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 17 ML

Good

Over: LA GARITA CREEK

9.2 MI N of SH112 ML, Saguache, CO

Built 1947 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 1,400

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: PURGATOIRE RIVER

In TRINIDAD, Las Animas, CO

Built 2009 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 8,000

PROSPECT WAY

Good

Over: HOFFMAN CREEK

JUST S OF 152ND AVENUE, Adams, CO

Built 1994 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 4

COUNTY LANE 7

Good

Over: COLORADO CANAL

.7 MI NORTH OF SH 96, Crowley, CO

Built 1995 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 31

US 40 ML

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

.9 MI SE OF WINTER PARK, Grand, CO

Built 2004 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 11,000

W 44TH AVENUE

Good

Over: CROKE CANAL

.1 MILE W OF McINTYRE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1995 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 5,243

Divide Creek Road

Good

Over: Divide Creek

1.8 Mi SE of I-70, Garfield, CO

Built 1990 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 886

SH 17 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

9.7 MI NO OF JCT SH 112 M, Saguache, CO

Built 1947 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 1,400

Co Rd 29

Good

Over: Platte Valley Canal

0.5 Mi N of Co Rd 34, Weld, CO

Built 2014 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 328

712.0

Good

Over: SMITH FORK CREEK

14 MI. SE OF HOTCHKISS, Delta, CO

Built 2009 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 89

County Road 67

Good

Over: Williams Fork River

0.3 Mi S of Co Rd 29, Routt, CO

Built 2016 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 31

US 138 ML

Good

Over: LODGEPOLE CREEK

7.1 MI NE OF JCT SH 59, Sedgwick, CO

Built 2017 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY ROAD 48

Good

Over: I 25 ML

MILE MRKR 270.314, Larimer, CO

Built 2018 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 7,569

I 25 ML SBND

Good

Over: RR SPUR

2.9 MI S OF JCT SH 14, Larimer, CO

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 24,500

KECHTER RD

Good

Over: I 25 ML

2 MI N OF SH 392, Larimer, CO

Built 2022 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 6,317

SH 138 ML

Good

Over: DRAIN DITCH

6.6 MI NE of JCT US 6, Logan, CO

Built 2020 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,500

Lowell Blvd SB

Good

Over: Lowell Channel

0.15 Mi S of SH7, Broomfield, CO

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,426

US 34 ML

Good

Over: BIG THOMPSON RIVER

_, Larimer, CO

Built 2018 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,900

I 25 ML

Good

Over: HILLSBORO TRIBUTARY

1.6 MI NO OF JCT SH 60, Larimer, CO

Built 2020 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 86,000

SH 257 ML

Good

Over: LITTLE THOMPSON RIVER

0.2 MI N OF JCT SH 60, Weld, CO

Built 2018 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 7,400

I76 ML WBND

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 25

_, Morgan, CO

Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,000

I 76 ML EBND

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 25

6 MILES E OF FT MORGAN, Morgan, CO

Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,000

I 76 ML WBND

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 26

7 MI E of Ft Morgan, Morgan, CO

Built 2014 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,000

I 76 ML EBND

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 26

7 MILES E OF FT MORGAN, Morgan, CO

Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,000

I-25 ML NBND

Good

Over: N MEADOWS PARKWAY

N OF CASTLE ROCK, Douglas, CO

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 64,883

I-25 ML SBND

Good

Over: N MEADOWS PARKWAY

N OF CASTLE ROCK, Douglas, CO

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 64,883

US 85 SB ON RAMP

Good

Over: TERRAIN

SBND ON RAMP C, Douglas, CO

Built 2014 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,862

N MEADOWS PARKWAY

Good

Over: RAILROAD TRACK

0.5 MI S OF US 85, Douglas, CO

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 14,853

COUNTY ROAD 17

Good

Over: CONEJOS RIVER

2.0 MI S OF CR M, Conejos, CO

Built 1991 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 291

COUNTY LANE 12

Good

Over: BOB CREEK

.3 MI N OF ROAD G, Crowley, CO

Built 1994 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 90

AUSTIN BLUFFS PKWY

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

JUST N OF WOODMAN RD, El Paso, CO

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 12,000

Platte Ave

Good

Over: Sand Creek

West of Powers Blvd, El Paso, CO

Built 2021 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 62,974

US 36 ML

Good

Over: LEFT HAND CREEK

6.2 MI SO OF JCT SH 66, Boulder, CO

Built 2019 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 13,000

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: WELD COUNTY ROAD 10

4.0 MI N OF WELD-ADAMS CL, Weld, CO

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 51,000

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: ST VRAIN RIVER

1 MILE N OF JCT 119, Weld, CO

Built 2008 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 40,000

I-25 ML SBND

Good

Over: St. VRAIN RIVER

1 MILE N OF JCT 119, Weld, CO

Built 2008 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 40,000

COUNTY ROAD 1200

Good

Over: BUTTERMILK CREEK

1.3 MI SW OF CR 1300, Delta, CO

Built 2019 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 121

SPRUCE MTN ROAD

Good

Over: E. PLUM CREEK

0.7 MI S OF LARKSPUR, Douglas, CO

Built 2008 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,993

LAMBERT RNCH TRAIL

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.1 MI W OF INTERSECTION, Douglas, CO

Built 2001 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 57

I 70 ML EBND

Good

Over: 32ND AVE

5.0 MI E of C-470, Jefferson, CO

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 45,500

I 70 ML WBND

Good

Over: 32ND AVE

5.0 MI E of C-470, Jefferson, CO

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 45,000

PECOS RMP TO I76WB

Good

Over: BNSF RR RTD Light Rail

.2 MI W OF PECOS STREET, Adams, CO

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 77,000

I 70 ML EBND

Good

Over: SMITH ROAD UP RR

4.3 MI E OF JCT I 225, Adams, CO

Built 2014 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 17,000

COOK STREET

Good

Over: I70 ML

0.35 MI W of CO BLVD, Denver, CO

Built 2021 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,200

I 70 ML EBND

Good

Over: DAHLIA STREET

DENVER, Denver, CO

Built 2020 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 65,500

I 70 ML WBND

Good

Over: PEORIA STREET

1.0 MI E of HAVANA ST., Denver, CO

Built 2020 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 95,000

I 70 ML EBND

Good

Over: PEORIA STREET

1 MI E of HAVANA ST, Denver, CO

Built 2020 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 95,000

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Cottonwood Drive

5.76 MI FROM I25, Douglas, CO

Built 1996 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 24,242

E-470 SB

Good

Over: Cottonwood Drive

5.76 MI FROM I25, Douglas, CO

Built 1996 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 25,742

E-470 SB

Good

Over: Arapahoe Road

9.83 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1996 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 24,139

Showing 6,901-6,950 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.