County profile · official public datasets

Washington County, VT

248 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 49.6% rated Good, 46.8% Fair, 3.6% Poor.

248
Public bridges
49.6%
Good condition
3.6%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Washington County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

11th
of 14 on Poor share
3.6%
Poor-condition share
248
public highway bridges
1961
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.

Washington County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Washington County ranks #11 of 14 Vermont counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 3.6%). Washington County, Vermont contains 248 public highway bridges. Roughly 49.6% are rated “Good,” 46.8% “Fair,” and 3.6% “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

248

Public highway bridges in Washington County

Good condition

49.6%

123 of 248 rated 7-9

Fair condition

46.8%

116 of 248 rated 5-6

Poor condition

3.6%

9 of 248 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#11 of 14

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

Condition distribution

Share of 248 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
49.6% (123)
Fair
46.8% (116)
Poor
3.6% (9)

Washington County's Poor-condition bridges carry 12,170 vehicle crossings a day

That is 1.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 3.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,352 crossings a day against 5,265 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 248 of 248 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

67.7% of Washington County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

168 of the 248 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 49.6% 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 46% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

US 00002 ML over LITTLE RIVER, built 1961, carries 5,600 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 9-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 12,170 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Washington County's bridges were built

248 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 38 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 15.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1961) matches the Vermont average (1964).

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

How Washington County compares with Vermont's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Vermont counties nearest Washington County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 3.6% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1961 against a peer-group mean of 1964 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 13 Vermont counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Washington County and the 5 Vermont counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Rutland County 266 2.6%
Washington County (this page) 248 3.6%
Caledonia County 247 1.6%
Bennington County 215 0.9%
Orange County 208 1.9%
Chittenden County 184 2.2%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside VT (248 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside VT (1961 here).

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

All bridges (248)

US 00302 ML

Fair

Over: JAIL BRANCH BROOK

1.5 MI W JCT. 110, Washington, VT

Built 1928 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 6,200

CITY AYERS

Fair

Over: JAIL BRANCH

AYERS STREET, Washington, VT

Built 1919 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 1,000

VT 00100 ML

Fair

Over: MAD RIVER

7.4 MI S JCT. VT.17, Washington, VT

Built 1957 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 1,100

VT 00100 ML

Fair

Over: I 89 UNDER VT 100

I 89 EXIT 10, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 13,400

US 00002 ML

Fair

Over: WINOOSKI RIVER

2.2 MI E JCT VT.14 N, Washington, VT

Built 1966 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 7,700

I 00089 ML

Fair

Over: I 89 OVER MDLSX S.H.

I 89 EXIT 9, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 25,200

I 00089 ML

Fair

Over: I 89 OVER MDLSX S.H.

I 89 EXIT 9, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 25,200

VT 00936 SPUR

Fair

Over: MDLSX SH OVER NEC RR

0.1 MI N JCT. U.S.2, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 5,800

VT 00100 ML

Fair

Over: MAD RIVER

5.7 MI S JCT. VT.17, Washington, VT

Built 1954 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 1,700

VT 00012 ML

Fair

Over: NORTH BRANCH

0.5 MI N JCT. U.S.2, Washington, VT

Built 1972 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 6,500

VT 00062 RAMP

Fair

Over: VT 62 OVER BLACKWELL ST

0.2 MI S JCT US 302, Washington, VT

Built 1974 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 9,900

C3035

Fair

Over: FLINT BROOK

0.15 MI TO JCT W C3 TH26, Washington, VT

Built 1919 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 60

C3049

Fair

Over: NASMITH BROOK

0.6 MI TO JCT W US2, Washington, VT

Built 1969 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 50

CITY SCHOL

Fair

Over: N BR WINOOSKI RIVER

SCHOOL STREET, Washington, VT

Built 1928 Load: 61.7 t ADT: 1,800

US 00BR2 BUS.

