State profile · Below median Poor share

Colorado bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Colorado.

8,965
Public bridges
35.7%
Good condition
4.8%
Poor condition

Colorado holds 8,965 public highway bridges (#27 of 52 by inventory) with a 4.82% Poor share (#34 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 4.8% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 19 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

8,965

Public highway bridges in Colorado

Good Condition

35.7%

3,197 bridges rated 7-9

-14.3pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

4.8%

432 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-2.7pp vs national avg 7.5%

Colorado vs national bridge condition

Colorado - Good condition share 35.7%
National avg

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

Colorado - Poor-condition share 16.1%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Colorado in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Colorado has 8,965 bridges and a 4.8% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #19 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Colorado has 8,965 bridges and a 4.8% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #19 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Colorado vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

8,965 27th of 54 higher than 27 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Colorado

The highlighted point is Colorado: 8,965 bridges and 4.82% in Poor condition, rank #19 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Colorado on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Connecticut: 4,365 bridges · 4.72% Poor
  • Ohio: 26,729 bridges · 4.74% Poor
  • Colorado: 8,965 bridges · 4.82% Poor
  • Idaho: 4,616 bridges · 4.90% Poor
  • Indiana: 19,495 bridges · 5.22% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Colorado

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 8,965 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Colorado’s inventory

State agency holds 38.8% of the 8,965 public highway bridges filed under Colorado in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Colorado’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 8.5% of the 8,965 bridges with a recorded original year in Colorado. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Colorado35.7%59.5%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Colorado (FHWA NBI)

Colorado 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 Colorado on the same metric.

CT

Connecticut

4.72% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,365

OH

Ohio

4.74% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$26,729
Selected

CO

Colorado

4.82% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,965

ID

Idaho

4.90% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,616

IN

Indiana

5.22% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,495

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Colorado

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

All Bridges in Colorado

SH 69 ML

Fair

Over: HUERFANO RIVER

15.7 MI NW OF JCT I 25, Huerfano, CO

Built 1966 Load: 19.6 t ADT: 740

US 160 ML

Fair

Over: CAT CREEK

4.2 MI E OF PRITCHETT, Baca, CO

Built 1935 Load: 19.6 t ADT: 420

COUNTY ROAD 29

Fair

Over: AMITY CANAL

JUST S OF CR NN, Prowers, CO

Built 1980 Load: 19.6 t ADT: 21

CHAMBERS RD

Fair

Over: SABLE DITCH

0.1 MI N OF 18TH STREET, Adams, CO

Built 1981 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 9,547

COUNTY ROAD M

Fair

Over: RIO SAN ANTONIO

1.5 MI NE OF CR 19, Conejos, CO

Built 1980 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 82

SH 9 ML

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FK S.PLATTE RVR

4.8 MI SW OF FAIRPLAY, Park, CO

Built 1948 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 2,300

US 50 ML

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

2.7 MI E OF JCT SH 115, Fremont, CO

Built 1949 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 19,000

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

1.6 MI EAST OF SUGAR CITY, Crowley, CO

Built 1936 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 340

County Road 00

Fair

Over: Trib N.F. Arikaree River

1.2 Mi E. of Co Rd AA, Washington, CO

Built 1976 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 31

County Road S

Fair

Over: Dolores River

6 miles E of Cahone CO, Dolores, CO

Built 1945 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 50

CTY RD 23/FDR 106

Fair

Over: ROARING FK RV

8 MI SE OF ASPEN, Pitkin, CO

Built 1957 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 40

FDR 310

Fair

Over: CRYSTAL RV

5.0MI N OF REDSTONE, Pitkin, CO

Built 1985 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 155

MULTIPLE STREETS

Fair

Over: WEIR GULCH

OSCEOLA TO KNOX CT, Denver, CO

Built 1977 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 7,461

E470WB RAMP TO 25

Fair

Over: I 25 SH 470 ML R

MID-LEVEL ABOVE JCT I-25, Douglas, CO

Built 1991 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 80,000

Third Street

Fair

Over: Dry Creek

0.2 Mi So of US Hwy 40, Routt, CO

Built 1989 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 1,004

US 24 ML

Fair

Over: TROUT CREEK

8.6 MI NE OF JCT US 285, Chaffee, CO

Built 1937 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 6,700

US 40 ML

Fair

Over: ARROYO CREEK

1.6 MI SE OF LINCOLN-CHEY, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1937 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 3,300

