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)

Counties (64)

Adams 535 Alamosa 16 Arapahoe 391 Archuleta 44 Baca 106 Bent 68 Boulder 311 Broomfield 66 Chaffee 84 Cheyenne 61 Clear Creek 77 Conejos 62 Costilla 39 Crowley 28 Custer 20 Delta 64 Denver 458 Dolores 28 Douglas 263 Eagle 174 El Paso 686 Elbert 85 Fremont 137 Garfield 167 Gilpin 19 Grand 88 Gunnison 100 Hinsdale 31 Huerfano 94 Jackson 47 Jefferson 464 Kiowa 31 Kit Carson 130 La Plata 102 Lake 17 Larimer 559 Las Animas 207 Lincoln 129 Logan 182 Mesa 319 Mineral 26 Moffat 80 Montezuma 61 Montrose 118 Morgan 192 Otero 195 Ouray 39 Park 55 Phillips 27 Pitkin 62 Prowers 137 Pueblo 264 Rio Blanco 54 Rio Grande 71 Routt 96 Saguache 41 San Juan 13 San Miguel 59 Sedgwick 64 Summit 57 Teller 27 Washington 75 Weld 614 Yuma 49

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.

144TH AVENUE

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK

1.2 MILES WEST OF SH 79, Adams, CO

Built 1960 Load: 0.0 t

County Road 79.0

Poor

Over: Salado Creek

2.8 Mi N of CR 64, Las Animas, CO

Built 2020 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2

County Road 59

Poor

Over: N. Sterling Outlet Canal

0.3 Mi N of Co Rd 58, Logan, CO

Built 1940 Load: 1.4 t ADT: 6

COTTONWOOD ST

Poor

Over: NORTH CRESTONE CREEK

IN TOWN OF CRESTONE, Saguache, CO

Built 1991 Load: 2.3 t ADT: 65

CO Rd 32

Poor

Over: Feeder Ditch

0.28 MI E of Co Rd 75, Las Animas, CO

Built 1970 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 7

POTOMAC STREET

Poor

Over: OBRIAN CANAL

0.2 MILE NORTH OF SH 2, Adams, CO

Built 1940 Load: 3.8 t ADT: 190

All Bridges in Colorado

County Road 17

Good

Over: Sullivan Ditch

0.2 Mi N of Co Rd 22, Weld, CO

Built 2002 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 135

WESTMOOR DR

Good

Over: WALNUT CREEK

0.1 MI N OF 108TH AVE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1999 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 3,630

I 76 ML EBND

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 14

8 MI SW OF STERLING, Logan, CO

Built 2003 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 4,250

AUSTIN BLUFFS PKWY

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

JUST NORTH OF WOODMEN RD., El Paso, CO

Built 1998 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 15,210

19TH ST

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

19TH ST AT PLATTE RIVER, Denver, CO

Built 1992 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 4,342

US 287 NBND

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

0.4 MI S of NW PKWY, Boulder, CO

Built 1993 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 16,500

US 287 ML SBND

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

2.2 MI NO OF JCT SH 121, Boulder, CO

Built 1994 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 16,500

CO RD 301

Good

Over: COLORADO RIVER

8.2 MI N OF I-70, Eagle, CO

Built 2010 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 276

JUDGE ORR ROAD

Good

Over: BLACK SQUIRREL CREEK

2.5 MI E PEYTON HIGHWAY, El Paso, CO

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,760

SBUS85TOEBC470RMP

Good

Over: US85/C470ML/UPRR/BNSF

JCT US 85 and SH 470, Douglas, CO

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 37,000

NB I25 ML

Good

Over: SB SH21 RAMP

SH21 AND I25 INT, El Paso, CO

Built 2021 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 66,000

WBND FILLMORE ST.

Good

Over: I 25 ML

IN COLORADO SPRINGS, El Paso, CO

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 19,612

County Road 62

Good

Over: N. Sterling Outlet Canal

0.2 Mi W of Co Rd 63, Logan, CO

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1

West 8th Street

Good

Over: Big Barnes Ditch

0.3 Mi W of Taft Avenue, Larimer, CO

Built 2020 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 3,983

County Road 80C

Good

Over: Sand Creek

0.7 Mi E of Co Rd 89, Larimer, CO

Built 1989 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 8

COUNTY ROAD 230

Good

Over: SALT CR/ST CHAS FLD DITC

2.6 MI N OF BURNT MILL RD, Pueblo, CO

Built 1995 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 120

YSIDRIO AVENUE

Good

Over: CUCHARAS RIVER

0.1 MI S OF SH 160, Huerfano, CO

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 94

FDR 435

Good

Over: DOLORES RIVER

.1 MI ON FDR 435, Montezuma, CO

Built 1964 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 40

IRR# CO RD 700

Good

Over: CAT CREEK

4.7 Mi NE of Camado, Archuleta, CO

Built 1997 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 42

IRR# CO RD 700

Good

Over: CAT CREEK

0.6 MI N OF CAMADO, Archuleta, CO

Built 1997 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 17

US 40 ML

Good

Over: EUREKA CREEK

5.6 MI NE OF JCT US 87 S, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1968 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 1,200

