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

UNION AVENUE

Good

Over: LAKE ELIZABETH

River Walk in Pueblo, Pueblo, CO

Built 1998 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 5,863

WOODWARD AVENUE

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

JUST S OF MAIN STREET, Clear Creek, CO

Built 1999 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 547

SH 30 ML/HAVANA ST

Good

Over: CHERRY CREEK

@ DARTMOUTH IN DENVER, Denver, CO

Built 2010 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 26,000

MONUMENT ROAD

Good

Over: REDLANDS POWER CANAL

MONUMENT ROAD AND D ROAD, Mesa, CO

Built 2009 Load: 53.4 t ADT: 5,001

S. Taft Hill Road

Good

Over: Mercer Ditch

At LaPorte Ave., Larimer, CO

Built 2004 Load: 53.6 t ADT: 11,742

Summit Trail

Good

Over: Colorado River

1.7 Mi N of HWY 34, Grand, CO

Built 2007 Load: 53.7 t ADT: 115

JONES ROAD

Good

Over: WEST CHERRY CREEK

.3 MI WEST OF SH83, Douglas, CO

Built 1992 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 69

Whitcomb Street

Good

Over: Arthur Ditch

Inter Whitcomb/magnolia, Larimer, CO

Built 2010 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 382

County Road 19

Good

Over: Cache La Poudre River

1.1 Mi N of Co Rd 48, Larimer, CO

Built 2003 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 5,617

County Road 21

Good

Over: Catlin Canal

0.2 Mi S of CR DD, Otero, CO

Built 2020 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 306

COUNTY ROAD 26

Good

Over: CADDOA CREEK

1.3 MI S OF CR GG, Bent, CO

Built 1996 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 38

MAINSTREET

Good

Over: NEWLIN GULCH

JUST E OF CHAMBERS RD, Douglas, CO

Built 2007 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 20,779

US 36 ML

Good

Over: ST VRAIN CREEK

IN LYONS, Boulder, CO

Built 2000 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 8,200

MAIN STREET

Good

Over: DRGWRR ATSFRW ARKANSAS R

0.1 MI S OF C STREET, Pueblo, CO

Built 1995 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 5,732

COUNTY ROAD 38

Good

Over: FORK OF SMOKY HILL RIVER

.3 MI N OF CR Z, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1996 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 3

US 40 ML

Good

Over: Corral Creek

11.09 MI E OF JCT SH 9, Grand, CO

Built 2002 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 2,300

STEELE AVENUE

Good

Over: EAST CHERRY CREEK

0.8 MI E. OF CHERRY CK RD, Douglas, CO

Built 1990 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 471

MEADOWS BLVD

Good

Over: EAST PLUM CREEK TRIBUTAR

0.2 MI W OF COACHLINE ROA, Douglas, CO

Built 1987 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 8,602

SH 71 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

4.3 MI N OF JCT SH 96-E, Crowley, CO

Built 1993 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 570

County Road 15.5

Good

Over: N. Sterling Inlet Canal

0.3 Mi N. of Co. Line, Logan, CO

Built 1999 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 21

COUNTY ROAD 248

Good

Over: GREENHORN CREEK

1.4 MI W OF RYE, Pueblo, CO

Built 1994 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 38

Platte Street

Good

Over: Sterling Ditch No. 1

.2 Mi E. of Co Rd 37, Logan, CO

Built 2003 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 1,027

AKRON STREET

Good

Over: TODD CREEK TRIBUTARY

0.1 MI SOUTH OF 152ND AVE, Adams, CO

Built 2001 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 52

COUNTY ROAD 53

Good

Over: SMOKY HILL RIVER

1.1 MI N OF CR U, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1997 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 38

SH 121 ML

Good

Over: MCINTIRE GULCH

.2 MI. N. OF 6TH AVE., Jefferson, CO

Built 2018 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 47,000

I 25 ML NBND

Good

Over: MONUMENT CREEK BRANCH

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

Built 1953 Load: 54.5 t ADT: 46,000

Bein Street

Good

Over: Trib. to Dry Creek

30 Ft. S of Welch Ave., Larimer, CO

Built 1999 Load: 54.6 t ADT: 347

Souix Drive

Good

Over: Trib. to Dry Creek

30 Ft. S of Welch Ave, Larimer, CO

Built 1999 Load: 54.6 t ADT: 425

ALVARADO RD

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

WEST OF LAWSON, Clear Creek, CO

Built 2010 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 452

COUNTY ROAD D

Good

Over: WHITE WOMAN CREEK

7.0 MI E OF SH 385, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1994 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 16

US 85 ML SBND

Good

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

IN DENVER ON SO SANTA FE, Denver, CO

Built 2015 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 40,000

US 50 + SH 789 NB

Good

Over: COLORADO RIVER

GRAND JUNCTION MP 32.42, Mesa, CO

Built 1989 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 13,500

SH 13 ML

Good

Over: WILDLIFE CROSSING

16.3 MI S OF WYO/CO LINE, Moffat, CO

Built 2022 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 930

SH 392 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

1400 ft.W.of C-17-FK, Larimer, CO

Built 2015 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 15,000

47TH AVE

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

AT SAND CREEK DR, Denver, CO

Built 2010 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 4,909

US 40 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

0.6 MI E OF WILDHORSE, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1988 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 3,800

South Sunset St.

Good

Over: Left Hand Creek

200 ft N of Creekside Dr, Boulder, CO

Built 2000 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 1,274

County Road 38E

Good

Over: Redstone Creek

0.1 MI N. OF CO RD 25E, Larimer, CO

Built 2007 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 1,824

E County Road 52

Good

Over: Unnamed Drain

800 Ft E of I25, Larimer, CO

Built 2015 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 654

County Road 63

Good

Over: Fish Creek

3 Mi. S. of SH 36, Larimer, CO

Built 2017 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 856

SH 101 ML

Good

Over: DRAW

19 MI SO OF JCT SH 50, Bent, CO

Built 2020 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 70

SH 12 ML

Good

Over: CUCHARAS RIVER

8 MILES SOUTH OF LA VETA, Huerfano, CO

Built 2012 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 1,600

BROOKHAVEN LANE

Good

Over: LOCAL DRAINAGE

JUST S OF BOWLES AVENUE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2000 Load: 55.2 t ADT: 304

SH 64 ML

Good

Over: DOUGLAS CREEK

1 MI E OF RANGELY, Rio Blanco, CO

Built 1990 Load: 55.2 t ADT: 1,600

COUNTY ROAD 26

Good

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

1.0 MI S OF HIGHWAY 40, Lincoln, CO

Built 1998 Load: 55.2 t ADT: 55

IRR# COUNTY RD 100

Good

Over: LA PLATA RIVER

2 MI W OF SH 140, La Plata, CO

Built 2001 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 170

56TH AVENUE

Good

Over: RALSTON CREEK

0.01 MI SW OF RALSTON RD, Jefferson, CO

Built 2000 Load: 55.5 t ADT: 4,301

Stover Street

Good

Over: Spring Creek

200 Ft N of Stuart Street, Larimer, CO

Built 1993 Load: 55.5 t ADT: 1,766

County Road X.5

Good

Over: Weldona Valley Ditch

150 Ft E of St Hwy 144, Morgan, CO

Built 2004 Load: 55.6 t ADT: 230

LaPorte Avenue

Good

Over: New Mercer Canal

0.08 Mi E of Taft Hill, Larimer, CO

Built 2023 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 9,091

Showing 8,101-8,150 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.