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

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Unknown

Over: O STREET

10-MER-099-15.15-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 1,500

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: O STREET

10-MER-099-15.15-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 1,500

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Unknown

Over: ROUTE 59

10-MER-099-14.67-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 12,950

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: ROUTE 59

10-MER-099-14.67-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 12,950

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Unknown

Over: R STREET

10-MER-099-15.42-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 100

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: R STREET

10-MER-099-15.42-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 1,000

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 140

10-MER-099-15.78-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 15,000

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 140

10-MER-099-15.78-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 15,000

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: 15TH STREET

10-MER-099-14.22-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 1,000

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 140

10-MER-099-13.86-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 15,000

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 140

10-MER-099-13.86-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 15,000

N99-WB 16TH ST OFF

Unknown

Over: W140-N99 ON-RAMP

10-MER-099-13.90-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 4,250

STATE ROUTE 99 SB

Unknown

Over: G STREET

10-MER-099-14.42-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 1,000

STATE ROUTE 99 NB

Unknown

Over: G STREET

10-MER-099-14.42-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1962 ADT: 1,000

CHILDS AVE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-13.09-MER, Merced, CA

Built 1964 ADT: 42,000

SOUTH AVE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-M33.53, Merced, CA

Built 2000 ADT: 75,000

BRADBURY ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R35.56, Merced, CA

Built 2000 ADT: 75,000

STATE ROUTE 165

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-165-L0.01, Merced, CA

Built 1971 ADT: 31,000

ARBURUA RD

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-005-9.68, Merced, CA

Built 1971 ADT: 31,000

CANYON ROAD

Unknown

Over: ROUTE 5

10-MER-005-11.99, Merced, CA

Built 1971 ADT: 41,500

INTERSTATE 5 SB

Unknown

Over: SR 152

10-MER-005-17.55, Merced, CA

Built 1966 ADT: 24,850

INTERSTATE 5 NB

Unknown

Over: SR 152

10-MER-005-17.55, Merced, CA

Built 1966 ADT: 24,850

HENRY MILLER AVE

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-005-21.38, Merced, CA

Built 1966 ADT: 31,000

STATE ROUTE 33

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5 & RAMP

10-MER-033-R16.60, Merced, CA

Built 1966 ADT: 7,750

MCCABE RD

Unknown

Over: ROUTE 5

10-MER-005-22.57, Merced, CA

Built 1966 ADT: 43,000

WHITWORTH ROAD

Unknown

Over: ROUTE 5

10-MER-005-23.84, Merced, CA

Built 1966 ADT: 31,000

BUTTS RD

Unknown

Over: ROUTE 5

10-MER-005-25.97, Merced, CA

Built 1967 ADT: 43,000

COTTONWOOD RD

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-005-28.23, Merced, CA

Built 1967 ADT: 35,000

TAGLIO RD

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-005-30.34, Merced, CA

Built 1967 ADT: 43,000

STATE ROUTE 140

Unknown

Over: INTERSTATE 5

10-MER-140-0.01, Merced, CA

Built 1967 ADT: 35,000

STATE ROUTE 152 WB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 33

10-MER-152-R32.35, Merced, CA

Built 1969 ADT: 5,200

STATE ROUTE 152 EB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 33

10-MER-152-R32.35, Merced, CA

Built 1969 ADT: 5,200

GOLDEN STATE-S99

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R36.34, Merced, CA

Built 1973 ADT: 47,000

GRIFFITH ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R36.70, Merced, CA

Built 1973 ADT: 62,000

SHANKS ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R34.43, Merced, CA

Built 1980 ADT: 75,000

PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 152

10-MER-152-20.60-LBNS, Merced, CA

Built 1974 ADT: 28,000

SULTANA DRIVE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-27.10, Merced, CA

Built 2007 ADT: 52,000

HAMMATT AVE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R29.00-LVTN, Merced, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 52,000

CRESSEY STREET

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R29.56-LVTN, Merced, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 52,000

UP RR

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R29.85-LVTN, Merced, CA

Built 1993 ADT: 52,000

WINTON PARKWAY

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-R30.38-LVTN, Merced, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 52,000

STATE ROUTE 152 WB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 33

10-MER-152-11.27, Merced, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 8,200

STATE ROUTE 152 EB

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 33

10-MER-152-11.27, Merced, CA

Built 1997 ADT: 8,200

MISSION AVENUE

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-11.59, Merced, CA

Built 2007 ADT: 39,000

STATE ROUTE 99

Unknown

Over: WEST 16TH ST, UP RR

10-MER-099-16.60-MER, Merced, CA

Built 2013 ADT: 5,000

WESTSIDE BLVD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-25.10, Merced, CA

Built 2008 ADT: 104,000

LE GRAND ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-6.89, Merced, CA

Built 2015 ADT: 39,000

PLAINSBURG ROAD

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-3.36, Merced, CA

Built 2015 ADT: 39,000

STATE ROUTE 99

Unknown

Over: UPRR & 16TH STREET

10-MER-099-14.10-MER, Merced, CA

Built 2015 ADT: 1,033

ATWATER MERCED EXP

Unknown

Over: STATE ROUTE 99

10-MER-099-20.05, Merced, CA

Built 2015 ADT: 56,000

Showing 3,301-3,350 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.