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

SH 402 ML

Good

Over: I25 ML

4.2 MI E OF JCT US 287, Larimer, CO

Built 2020 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 86,000

I76 ML EBND

Good

Over: BADGER CREEK

4 MI E of Ft Morgan, Morgan, CO

Built 2014 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 8,000

I 76 ML WBND

Good

Over: BADGER CREEK

4 MI EA OF FT. MORGAN, Morgan, CO

Built 2013 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 8,000

US 85 NB OFF RAMP

Good

Over: TERRAIN

US85 NBND OFF RAMP, Douglas, CO

Built 2014 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,877

COUNTY ROAD 160

Good

Over: GRAPE CREEK

WEST EDGE OF WESTCLIFFE, Custer, CO

Built 2018 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 570

BLAKE STREET

Good

Over: 38TH STREET

BLAKE STREET OVER 38TH ST, Denver, CO

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,452

GOLF COURSE RD

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

AT GOLF COURSE CLUB HOUSE, Denver, CO

Built 2016 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 19

AIRPORT ROAD

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

0.5 MI W OF SANTA FE DR, Douglas, CO

Built 2016 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 906

US 287 ML

Good

Over: Light Rail

1 MI S of US 36, Adams, CO

Built 2016 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 30,000

WB US 36 ON RAMP

Good

Over: WB BUS RAMP/BIKE PATH

MCCASLIN and US 36, Boulder, CO

Built 2016 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 8,180

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Piney Creek

9.57 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1996 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 23,244

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Arapahoe Road

9.83 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1996 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 23,179

US 6 ML

Good

Over: EAGLE RIVER

0.7 MI E OF EAGLE, Eagle, CO

Built 2012 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 3,400

I 70 ML

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD

2.1 MI E OF JCT SH91, Summit, CO

Built 1977 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 27,000

N Lemay Ave & BNSF

Good

Over: E Vine Drive

2.77 MI west of JCT-I25, Larimer, CO

Built 2023 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 12,491

County Road 16

Good

Over: Godding Hollow Ditch

0.5 mi E of I-25, Weld, CO

Built 2017 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 2,907

SH 59 ML

Good

Over: I 70 ML

I70 at SEIBERT, Kit Carson, CO

Built 2018 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,200

27TH STREET

Good

Over: ROARING FORK RIVER

0.2 MI W OF HIGHWAY 82, Garfield, CO

Built 2019 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 13,832

BAPTIST RD-CR32

Good

Over: I 25 ML

7.9 MI N OF JCT SH 83 ML, El Paso, CO

Built 2010 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 17,699

I25 SB OFF RAMP

Good

Over: FOUNTAIN CREEK

_, El Paso, CO

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 58,000

US 50 ML

Good

Over: BNSF RR

3 MI EAST OF GRANADA, Prowers, CO

Built 2016 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,900

County Rd 25E

Good

Over: Redstone Creek

0.6 MI N of Swanson R. Rd, Larimer, CO

Built 2017 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 125

County Rd 3

Good

Over: Larimer County Canal

N of CR 50, Larimer, CO

Built 2017 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 305

COUNTY ROAD 29

Good

Over: FORT LYON STORAGE CANAL

.1 MI N OF CR 808, Otero, CO

Built 2005 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1

US 160 WB ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE CROSSING/DRAIN

23.8 MI E OF JCT US 550, La Plata, CO

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,000

US 160 EB ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE CROSSING/DRAIN

23.8 MI E OF JCT US 550, La Plata, CO

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,000

US 160 ML

Good

Over: SMITH CANYON

7 miles W of KIM, Las Animas, CO

Built 2016 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 150

BELFORD AVENUE

Good

Over: HAPPY CANYON CREEK

1.5 MI E OF S PEORIA ST, Douglas, CO

Built 2021 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 100

PARACHUTE PRK BLVD

Good

Over: PARACHUTE CREEK

0.25 MI S CNTY RD215, Garfield, CO

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 591

County Road 49

Good

Over: Jim Creek

0.5 mi N of I-76, Weld, CO

Built 2017 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 4,577

COUNTY ROAD SS

Good

Over: KICKING BIRD CANAL

1 MI N OF SH 196, Bent, CO

Built 1999 Load: 42.2 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 53

Good

Over: CARPENTER CREEK

1.5 MI N TOWN PALMER LK, Douglas, CO

Built 2006 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 2,147

RAMP TO I 70 WBND

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK R

3.4 MI E OF JCT SH 103, Clear Creek, CO

Built 1995 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 23,500

County Road 18E

Good

Over: Cottonwood Creek

0.2 Mi W of Co Rd 31, Larimer, CO

Built 1996 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 1,911

County Road 12

Good

Over: Fort Morgan Canal

0.8 Mi N of Co Rd V, Morgan, CO

Built 1999 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 229

CR 2050 Running Dr

Good

Over: SURFACE CREEK

500 FT NW OF SH 65, Delta, CO

Built 1989 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 234

COUNTY ROAD 501

Good

Over: DRY WASH

3.6 MI N OF SH47, Pueblo, CO

Built 1995 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 359

I76 ML EBND

Good

Over: SH 63 ML

ATWOOD EXIT HWY 63, Logan, CO

Built 2003 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 4,250

US 287+SH 88

Good

Over: US 40 ML

FEDERAL / COLFAX-DENVER, Denver, CO

Built 2012 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 28,000

US 160 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

4 MI W OF PRITCHETT, Baca, CO

Built 2013 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 250

E-470 NB

Good

Over: Ramp B

20.13 MI FROM I25, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2006 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 18,591

US 285 ML

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD 60

0.9 MI E OF JCT SH 8, Jefferson, CO

Built 2008 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 39,000

I 25 ML

Good

Over: I 225 LRT

I-25 at I-225, Denver, CO

Built 2004 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 223,000

COUNTY ROAD 19Q

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

4.3 MI S OF SH 141, San Miguel, CO

Built 1994 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 6

39TH AVENUE

Good

Over: LENA GULCH

JUST W OF KIPLING ST, Jefferson, CO

Built 2000 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 1,207

SH 257 ML

Good

Over: US 34 BYPASS

WEST OF GREELEY, Weld, CO

Built 1999 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 8,800

JORDAN ROAD

Good

Over: WINDMILL CREEK

SOUTH OF MAPLEWOOD AVENUE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1999 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 161

COUNTY ROAD 18

Good

Over: SANGRE DE CRISTO CREEK

.6 MI W OF SH 159, Costilla, CO

Built 1992 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 37

LIBERTY BLVD

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

.1 MI EAST OF JAMAICA ST, Douglas, CO

Built 2002 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 1,340

US 6 ML

Good

Over: SNAKE RIVER

3.6 MI E OF JCT I 70, Summit, CO

Built 1999 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 14,000

Showing 7,601-7,650 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.