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 21

Fair

Over: Poudre Valley Canal

1.3 Mi N of Co Rd 60E, Larimer, CO

Built 1972 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 48

US 350 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

5 MILES SW OF LA JUNTA, Otero, CO

Built 1935 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 320

COUNTY ROAD 32.5

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

.1 MI N OF RD E, Mesa, CO

Built 1966 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 1,884

COUNTY ROAD BB

Fair

Over: ROCKY FORD CANAL

.5 MI E OF CR 21, Otero, CO

Built 1967 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 58

COUNTY ROAD 33

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK SUPPLY CANAL

60 FEET N OF CR MM.5, Otero, CO

Built 1970 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 11

SH 12 ML

Fair

Over: COLORADO CANYON

2.5 MI W OF I-25 IN TRINI, Las Animas, CO

Built 1974 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 1,900

J MORGAN BLVD

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF CHERRY CREEK

.5 M WEST OF PARKER RD, Douglas, CO

Built 1988 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 857

County Road 70

Fair

Over: Morgan Creek

1.4 Mi E of Co Rd 80, Routt, CO

Built 1995 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 90

County Road 31

Fair

Over: St. Vrain Creek

0.6 Mi S of Co Rd 10, Boulder, CO

Built 1979 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 6,233

SH 121 ML

Fair

Over: ARVADA CHANNEL

0.1 MI. N. OF I 76, Jefferson, CO

Built 1982 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 58,000

SH 470 ML EBND

Fair

Over: US 285 ML

2 MI S OF MORRISON, Jefferson, CO

Built 1988 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 33,000

I 225 ML NBND

Fair

Over: ULSTER ST.

0.2 MI E. OF I25, Denver, CO

Built 1976 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 69,000

SH 86 ML

Fair

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

3.3 MI E. OF ELIZABETH, Elbert, CO

Built 1973 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 5,100

SH 114 ML

Fair

Over: FINDLEY GULCH

2 MI NW OF SAGUACHE 285, Saguache, CO

Built 1946 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 550

COUNTY RD 24.6

Fair

Over: GRAY CREEK

2.5 MI W OF CR 81.5, Las Animas, CO

Built 1937 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 112

County Road 41

Fair

Over: Sterling No 1 Ditch

0.6 Mi N of Co Rd 32, Logan, CO

Built 1950 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 505

County Road 19

Fair

Over: Larimer County Canal

2.0 Mi N of Co Rd 56, Larimer, CO

Built 1979 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 2,014

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: FALL CREEK

17 MI W OF TELLURIDE, San Miguel, CO

Built 1987 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 63

COUNTY ROAD 6300

Fair

Over: MONTROSE AND DELTA CANAL

1.2 MI SE OF SH 90, Montrose, CO

Built 1950 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 714

US 40 ML

Fair

Over: MAYBELL DITCH

2.8 MI EAST OF MAYBELL, Moffat, CO

Built 1963 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 760

US 287 ML

Fair

Over: LAKE CANAL

At Woodlawn Dr., Larimer, CO

Built 1930 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 25,000

COUNTY ROAD B

Fair

Over: RIO COSTILLA

JUST E of CR 13, Costilla, CO

Built 1985 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 81

EB 20TH ST

Fair

Over: S PLATTE RIVER

E OF I-25 AT S PLATTE RIV, Denver, CO

Built 1994 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 11,726

SH 93 ML

Fair

Over: BOULDER CREEK

N. of Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO

Built 2004 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 22,000

SH 59 ML

Fair

Over: E SPRING CREEK TRIB.

16.1 MI S OF JCT I 70, Kit Carson, CO

Built 1960 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 380

US 50 ML

Fair

Over: LAMAR CANAL

IN LAMAR, Prowers, CO

Built 1931 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 13,000

COUNTY ROAD 346

Fair

Over: I 25 ML

19.1 MI NO OF JCT US 160, Pueblo, CO

Built 1965 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 117

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: I 25 ML

16.6 MI NO OF WALSENBURG, Huerfano, CO

Built 1965 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 106

COUNTY ROAD M

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

.4 MI W OF RD 20, Mesa, CO

Built 1985 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 217

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: FRONTAGE ROAD

7.4 MI S OF SH10-WLSNBRG., Huerfano, CO

Built 1969 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 5,500

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: FRONTAGE ROAD

7.4 MI SO OF JCT US 160, Huerfano, CO

Built 1969 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 5,500

COUNTY ROAD 240

Fair

Over: FLORIDA RIVER

2.5 MI NE OF CR 225, La Plata, CO

Built 1982 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 3,235

POPULAR ROAD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

.9 MI SE OF SH 90, Montrose, CO

Built 1988 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 143

120TH AVENUE

Fair

Over: SAN ARROYO CREEK

.3 MI W OF SHAMROCK ROAD, Adams, CO

Built 2000 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 20

WOLFF STREET

Fair

Over: WEIR GULCH

E OF SHERIDAN AT 500 BLOC, Denver, CO

Built 1976 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 443

MERIDIAN BLVD

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

0.2 MI FROM INTER W/HAVAN, Douglas, CO

Built 1991 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 4,765

US 36 ML

Fair

Over: CANYON CREEK

IN BOULDER, Boulder, CO

Built 1951 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 45,000

US 6 ML EBND

Fair

Over: BURLINGTON CANAL

JUST S of I-76 INTRCHNG, Adams, CO

Built 1948 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 9,500

26 Road

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

.1 MI N OF RD G, Mesa, CO

Built 1960 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 3,525

29 Road

Fair

Over: GOVT HIGHLINE CANAL

JUST N OF RD G, Mesa, CO

Built 1989 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 290

County Road 6

Fair

Over: Bijou Creek

0.7 Mi N of Co Rd C, Morgan, CO

Built 1993 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 70

County Road 29

Fair

Over: S Fork Frenchman Creek

0.7 Mi. No. of Co. Rd. 22, Phillips, CO

Built 1990 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 78

County Road 21I

Fair

Over: Illinois River

0.4 Mi E of St Hwy 125, Jackson, CO

Built 1980 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 57

SH 71 ML

Fair

Over: BIG BEAVER CREEK

27.6 MI NO OF JCT US 36, Morgan, CO

Built 1953 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 1,000

PLAINVIEW ROAD

Fair

Over: COAL CREEK

0.25 MI N OF SH 72, Jefferson, CO

Built 1990 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 75

SE 2ND LEVEL EXIT

Fair

Over: 84TH AVENUE

SE OF EAST PARKING STRUCT, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 5,163

SW 2ND LEVEL ENT

Fair

Over: 84TH AVENUE

SW CORNER WEST PARKING ST, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 2,342

US 36 ML

Fair

Over: PLUMBUSH CREEK

2.5 MI E OF JCT SH 71, Washington, CO

Built 1938 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 700

US 24 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

8.9 MI E OF CALHAN, El Paso, CO

Built 1935 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 3,900

County Road 103

Fair

Over: Joe Wright Creek

100 Ft N of St Hwy 14, Larimer, CO

Built 1952 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 143

Showing 1,301-1,350 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.