COUNTY ROAD D

Fair

Over: MUSTANG CREEK

3.0 MILES WEST OF ROAD 32, Lincoln, CO

Built 1940 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 2

COUNTY ROAD X

Fair

Over: ROCKY FORD HIGHLINE CANA

.3 MI W OF CR 17.5, Otero, CO

Built 1973 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 8

US 160 ML

Fair

Over: FRIJOLES CREEK

11.5 MI E OF JCT US 350, Las Animas, CO

Built 1947 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 290

KIPLING PARKWAY

Fair

Over: VAN BIBBER CREEK

JUST SOUTH OF 58TH AVENUE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1987 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 19,868

MONACO PKWY

Fair

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

MONACO NORTH OF YALE AVE, Denver, CO

Built 1964 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 24,144

26.5 Road

Fair

Over: LEACH CREEK

.4 MI N OF RD H, Mesa, CO

Built 1988 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 1,698

I 25 ML

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

IN PUEBLO, Pueblo, CO

Built 1958 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 51,000

I 25 ML

Fair

Over: 5TH STREET

IN PUEBLO, Pueblo, CO

Built 1959 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 52,000

US 350 ML

Fair

Over: IRON SPRINGS ARROYO

8.7 MI NE OF DELHI, Otero, CO

Built 1936 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 470

SH 17 ML

Fair

Over: BR. OF CONEJOS RIVER

4.6 MI W OF ANTONITO, Conejos, CO

Built 1958 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 960

COUNTY ROAD E

Fair

Over: RIO GRANDE CANAL

.6 MI W OF CR 43, Saguache, CO

Built 1966 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 18

GUBBINS-JOHNSON AC

Fair

Over: COLORADO RIVER

0.3 MILES WEST OF U.S. RO, Grand, CO

Built 1983 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 25

US 85 ML

Fair

Over: LITTLE OWL CREEK

8.8 MI S OF WYOMING S.L., Weld, CO

Built 1957 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 3,000

SH 131 ML

Fair

Over: CITY STREET

IN OAK CREEK, Routt, CO

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 2,800

SH 131 ML

Fair

Over: YAMPA RIVER

0.5 MI S OF PHIPPSBURG, Routt, CO

Built 1936 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,700

HOLLY ST

Fair

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

HOLLY AND ILIFF AVE, Denver, CO

Built 1975 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 6,506

YALE AVE

Fair

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

YALE E OF MONACO PRKWY, Denver, CO

Built 1964 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 16,143

I 70 ML

Fair

Over: LOWELL BLVD

DENVER, Denver, CO

Built 1966 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 90,000

PREV. US 6 ML

Fair

Over: GYPSUM CREEK

IN GYPSUM, Eagle, CO

Built 1933 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 9,390

SH 26 ML

Fair

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

I 25 & ALAMEDA IN DEN, Denver, CO

Built 1911 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 42,000

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY RD. 93

MORRISON INTCHNG, Jefferson, CO

Built 1969 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 35,000

BROADWAY

Fair

Over: US 285 ML

IN ENGLEWOOD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 32,540

US 285 ML

Fair

Over: SOUTH ARKANSAS RIVER

6.1 MI NW OF CHAF-SAGUACH, Chaffee, CO

Built 1938 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 3,600

SH 149 ML

Fair

Over: LAKE FK GUNNISON RIVER

2.5 MI S. OF LAKE CITY, Hinsdale, CO

Built 1954 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 560

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: GREASEWOOD ARROYO

11.8 MI N OF WALSENBURG, Huerfano, CO

Built 1967 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 7,000

US 50 ML EBND

Fair

Over: CROOKED ARROYO

2.5 MILES EAST OF SWINK, Otero, CO

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 5,000

COUNTY ROAD 17.5

Fair

Over: TRIB. BIG SALT WASH

.3 MI S OF RD L.50, Mesa, CO

Built 1988 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,045

COUNTY ROAD G.5

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

.6 MI E OF RD 25, Mesa, CO

Built 1984 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 686

County Road 22

Fair

Over: Upper Platte Beaver Cnl

0.9 Mi N of US Hwy 34, Morgan, CO

Built 1973 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 48

County Road T

Fair

Over: Kiowa Creek

0.1 Mi E of Co Rd 4, Morgan, CO

Built 1963 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 58

SH 12 ML

Fair

Over: CUCHARAS RIVER

4 MI S OF JCT US 160, Huerfano, CO

Built 1947 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,300

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: DRAW

14.8 MI SO OF JCT US 160, Las Animas, CO

Built 1959 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 5,500

US 160 ML

Fair

Over: CITY ST_ANIMAS RVR

S. EDGE OF DURANGO, La Plata, CO

Built 1979 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 35,000

Showing 551-600 of 8,965 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.

What to do with this

Use Colorado's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Colorado and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Colorado Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.