State profile · Below median Poor share

California bridge safety

Condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition data for every public highway bridge in California, based on the FHWA National Bridge Inventory.

27,040
Public bridges
32.5%
Good condition
4.6%
Poor condition

Data updated May 2026

Total Bridges

27,040

Public highway bridges in California

Good Condition

32.5%

8,777 bridges rated 7-9

-17.5pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

4.6%

1,244 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-2.4pp vs national avg 7.0%

California vs national bridge condition

California - Good condition share 32.5%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

California - Poor-condition share 15.3%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.0%.

California vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below California on the same metric.

OH

Ohio

4.54% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$26,753

NJ

New Jersey

4.59% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$6,796
Selected

CA

California

4.60% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$27,040

AR

Arkansas

4.71% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,544

WA

Washington

4.81% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,808

Bridges Needing Most Attention in California

Six lowest-condition bridges in California, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in California

SB 85 OFF-RAMP

Unknown

Over: 17-SB 85 CONNECTOR NB

04-SCL-085-R10.30-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 7,600

BASCOM AVE ON RAMP

Unknown

Over: NB85-NB17 & NB85-SB17

04-SCL-085-R10.30-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 19,800

BASCOM AVENUE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R10.24-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 19,800

LARK-N17 ON RAMP

Unknown

Over: N17-N&S85 CONNECTOR RAMP

04-SCL-017-8.98-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 8,600

SB STATE ROUTE 85

Unknown

Over: SARATOGA AVENUE

04-SCL-085-R13.73-SAR, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 29,900

NB STATE ROUTE 85

Unknown

Over: SARATOGA AVENUE

04-SCL-085-R13.73-SAR, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 29,990

LEIGH AVENUE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-8.77-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 122,000

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-9.93-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 122,000

UNION AVENUE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-9.28-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 122,000

STATE ROUTE 17

Unknown

Over: S17-S85 CONNECTOR RAMP

04-SCL-017-9.50-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 22,400

UP RR

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R10.98-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 115,000

WINCHESTER BLVD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R11.00-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 115,000

SB STATE ROUTE 85

Unknown

Over: POLLARD ROAD

04-SCL-085-R11.97-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 21,700

NB STATE ROUTE 85

Unknown

Over: POLLARD ROAD

04-SCL-085-R11.97-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 21,700

UP RR

Unknown

Over: POLLARD ROAD

04-SCL-085-R12.00-LGTS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 21,700

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R12.45-CMB, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 115,000

QUITO ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R12.91-CMB, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 115,000

PROSPECT ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R15.27-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1993 ADT: 100,000

SARATOGA SUNNYVALE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R15.87-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 100,000

STATE ROUTE 85 SB

Unknown

Over: ALMADEN EXPRESSWAY

04-SCL-085-6.00-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1992 ADT: 54,000

STATE ROUTE 85 NB

Unknown

Over: ALMADEN EXPRESSWAY

04-SCL-085-6.00-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1992 ADT: 54,000

COX AVE UTILITY OC

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R14.31-CPO, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1992 ADT: 100,000

SCULLY AVE UTILITY

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 85

04-SCL-085-R14.73-CPO, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1992 ADT: 100,000

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

Unknown

Over: SR 17, S17-N&S85 CONNS

04-SCL-017-9.60, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1996 ADT: 20,400

NB RTE 85 ON-RAMP

Unknown

Over: S85-S280 CONNECTOR RAMP

04-SCL-085-R18.33-SUNV, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1993 ADT: 18,500

NB RTE 85 ON-RAMP

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 280

04-SCL-085-R18.40-SUNV, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1993 ADT: 138,500

BAILEY AVENUE

Unknown

Over: US HIGHWAY 101

04-SCL-101-R23.10-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2004 ADT: 100,000

SB 101 ON-RAMP

Unknown

Over: SB 101-SB 85 CONNECTOR

04-SCL-101-48.28-MVW, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2005 ADT: 64,000

STATE ROUTE 85 SB

Unknown

Over: BERNAL ROAD

04-SCL-085-0.20-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 11,800

STATE ROUTE 85 NB

Unknown

Over: BERNAL ROAD

04-SCL-085-0.20-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 11,800

N101-N85 CONNECTOR

Unknown

Over: U.S. HIGHWAY 101

04-SCL-101-R26.78-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1994 ADT: 101,000

STATE ROUTE 237

Unknown

Over: MIDDLEFIELD ROAD

04-SCL-237-M1.60-MVW, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 21,524

STATE ROUTE 237

Unknown

Over: MAUDE AVENUE

04-SCL-237-M1.80-MVW, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 24,267

VTA LRT (2 TRACKS)

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 880

04-SCL-880-7.69-MPS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1995 ADT: 168,000

BEAR CREEK ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 17

04-SCL-017-4.30, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1996 ADT: 78,800

EB 237-NB 880 CONN

Unknown

Over: WB 237, I 880 & RAMPS

04-SCL-237-R9.12R-MPS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2002 ADT: 58,500

S880-W237 CONNCTOR

Unknown

Over: WB 237,W237-MCCARTHY OFF

04-SCL-880-8.45-MPS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2001 ADT: 33,000

EB 237-SB 880 RAMP

Unknown

Over: EB STATE ROUTE 237

04-SCL-237-R9.13R-MPS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2002 ADT: 58,500

RTE 85 N OFF-RAMP

Unknown

Over: U.S. HIGHWAY 101 & RAMPS

04-SCL-085-R23.81-MVW, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2004 ADT: 30,000

NB 101 OFF-RAMP

Unknown

Over: U.S. HIGHWAY 101

04-SCL-101-48.97-MVW, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2005 ADT: 169,000

FAIR OAKS AVE SB

Unknown

Over: SR 237. PERSIAN, MOFFETT

04-SCL-237-R3.96-SUNV, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1998 ADT: 5,489

VASONA LRT

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 237

04-SCL-237-R3.97, Santa Clara, CA

Built 1998 ADT: 68,000

DIXON LANDING RD

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 880

04-SCL-880-10.42-MPS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2002 ADT: 192,000

TAYLOR STREET

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 87

04-SCL-087-6.86-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2003 ADT: 99,000

EB EAST DUNNE AVE

Unknown

Over: US HIGHWAY 101

04-SCL-101-R16.00-MGH, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2000 ADT: 112,000

STATE ROUTE 87

Unknown

Over: AIRPORT PARKWAY

04-SCL-087-8.75-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2004 ADT: 34,709

VTA LRT (2 TRACKS)

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 17

04-SCL-017-12.23-CMB, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2004 ADT: 151,200

STATE ROUTE 87

Unknown

Over: SKYPORT DRIVE

04-SCL-087-8.25-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2003 ADT: 8,000

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 237 & RAMPS

04-SCL-237-R0.40-MVW, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2002 ADT: 68,000

STATE ROUTE 87

Unknown

Over: HEDDING STREET

04-SCL-087-7.23-SJS, Santa Clara, CA

Built 2003 ADT: 15,600

Showing 6,801-6,850 of 27,040 bridges

Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Every figure on PlainBridge 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.