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

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: HUERFANO RIVER

9.4 MI N OF SH10-WLSNBRG., Huerfano, CO

Built 1967 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 7,000

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: I 25 BUSS RT

AGUILAR INT., Las Animas, CO

Built 1959 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 6,000

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: I 25 BUSS RT

AGUILAR INT., Las Animas, CO

Built 1959 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 6,000

COUNTY ROAD FF

Fair

Over: HOLBROOK RES. LATERAL

.1 MI W OF CR 26, Otero, CO

Built 1971 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 145

COUNTY ROAD 77

Fair

Over: JEFFERSON CREEK

7.1 MI S OF JEFFERSON, Park, CO

Built 2006 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 354

COUNTY ROAD 19

Fair

Over: ROARING FORK RIVER

1.1 MI N OF HWY 82, Pitkin, CO

Built 1992 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 3,783

COUNTY ROAD PP

Fair

Over: WILEY DRAINAGE

0.1 MI W OF US 285, Prowers, CO

Built 1996 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 51

SH 113 ML

Fair

Over: CANAL

1.3 MI N. OF JCT US 138, Logan, CO

Built 1937 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 1,200

BIJOU STREET

Fair

Over: MONUMENT CREEK/UPRR

JUST E OF I-25, El Paso, CO

Built 2007 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 12,153

US 50 ML EBND

Fair

Over: COLORADO RIVER

SO. END OF GR JUNCT., Mesa, CO

Built 1965 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 13,500

SH 340 ML EBND

Fair

Over: US 6 ML UP RR

FRUITA, Mesa, CO

Built 1969 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 6,500

US 285 ML

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

3.5 MI W OF FAIRPLAY, Park, CO

Built 1937 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 5,900

COUNTY ROAD 5

Fair

Over: MINERAL CREEK

13.9 MI NE OF LAKE CITY, Hinsdale, CO

Built 1957 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 37

US 24 ML EBND

Fair

Over: EL PASO BLV FOUNTAIN CRK

IN MANITOU SPRINGS, El Paso, CO

Built 1969 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 13,500

SH 69 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

4.6 MILES NW OF GARDNER, Huerfano, CO

Built 1957 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 420

COUNTY ROAD 9

Fair

Over: OTERO CANAL

.1 MI S OF SH 50, Otero, CO

Built 1966 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 37

CR 342/CedarwoodRD

Fair

Over: GREENHORN CREEK

JUST S OF ABBY ROAD, Pueblo, CO

Built 1987 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 225

LAKEMOOR DRIVE

Fair

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

0.2 MI SE OF CO RD 11, Teller, CO

Built 1985 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 131

County Road 38

Fair

Over: Mead Lateral Ditch

1.4 Mi E of Co Rd 7, Weld, CO

Built 1965 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 63

SPRING CREEK RD

Fair

Over: MONTROSE AND DELTA CANAL

.5 MI E OF CR 58.75, Montrose, CO

Built 1940 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 866

COUNTY ROAD 3

Fair

Over: GRAPE CREEK

AT TEMPLE CANYON PK, Fremont, CO

Built 1985 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 9

COUNTY ROAD 17.5

Fair

Over: N. BRANCH CONEJOS RIVER

.3 MI S OF CR N, Conejos, CO

Built 1989 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 59

COUNTY ROAD Z7

Fair

Over: TRINCHERA CREEK

3.0 MI SE OF SH 160, Costilla, CO

Built 1988 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 124

COUNTY ROAD 12

Fair

Over: RED GULCH

1.2 MI N OF COTOPAXI, Fremont, CO

Built 1930 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 213

COUNTY ROAD 30

Fair

Over: I 25 ML

16.2 MI NO OF JCT SH 165, Pueblo, CO

Built 1963 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 1,245

US 50 ML WBND

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

IN LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO

Built 1966 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 2,150

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: POPE ARROYO

16.5 MI N OF WALSENBURG, Huerfano, CO

Built 1965 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 7,000

COUNTY ROAD 22

Fair

Over: GRAND VALLEY CANAL

0.9 MILES N OF RD J, Mesa, CO

Built 2020 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 209

US 287 ML

Fair

Over: TWO BUTTES CREEK

17 Mi. N of Springfield, Baca, CO

Built 1992 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 3,500

IRR# US 160 ML

Fair

Over: NAVAJO SPRINGS CREEK

17 MI NE OF NEW MEXICO S., Montezuma, CO

Built 1961 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 2,200

IRR# SH 151 ML

Fair

Over: PIEDRA RIVER

2.8 MILES NE OF ARBOLES, Archuleta, CO

Built 1961 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 880

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD DRAW

5.6 MI N OF NM STATE LINE, Las Animas, CO

Built 1967 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 6,000

CR230/BRNT MILL RD

Fair

Over: DRY WASH

10.6 MI ESE OF BEULAH, Pueblo, CO

Built 1990 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 158

BALD EAGLE ROAD

Fair

Over: BLUE RIVER

0.2 MI EAST OF HIGHWAY 9, Summit, CO

Built 2015 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 851

County Road 59

Fair

Over: Crow Creek

0.4 Mi N of Co Rd 60.5, Weld, CO

Built 1965 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 322

BUCK CREEK RD

Fair

Over: BUCK CREEK

0.4 MI N OF NOTTINGHAM RD, Eagle, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 440

County Road 84W

Fair

Over: North St. Vrain Creek

1.0 Mi NW of St Hwy 7, Boulder, CO

Built 1927 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 122

5TH STREET

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

IN TOWN OF CREEDE, Mineral, CO

Built 1988 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 318

EVANS AVE

Fair

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

JUST E OF PLATTE RIV DR, Denver, CO

Built 1957 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 37,544

NE 2ND LEVEL PARK

Fair

Over: PARKING LOT

EAST PARKING STRUCTURE, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 2,030

E 2ND LEVEL PARK

Fair

Over: PARKING LOT

EAST PARKING STRUCTURE, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 3,093

SE 2ND LEVEL PARK

Fair

Over: PARKING LOT

EAST PARKING STRUCTURE, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 1,749

SW 2ND LEVEL PARK

Fair

Over: FUTURE PARKING LOT

WEST OF PARKING STRUCTURE, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 1,579

W 2ND LEVEL PARK

Fair

Over: PARKING LOT

WEST OF PARKING STRUCT, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 1,589

NW 2ND LEVEL PARK

Fair

Over: PARKING LOT

WEST OF PARKING STRUCTURE, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 942

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: WEST 44TH AVE

WHEATRIDGE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1968 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 56,000

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: SH 72 ML

WHEATRIDGE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1968 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 56,000

I 70 FRONTAGE RD

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK SR

0.1 MI W. OF SILVERPLUME, Clear Creek, CO

Built 1938 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 33,000

SH470 ML

Fair

Over: E. FR ROAD/ROONEY ROAD

2 MI N OF JCT US 285, Jefferson, CO

Built 1988 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 70,000

ELATI STREET

Fair

Over: LITTLES CREEK

AT WEST STERNE PKWY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1999 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 70

Showing 1,601-1,650 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.