001, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 57.3 t ADT: 700

KINOOLE ST

Good

Over: ALENAIO STRM

230 SE/PONAHAWAI, Hawaii, HI

Built 1996 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 9,150

HAWAII BELT RD

Good

Over: EAST PAAUILO STRM

0.80MI E/PLT RD, Hawaii, HI

Built 1981 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 7,200

ROADWAY

Good

Over: INTERMITTENT STRM

WAIAHA 1ST N KONA HI, Hawaii, HI

Built 1920 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 1,728

MAMALAHOA

Good

Over: MAMALAHOA/MOAULA GLH

TMK 9-6-02:14, Hawaii, HI

Built 2005 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 200

KAWAIHAE-MAHUKONA

Good

Over: HONOKOA STRM

0.19MI N/MALUOKALANI ST, Hawaii, HI

Built 1965 Load: 62.2 t ADT: 7,500

HAWAII BELT RD

Good

Over: KALAOA STRM

0.75MI W/KAIEIE RD, Hawaii, HI

Built 1967 Load: 63.2 t ADT: 10,000

RAILROAD AVE

Good

Over: RR AVE-WAIAKEA-UKA FLD C

TMK 2-2-48:15, Hawaii, HI

Built 1975 Load: 65.8 t ADT: 220

WAIAKEA UKA FLD C

Good

Over: AWA ST-WAIAKEA-UKA FLD C

TMK 2-2-48:11, Hawaii, HI

Built 1975 Load: 70.6 t ADT: 220

KILAUEA AVE

Good

Over: ALENAIO STRM

120 SE/PONAHAWAI, Hawaii, HI

Built 1996 Load: 79.1 t ADT: 14,900

ALII DRIVE

Good

Over: KAHULUI NORTH KONA

TMK:7-5-19:8, Hawaii, HI

Built 2021 Load: 79.7 t ADT: 9,964

ULULANI ST.

Good

Over: ALENAIO STREAM

450 SE/PONAHAWAI, Hawaii, HI

Built 1996 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 2,000

KAPIOLANI ST

Good

Over: ALENAIO STREAM

500 SE/PONAHAWAI, Hawaii, HI

Built 1996 Load: 81.6 t ADT: 2,000

Kukuau Street

Good

Over: Relief

TMK: 2-4-082:001, Hawaii, HI

Built 2012 Load: 82.6 t ADT: 100

HI BLT RD PALANI R

Good

Over: TPL MTL PL CULVT

2.38MI S/PALANI RD JUNCT, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 25,200

Mohouli Street

Good

Over: Alenaio Stream

TMK: 2-3-44:009, Hawaii, HI

Built 2001 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 10,800

Route 11

Good

Over: UNMD GLH

.39MI S/PALANI RD JUNCT, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 25,400

HI BLT RD PALANI R

Good

Over: UNMD GLH TPL MTL CULVT

0.83MI S/PALANI RD JUNCT, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 25,400

Route 11

Good

Over: UNMD GLH

0.87MI S/PALANI RD JUNCT, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 25,400

HI BELT RD PALANI

Good

Over: TWN MTL PL CULVT

2.80MI S/PALANI RD JUNCT, Hawaii, HI

Built 1984 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 25,200

MAMALAHOA

Poor

Over: MAMALAHOA/LAUHALA

TMK 4-2-02:20, Hawaii, HI

Built 1930 Load: 10.5 t ADT: 5

OLD MAMALAHOA HWY

Poor

Over: OPEA STREAM

TMK: 3-2-001:018, Hawaii, HI

Built 1912 Load: 10.7 t ADT: 20

MAMALAHOA

Poor

Over: MAMALAHOA/KOLEKOLE STRM

TMK 2-8-15:16, Hawaii, HI

Built 1929 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 40

OLD MAMALAHOA HWY

Poor

Over: KAULA GULCH

TMK 4-1-01:15, Hawaii, HI

Built 1928 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 300

MAMALAHOA

Poor

Over: MAMALAHOA/KAAHAKINI STRM

TMK 2-9-03:39, Hawaii, HI

Built 1929 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 40

MAMALAHOA

Poor

Over: HANAWI STRM

TMK 2-7-09:13, Hawaii, HI

Built 1922 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 600

OLD MAMALAHOA HWY

Poor

Over: KAWAINUI STREAM

TMK 2-7-11:2, Hawaii, HI

Built 1900 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 400

HAWAII BELT RD

Poor

Over: HAKALAU STRM

0.98MI E/KAUNIHO RD, Hawaii, HI

Built 1953 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 6,700

HAWAII BELT RD

Poor

Over: NANUE STRM

1.66MI W/KAUNIHO RD, Hawaii, HI

Built 1952 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 6,700

PAUAHI ST

Poor

Over: PAUAHI ST-WAIOLAMA CANAL

400 S/Kam. Ave., Hawaii, HI

Built 1949 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 9,600

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

Related

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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.