Fair

Over: NORTH BRANCH

0.1 MI W JCT VT 12, Washington, VT

Built 1916 Load: 68.9 t ADT: 5,000

I 00089 ML

Fair

Over: I 89 OVER VT 12

0.5 MI S EXIT 8, Washington, VT

Built 1970 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 23,900

C3057

Good

Over: WINOOSKI RIVER

0.03 MI TO JCT W US2, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

C30GR

Good

Over: N. BR. WINOOSKI RIVER

0.03 MI TO JCT W CL1 TH5, Washington, VT

Built 1927 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

C3010

Good

Over: PINE BROOK

0.10 MI E TO JCT W TH16, Washington, VT

Built 1919 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 10

C2001

Good

Over: THATCHER BROOK

0.5 MI TO JCT W CL2 TH3, Washington, VT

Built 1944 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 1,060

C3037

Good

Over: CROSSETT BROOK

0.1 MI TO JCT W CL3 TH7, Washington, VT

Built 1974 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 10

C2004

Good

Over: WINOOSKI RIVER

0.01 MI TO JCT W CL2 TH1, Washington, VT

Built 1928 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 850

C3045

Good

Over: GREAT BROOK

0.07 MI TO JCT W CL2 TH2, Washington, VT

Built 1956 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 250

I 00089 ML

Good

Over: GREAT BROOK

0.8 MI S EXIT 9, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 25,200

C30HA

Good

Over: N. BR. WINOOSKI RIVER

0.01 MI TO JCT W CL1 TH5, Washington, VT

Built 1984 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 20

VT 00014 ML

Good

Over: KINGSBURY BRANCH

7.6 MI N JCT. U.S.2 E, Washington, VT

Built 1928 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 3,100

C3035

Good

Over: WINOOSKI RIVER

0.01 MI TO JCT W US2, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 10

TR 01 FAS 242

Good

Over: WORCESTER BROOK

1.0 MI E JCT. VT.12, Washington, VT

Built 1960 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 490

C3030

Good

Over: MARSHFIELD BROOK

0.25 MI TO JCT W CL3 TH9, Washington, VT

Built 1991 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 20

VT 00017 ML

Good

Over: MILL BROOK

3.8 MI W JCT. VT.100, Washington, VT

Built 1977 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,100

C3048

Good

Over: MOLLYS BROOK

0.02 MI TO JCT W TH65, Washington, VT

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

C3058

Good

Over: MOLLYS BROOK

.06 MI OF JCT WITH US-2, Washington, VT

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

C3004

Good

Over: CROSSETT BROOK

0.1 MI S JCT TH14, Washington, VT

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 130

C3008

Good

Over: DOG RIVER

@ JCT W VT12A, Washington, VT

Built 1933 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 400

C30VI

Good

Over: NEW ENGLAND CENTRAL RR

0.1 MI TO JCT NO.MAIN ST, Washington, VT

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,830

C3007

Good

Over: FREEMAN BROOK

0.25 MI S JCT TH 1, Washington, VT

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 500

VT 00100 ML

Good

Over: MAD RIVER

9.0 MI S JCT. VT.17, Washington, VT

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,200

VT 00100 ML

Good

Over: CROSSETT BROOK

0.2 MI S JCT US 2, Washington, VT

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,300

VT 00062 RAMP

Good

Over: STEVENS BRANCH

0.1 MI S JCT US 302, Washington, VT

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,900

US 00002 ML

Good

Over: MOLLYS BROOK

8.9 MI W JCT VT.15, Washington, VT

Built 1972 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,800

VT 00014 ML

Good

Over: GUNNERS BROOK

1.6 MI N JCT. U.S.302 W, Washington, VT

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,600

VT 00063 SPUR

Good

Over: STEVENS BRANCH

0.1 MI W JCT. VT.14, Washington, VT

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,500

VT 00012 ML

Good

Over: BROOK

7.5 MI N JCT. U.S.2, Washington, VT

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,200

FISHER ROAD

Good

Over: POND BROOK

0.05 MI TO JCT PAINE TURN, Washington, VT

Built 2022 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,758

C3004

Good

Over: HANCOCK BROOK

0.35 MI TO JCT W CL3 TH8, Washington, VT

Built 1993 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 10

VT 00100 ML

Good

Over: MAD RIVER

3.1 MI S JCT. VT.17, Washington, VT

Built 2013 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 5,500

C3060

Good

Over: WINOOSKI RIVER

0.2 MI TO JCT W US2, Washington, VT

Built 1984 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 130

C3029

Good

Over: GREAT BROOK

3.4 miles south of TH1, Washington, VT

Built 1981 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 20

C3011

Good

Over: BULL RUN BROOK

0.01 MI TO JCT W C3 TH14, Washington, VT

Built 1974 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 20

VT 00100 ML

Good

Over: CROSSETT BROOK

0.6 MI S JCT US 2, Washington, VT

Built 2016 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 3,900
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.