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

MOUNTAIN VISTA RD

Good

Over: I 25 ML

AT MP 271.342, Larimer, CO

Built 1985 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 4,645

RAMP TO I 25 NBND

Good

Over: I 25 ML HOV RAMP

I25 & I76 JCT, Adams, CO

Built 1991 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 37,000

COUNTY ROAD 1

Good

Over: COLORADO RIVER

3.6 MI of NE STATE BRIDGE, Eagle, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 513

SH 133 ML

Good

Over: N FORK GUNNISON RIVER

5 MI N OF PAONIA, Delta, CO

Built 1991 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 1,500

County Road 13

Good

Over: Larimer County Canal

125 Ft N of Co Rd 54, Larimer, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 388

County Road 7

Good

Over: North Poudre Canal

0.8 Mi E of Co Rd 68, Larimer, CO

Built 2011 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 984

COUNTY ROAD 1W

Good

Over: Slater Creek

0.3 MI S of CO Rd 82, Routt, CO

Built 2012 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 24

US 287 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

0.9 MI S OF JCT SH 52, Boulder, CO

Built 1990 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 23,000

US 40 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

1.5 MI NW OF DEER TRAIL, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 360

US 550 ML

Good

Over: HORSEFLY CREEK

7.5 MI NO OF OURAY-MONTRO, Montrose, CO

Built 1994 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 13,000

County Road 15

Good

Over: Larimer County Canal

0.5 Mi N of SH 14, Weld, CO

Built 2004 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 1,364

Morrow Pt. Dam Rd

Good

Over: Cimmaron Creek

Cimmmaron Colorado, Montrose, CO

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 30

Early Settlers Rd

Good

Over: Leon Creek Feeder Canal

3.7 mi SE HWY 330/64.6 Rd, Mesa, CO

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 830

IRR BIA RTE 208

Good

Over: MANCOS RIVER

19.7 KM E OF CHIMNEY ROCK, Montezuma, CO

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

IRR# COUNTY RD 510

Good

Over: FLORIDA RIVER

.15 MI W OF CR 225A, La Plata, CO

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 572

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER

8.5 MI N OF JCT US 34, Larimer, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,500

I 25 ML SBND

Good

Over: CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER

3.5 MI S OF JCT SH 14, Larimer, CO

Built 2023 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,500

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: RR SPUR

1.1 MI N OF JCT SH 68, Larimer, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,500

I25 ML NBND

Good

Over: POUDRE RIVER FLOODPLAIN

0.2 MI SO OF KECHTER RD, Larimer, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 90,000

I25 ML SBND

Good

Over: POUDRE RIVER FLOODPLAIN

0.2 MI S OF KECHTER RD, Larimer, CO

Built 2023 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 90,000

Broadway

Good

Over: Four Mile Creek/Bike Pth

At Rosewood Avenue, Boulder, CO

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,874

US 40 ML

Good

Over: E FORK ELK RIVER

7 MI W OF STMBT. SPRINGS, Routt, CO

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,700

US 34 ML

Good

Over: BIG THOMPSON RIVER

2.8 MI FROM JCT CO RD 43, Larimer, CO

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,900

US 34 ML

Good

Over: I 25 ML

I-25 LOVELAND INTERCH., Larimer, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 19,500

COUNTY ROAD 20E

Good

Over: I 25 ML

1.5 MI NO OF JCT SH 402, Larimer, CO

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,401

SH 392 ML

Good

Over: I 25 ML

I-25/WINDSOR INTERCHANGE, Larimer, CO

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,000

I 25 ML SBND

Good

Over: WELD COUNTY ROAD 46

1 MI SO OF JCT SH 60, Weld, CO

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 83,000

I25 ML

Good

Over: GW RR

0.6 MI SO of JCT SH 60, Weld, CO

Built 2023 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 41,000

US 34 ML

Good

Over: FLOODPLAIN

03.0 MI E OF US85, Weld, CO

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 18,000

SH 71 ML

Good

Over: LWR PLATTE BEAVER CANAL

3.5 MI N OF JCT I 76, Morgan, CO

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,400

SH 71 ML

Good

Over: I 76 ML

IN BRUSH, Morgan, CO

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,200

Castle Rock Pkwy

Good

Over: US 85 and UPRR

N Meadows Pkwy, Douglas, CO

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,973

MARKSHEFFEL RD

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

0.4 MI N OF WOODMEN RD, El Paso, CO

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,740

8TH AVE

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

JUST WEST OF ZUNI STREET, Denver, CO

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,305

UINTA STREET

Good

Over: LOCAL DRAINAGE

0.11 MI N OF 51ST AVE, Denver, CO

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,415

Butts Road

Good

Over: Tank Trail Bravo

Butts and Bad Toelz RDs, El Paso, CO

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,500

SH 9 ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS

11.1 miles south of US-40, Grand, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,600

SH 9 ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS/WASH

8.1 miles south of US-40, Grand, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,200

SH 9 ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS

7.3 MI. S. O F US HWY 40, Grand, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,600

SH 9 ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS/WASH

6.4 miles south of US-40, Grand, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,600

SH 9 ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS

2.8 miles south of US-40, Grand, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,600

I70 WB OFFRAMP

Good

Over: 32ND AVE

AT 32ND AVENUE, Jefferson, CO

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 91,000

I 76 ML WBND

Good

Over: US 85 ML NBND

I76 & US 85C JCT, Adams, CO

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,500

SH 7 ML

Good

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

2.3 MI E OF JCT I25, Adams, CO

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 16,000

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Cherry Creek

5.13 MI FROM I25, Douglas, CO

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,407

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Quincy Avenue

13.31 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,265

E-470 SB

Good

Over: Quincy Avenue

13.31 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,768

COUNTY ROAD 301

Good

Over: COLORADO RIVER

7.3 MI W OF HIGHWAY 131, Eagle, CO

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 156

SH 82 ML

Good

Over: I70 ML COLORADO RVR RR

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Garfield, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 29,000

I70 ML WBND

Good

Over: SIMBA RUN UNDERPASS

1.2 MI W of EXIT 176, Eagle, CO

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,500

Showing 6,151-6,200 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.