County Road 34

Good

Over: Lodge Pole Creek

0.7 Mi E. of Co. Rd. 27, Sedgwick, CO

Built 1996 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 51

COUNTY ROAD 213

Good

Over: ANIMAS RIVER

.5 MI S OF SH 160, La Plata, CO

Built 2004 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 3,800

US 34 ML EBND

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

1.6 MI E OF JCT SH85-G, Weld, CO

Built 1976 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 8,500

COUNTY ROAD B

Good

Over: WILD HORSE CREEK

3 MI E OF CR 74, Kiowa, CO

Built 1993 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 41

COUNTY ROAD W

Good

Over: INTERMITTENT STREAM

.1 MI E OF CR 71, Kiowa, CO

Built 1993 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 82

S Pratt Parkway

Good

Over: Left Hand Creek

At Missouri Avenue, Boulder, CO

Built 2012 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 4,798

COUNTY RD. 12 MILE

Good

Over: EMPIRE CANAL

JUST E OF CR S 101, Alamosa, CO

Built 1990 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 132

CALAMITY ROAD

Good

Over: SAN MIGUEL RIVER

JUST E OF SH 141, Montrose, CO

Built 1986 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 102

County Road 27

Good

Over: Mine Access

1 Mi S of CR 33, Routt, CO

Built 2010 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 864

IRR# CO RD 988

Good

Over: SAMBRITO CREEK

3.3 MI W OF ARBOLES, Archuleta, CO

Built 1992 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 72

SH 14 ML

Good

Over: COALBANK CREEK

3.5 MI WEST OF AULT, Weld, CO

Built 2013 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 8,900

US 287 NBND

Good

Over: GREELEY-LOVELAND CANAL

LINCOLN AVE at 1st ST, Larimer, CO

Built 2002 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 4,950

US 40 ML

Good

Over: UP RR

6 MI E OF JCT SH 9, Grand, CO

Built 2004 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 2,300

I25 NB RAMP TO 224

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK R

I-25NB to SH224 70th Ave, Adams, CO

Built 1998 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 10,000

COUNTY ROAD 67

Good

Over: GUNBARREL CREEK

AT OX YOKE RANCH, Jefferson, CO

Built 2006 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 692

COUNTY ROAD 174

Good

Over: KIOWA CREEK

0.6 MILE W OF BENNET ROAD, Elbert, CO

Built 1992 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 160

NB I-25 RAMP

Good

Over: I225 ML

At I-25/I-225, Denver, CO

Built 2005 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 111,500

SH 9 ML

Good

Over: MACK GULCH

16 MI N of US50, Fremont, CO

Built 2022 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 1,200

17th Avenue

Good

Over: Spring Gulch

750 Ft E of Whitehall Dr, Boulder, CO

Built 2000 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 9,396

County Road 67

Good

Over: Big Thompson River

0.2 Mi E of Co Rd 67E, Larimer, CO

Built 2009 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 5,445

County Road T.7

Good

Over: Bijou Canal

0.4 Mi E of Co Rd 8, Morgan, CO

Built 1987 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 46

US 550 SBnd ML

Good

Over: DRAW

1.3 MI N of NM Border, La Plata, CO

Built 1999 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 4,050

COUNTY ROAD 248

Good

Over: FLORIDA RIVER

.5 MI SW OF CR 240, La Plata, CO

Built 1992 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 50

CR 217 (PRICE RD)

Good

Over: BIJOU CREEK TRIBUTARY

3 MI NORTH OF JOLLY RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2012 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 149

US 287 ML

Good

Over: CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER

FORT COLLINS, Larimer, CO

Built 1995 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 27,000

WOLFF AVE

Good

Over: US 285 ML

Conifer / Aspen Park, Jefferson, CO

Built 2003 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 3,451

County Road 21

Good

Over: Peterson Ditch

1.0 Mi. No. of US 138, Sedgwick, CO

Built 1999 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 16

US 34 ML

Good

Over: BIG THOMPSON RIVER

7 MI W OF LOVELAND, Larimer, CO

Built 2008 Load: 40.4 t ADT: 4,900

COUNTY ROAD X

Good

Over: INTERMITTENT STREAM

.1 MI E OF CR 3, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1995 Load: 40.4 t ADT: 10

Showing 7,401-7,450 of 8,965 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
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.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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.