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

Rogers Road

Fair

Over: Lykin Gulch

0.25 Mi W of Airport Rd, Boulder, CO

Built 2000 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 80

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: GRANEROS CREEK

20.3 MI NO OF JCT US 160, Pueblo, CO

Built 1948 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 7,000

I 25 ML

Fair

Over: GONZALES CANYON CREEK

IN AGUILAR, Las Animas, CO

Built 1928 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 790

LAKEMOOR DRIVE

Fair

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

3.2 MI SE OF CO RD 11, Teller, CO

Built 1987 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 9

County Road 11

Fair

Over: Sheephorn Creek

0.6 Mi East of Radium, Grand, CO

Built 1988 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD KK

Fair

Over: FREEZEOUT CANYON CREEK

4.5 MI E OF CR 0, Baca, CO

Built 1979 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 11

US 287 ML

Fair

Over: LOUDEN CANAL

3.2 MI N OF JCT US 34, Larimer, CO

Built 1924 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 34,000

COUNTY ROAD 9

Fair

Over: PASS CREEK

2.2 MI N OF CR CC, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1940 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 13

SH 72 ML

Fair

Over: MIDDLE ST VRAIN CREEK

7 MI NORTH OF WARD, Boulder, CO

Built 1959 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 1,400

SH 170 ML

Fair

Over: SOUTH BOULDER CREEK

0.9 MI W. OF EL DORADO SP, Boulder, CO

Built 1930 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 388

US 85 ML

Fair

Over: FULTON DITCH

3.6 MI N OF JCT I-76, Adams, CO

Built 1953 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 34,000

US 285 ML

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

.2 MI E OF SHERIDAN BLVD, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 62,000

US 24 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

1.9 MI E OF PEYTON, El Paso, CO

Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 5,700

COUNTY ROAD 4

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.2 MILES SOUTH OF ROAD A, Kit Carson, CO

Built 1982 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 191

US 50 ML

Fair

Over: GAGEBY CREEK

8.4 MI EAST OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO

Built 1937 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 2,600

THIRD ST.

Fair

Over: KING ARROYO

JUST E OF SH 109, Otero, CO

Built 1931 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 1,844

COUNTY ROAD 19

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

.6 MI N OF RD M, Mesa, CO

Built 1978 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 409

COUNTY ROAD 18

Fair

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

2.5 MI S OF CR G, Baca, CO

Built 1960 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 12

US 34 ML

Fair

Over: FORT MORGAN CANAL

.8 MI W of SH 52, Morgan, CO

Built 1940 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 3,200

RAMP TO I 76 WBND

Fair

Over: I 25 ML R

I25 & I76 JCT, Adams, CO

Built 1991 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 37,000

BONFORTE BLVD

Fair

Over: SH 47 ML

1.9 MI E OF I25, Pueblo, CO

Built 1968 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 5,746

BIGHORN DRIVE

Fair

Over: PITKIN CREEK

0.2 MI SE OF I-70, Eagle, CO

Built 1989 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 3,417

US 287 ML

Fair

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

21.5 MILES NORTH OF TEDS, Larimer, CO

Built 1960 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 3,900

COUNTY ROAD 12

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY OF PLUM CREEK

.4 MI N OF CR JJ, Baca, CO

Built 1950 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 14

ALLEY

Fair

Over: EAST HARVARD GULCH

BTWN MARION AND LAFF, Denver, CO

Built 1967 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 23

SH 63 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

14 MI NO OF JCT US 36, Washington, CO

Built 1979 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 530

SH 330 ML

Fair

Over: PLATEAU CREEK

3.5 MI W OF COLLBRAN, Mesa, CO

Built 1954 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 1,600

SH 92 ML

Fair

Over: ALKALI CREEK

3.7 MI SE OF CRAWFORD, Montrose, CO

Built 1936 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 300

US 50 ML WBND

Fair

Over: BRUSH HOLLOW CREEK

5.1 MI W OF JCT SH 120, Fremont, CO

Built 1949 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 7,000

US 350 ML

Fair

Over: CROOKED ARROYO

2.3 MI NE OF JCT SH 71, Otero, CO

Built 1935 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 320

US 160 ML

Fair

Over: PIEDRA RIVER

22 MI W. OF PAGOSA SPRING, Archuleta, CO

Built 1954 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 4,300

FALCON RD

Fair

Over: IRONSTONE CANAL

.5 MI E OF CR 5825, Montrose, CO

Built 1983 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 64

KIPLING STREET

Fair

Over: CROKE CANAL

0.15 MI NORTH OF 80TH AVE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1971 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 9,958

HORIZON DRIVE

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

.3 MI E OF RD 26.50, Mesa, CO

Built 1965 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 7,507

US 24 ML

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

JOHNSON VILLAGE, Chaffee, CO

Built 1937 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 8,300

US 285 SR

Fair

Over: CHALK CREEK

at NATHROP, Chaffee, CO

Built 1932 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 7,553

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

3.3 MI EAST OF JCT SH 229, Pueblo, CO

Built 1959 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 1,600

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: BOONE CREEK

3.8 MI EAST OF JCT SH 229, Pueblo, CO

Built 1959 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 1,600

COUNTY ROAD DD

Fair

Over: HOLBROOK RES LATERAL

.5 MI E OF CR 24.5, Otero, CO

Built 1970 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 103

COUNTY ROAD 61

Fair

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

JUST S OF RAINBOW VALLEY, Teller, CO

Built 1936 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 219

County Road 44

Fair

Over: Gilmore Ditch

0.1 Mi E of Co Rd 47, Weld, CO

Built 1960 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 2,653

FDR 648

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

13.5 MI NNE OF PAGOSA SPJ, Mineral, CO

Built 1956 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 113

CR 15.2/ SH 101

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY OF RULE CREEK

2.2 MI SE OF CR K, Bent, CO

Built 1965 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 44

I 76 ML WBND

Fair

Over: SH 144 ML

1.3 MI SW OF JCT SH 52, Morgan, CO

Built 1959 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 8,000

I 76 ML WBND

Fair

Over: US 6 ML

AT JCT US 6 + 34B-BRUSH, Morgan, CO

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 6,000

US 34 ML

Fair

Over: BNSF RR

2 MI W OF YUMA, Yuma, CO

Built 1935 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 2,100

SH 72 ML

Fair

Over: VAN BIBBER CREEK

WARD RD ARVADA, Jefferson, CO

Built 1972 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 28,000

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: I 25 ML & RAMPS

AT I 25 AND I 70, Denver, CO

Built 1991 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 60,500

COUNTY ROAD 321

Fair

Over: I 70 ML

8 MI E OF EISENHOWER TUNN, Clear Creek, CO

Built 1971 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 112

I 70 SERVICE RD

Fair

Over: DRAW SR

5 MI E OF JCT DEERTRAIL S, Elbert, CO

Built 1939 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 11,000

Showing 701-750 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.