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

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 16

1.1 MI SO OF JCT SH 402, Larimer, CO

Built 2022 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 86,000

I 70 WBND

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

3.8 MI E OF PARACHUTE, Garfield, CO

Built 1981 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 10,000

SH 65 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

8 MI S. OF JCT I 70, Mesa, CO

Built 1976 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 2,000

VANCE ST

Good

Over: LAKEWOOD GULCH

BTWN HIGHLAND DR & 9TH AV, Jefferson, CO

Built 1967 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 348

County Road 24

Good

Over: Pawnee Ditch

0.1 Mi E of Co Rd 33, Logan, CO

Built 2004 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 285

COUNTY ROAD 102

Good

Over: SAN LUIS VALLEY CANAL

.1 MI S OF CR 1 MI LANE, Alamosa, CO

Built 1993 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 33

Ramp H

Good

Over: I-25 and NWP

EB NWP ramp to NB I25, Broomfield, CO

Built 2003 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,500

US 40 ML EBND

Good

Over: FORTIFICATION CREEK

IN CRAIG, Moffat, CO

Built 1977 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,500

SH 144 ML

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

8 MI NW OF FT. MORGAN, Morgan, CO

Built 1996 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 610

WATERTON ROAD

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

JUST W OF LOUVIERS BLVD, Douglas, CO

Built 2020 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 474

WATERTON ROAD

Good

Over: LOCAL DRAINAGE

1.2 MI W OF US 85, Douglas, CO

Built 2020 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 474

I 76 EBND

Good

Over: 52ND AVE

.4 MI E OF MARSHALL-I76, Jefferson, CO

Built 1983 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 38,000

I 76 ML EBND

Good

Over: UP RR

3.6 MI E OF I70 + I76 INT, Adams, CO

Built 1988 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 38,500

I70 ML WBND

Good

Over: CITY STREETS|RR|LR

46TH AVE Humboldt Street, Denver, CO

Built 2003 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 73,000

I 70 ML WBND

Good

Over: DOTSERO EAST CROSS ROAD

DOTSERO EAST, Eagle, CO

Built 1980 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 8,500

WBND SH 74 ML

Good

Over: TROUBLESOME CREEK

S OF BERGEN PARK, Jefferson, CO

Built 1995 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 8,500

SH 470 ML WBND

Good

Over: S. ERICKSON BLVD.

.3 MI E. OF JCT SH 85, Douglas, CO

Built 1984 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 40,500

SH 470 ML WBND

Good

Over: KIPLING PARKWAY

12.4 MI S OF I 70, Jefferson, CO

Built 1986 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 24,500

US 36 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

1.7 MI E OF JCT I 70, Adams, CO

Built 1990 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,500

MCINTYRE STREET

Good

Over: FARMERS HIGHLINE CANAL

JUST S OF 52ND DRIVE, Jefferson, CO

Built 2001 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 22,206

SH 59 ML

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

2 MI N OF SEIBERT, Kit Carson, CO

Built 1969 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 640

SH 82 ML

Good

Over: ROARING FK RIVER

AT EASTERN EDGE OF ASPEN, Pitkin, CO

Built 1968 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 5,600

US 40 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

3.4 SE OF HUGO, Lincoln, CO

Built 1978 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 3,000

CR350/VALLEY RD

Good

Over: CUCHARAS RIVER

0.7 Mi S of US160, Huerfano, CO

Built 1992 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 60

US 50 ML WBND

Good

Over: GUNNISON RIVER

North edge of Delta, Delta, CO

Built 1992 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 6,500

SH 69 ML

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

3.1 MI NW OF WESTCLIFFE, Custer, CO

Built 1956 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,800

SH 78 SPUR

Good

Over: SQUIRREL CREEK

IN BEULAH, Pueblo, CO

Built 1969 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 720

SH 71 ML

Good

Over: BOB CREEK CANAL

8 MI NORTH OF JCT US 50, Crowley, CO

Built 1966 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 2,300

County Road 91

Good

Over: Trib.N.Fork Frenchman Ck

0.9 Mi N of Co Rd 28, Logan, CO

Built 1997 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 87

County Road 29

Good

Over: Home Supply Ditch

0.6 Mi N of Co Rd 20, Larimer, CO

Built 2010 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,982

COUNTY ROAD I.9

Good

Over: LOCAL DRAINAGE

AT CAMEO SHOOTING & EDU., Mesa, CO

Built 2022 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 296

SH 287 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

US 287/DRAW, Baca, CO

Built 2011 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 3,500

US 285 ML

Good

Over: LA JARA CREEK

0.6 MI NO OF JCT SH 15, Conejos, CO

Built 1959 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 5,200

County Road 27.8

Good

Over: South Platte River

1.1 Mi. No. of Co. Rd. 30, Sedgwick, CO

Built 1987 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 478

SANTA FE TRAIL

Good

Over: MOORES CANYON CREEK

JUST S OF MOORES CAYON RD, Las Animas, CO

Built 1931 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 3,033

County Rd 62

Good

Over: Greeley No. 3 Ditch

0.5 mi E of 59th Ave, Weld, CO

Built 2012 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,875

YOSEMITE ST SBND

Good

Over: TODD CREEK

0.6 MI S OF 160TH AVE, Adams, CO

Built 2005 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 835

SH 6 ML

Good

Over: PAWNEE CREEK

4.9 MI S OF SH 14, Logan, CO

Built 2005 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 3,700

OLD PUEBLO ROAD

Good

Over: FOUNTAIN CREEK

0.2 MI S OF HANOVER ROAD, El Paso, CO

Built 1989 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 905

Troutman Parkway

Good

Over: Larimer Co. Canal No. 2

Jct w/ JF Kennedy Pkwy., Larimer, CO

Built 1985 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 3,679

SH 59 ML

Good

Over: BIG SPRING CREEK

7.3 MI NORTH OF JCT US 40, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1966 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 460

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: DRAW

3.2 MI NW OF EL PASO-PUEB, El Paso, CO

Built 1929 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 19,000

Vega Dam Road

Good

Over: Vega Dam Spillway

Vega Dam, Mesa, CO

Built 1998 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 830

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: RESOLUTION CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Eagle, CO

Built 1970 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 50

US 85 ML

Good

Over: UP RR

2.4 MI N OF NUNN, Weld, CO

Built 2013 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 4,600

Willow Run Pkwy

Good

Over: Local Drainage

200 FT W of ZUNI, Broomfield, CO

Built 1999 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 1,577

WBCOLFAX RMP/I25ML

Good

Over: BNSF RR R

I25 US40 SH33 INTCHNG, Denver, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 235,000

County Road 23

Good

Over: N. Sterling Inlet Canal

1.0 Mi. N. of Co. Rd. 23, Logan, CO

Built 1999 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 114

County Road 106

Good

Over: Geary Creek

0.35 Mi E of Co Rd 77, Weld, CO

Built 1991 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 36

County Road 120

Good

Over: Geary Creek

3.0 Mi E of Co Rd 59, Weld, CO

Built 1991 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 19

Showing 6,101-6,150 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.