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

SH 21B SB ML

Fair

Over: KETTLE CREEK

SBND POWERS, El Paso, CO

Built 2005 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 37,000

SH 67 ML

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

JUST N. OF FLORENCE, Fremont, CO

Built 1978 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 2,100

US 50 ML EBND

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

6 MI E OF FREMONT-PUEBLO, Pueblo, CO

Built 1977 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 4,900

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

14.2 MI E OF HASWELL, Kiowa, CO

Built 1936 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 480

COUNTY ROAD 8

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY OF AMITY CANAL

1.7 MI N OF KORNMAN, Prowers, CO

Built 1960 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 1,200

County Road KK

Fair

Over: Arikaree River

1.30 Mi S of Co Rd 22, Yuma, CO

Built 1989 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 163

COUNTY ROAD 25.75

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

.4 MI N OF CR GG, Bent, CO

Built 1986 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 46

COUNTY LANE 14

Fair

Over: BOB CREEK

.2 MI SOUTH OF ROAD F, Crowley, CO

Built 1975 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 87

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: GW RR

4.4 MI SO OF JCT SH 56, Weld, CO

Built 1961 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 36,000

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: GW RR

2.6 MI NO OF JCT SH 66, Weld, CO

Built 1961 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 36,000

COUNTY ROAD 129

Fair

Over: I 70 ML SR

W END OF GLENWOOD CANYON, Garfield, CO

Built 1966 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,851

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: UP RR

JUST EAST OF DOTSERO, Eagle, CO

Built 1980 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 8,500

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: VAIL ROAD

IN VAIL, Eagle, CO

Built 1969 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 14,500

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: WEST VAIL ROAD

WEST VAIL, Eagle, CO

Built 1969 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 16,500

I 70 FRONTAGE RD

Fair

Over: RED SANDSTONE CREEK SR

IN VAIL, Eagle, CO

Built 1984 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 29,000

US 40 ML

Fair

Over: AGRICULTURAL DITCH

Between Quail & Simms St., Jefferson, CO

Built 1937 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 23,000

SH 95 ML SBND

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

SHERIDIAN JUST N OF US285, Denver, CO

Built 1961 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 15,500

Prospect Road

Fair

Over: Larimer Co. Canal No. 2

20 Ft. E of Lynnwood St., Larimer, CO

Built 1989 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 17,385

COUNTY ROAD 106

Fair

Over: HARDSCRABBLE CREEK

1 MI E OF SH 67, Fremont, CO

Built 1988 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 126

US 6M ML

Fair

Over: HORSETHIEF CREEK [N] SR

JUST E. OF DEBEQUE INTERC, Mesa, CO

Built 1980 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,200

COUNTY ROAD 20

Fair

Over: I 70 ML

3.5 Mi W of FRUITA, Mesa, CO

Built 1969 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,617

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: LITTLE SALT WASH

0.5 MI W OF JCT SH 340, Mesa, CO

Built 1970 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 5,500

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: BIG SALT WASH

0.9 MI W of SH 340 FRUITA, Mesa, CO

Built 1970 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 5,500

SH 135 ML

Fair

Over: SLATE RIVER

2 MI. S. OF CRESTED BUTTE, Gunnison, CO

Built 1995 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 7,200

I 25 ML

Fair

Over: 13TH ST

IN PUEBLO, Pueblo, CO

Built 1975 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 64,000

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: CO.RD 337 VERDE ROAD

13 MI SO OF JCT US 50 PUE, Pueblo, CO

Built 1963 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 7,500

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: CO.RD 337 VERDE ROAD

12.5 MI N. OF JCT SH 165, Pueblo, CO

Built 1963 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 7,500

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: BURNT MILL ROAD

13.5 MI NO OF JCT SH 165, Pueblo, CO

Built 1963 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 7,500

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: GRANEROS CREEK

4.0 MI SO OF JCT SH 165 M, Pueblo, CO

Built 1965 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 7,000

COUNTY ROAD 30

Fair

Over: AMITY CANAL

.6 MI N OF CR LL, Prowers, CO

Built 1991 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 62

8TH STREET

Fair

Over: I25 DRGWRR FOUNTAIN CRK

Over and E of I-25, Pueblo, CO

Built 1928 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 6,482

COUNTY ROAD 3W

Fair

Over: RIO GRANDE RIVER

.5 MI S OF CR 4N, Rio Grande, CO

Built 1980 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 244

County Road 39

Fair

Over: Larimer and Weld Canal

0.8 Mi N of Co Rd 80, Weld, CO

Built 1954 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,253

County Road 19

Fair

Over: Dove Creek Canal Reach 1

Yellow Jacket Colorado, Montezuma, CO

Built 1985 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 20

County Road 30

Fair

Over: Michigan River

0.4 Mi E of St Hwy 14, Jackson, CO

Built 1990 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 184

COUNTY ROAD RR

Fair

Over: TRIB. OF HORSE CREEK

2.2 MI E OF CR 15, Baca, CO

Built 1950 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 14

N. 61st Street

Fair

Over: Boulder Creek

1.0 Mi So of Jay Road, Boulder, CO

Built 1986 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 5,789

EBND US 36 ML

Fair

Over: US 36 SPUR/BASELINE RD

IN BOULDER, Boulder, CO

Built 1963 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 16,500

SH 265 ML

Fair

Over: UP RR

COMMERCE CITY, Adams, CO

Built 1972 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 6,500

MERIDIAN ROAD

Fair

Over: WEST KIOWA CREEK

0.4 MI N OF MCCUNE ROAD, El Paso, CO

Built 1987 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 256

COUNTY ROAD 34

Fair

Over: I 70 ML KYLE RR

11 MI E OF JCT SH 71, Lincoln, CO

Built 1975 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 2

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: DRAW

5.8 MI W OF ARRIBA, Lincoln, CO

Built 1975 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 4,800

US 50 ML EBND

Fair

Over: GUNNISON RIVER

IN DELTA, Delta, CO

Built 1966 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 6,500

County Road 38

Fair

Over: N. Sterling Inlet Canal

50 Ft. W. of Co. Rd. 39, Logan, CO

Built 1991 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 135

CR 20/RED MTN RD

Fair

Over: HUNTER CREEK

jUST S PITKIN SIGN, Pitkin, CO

Built 1955 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 2,733

County Road 36

Fair

Over: Evans Ditch No. 2

0.6 Mi E of Co Rd 29, Weld, CO

Built 1985 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 76

County Road 57

Fair

Over: Fraser River

Near Co. Animal Shelter, Grand, CO

Built 1980 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 275

WINVIEW ROAD

Fair

Over: WETZEL CREEK

1.6 MILES NORTH OF US36, Adams, CO

Built 1997 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 14

6th Street

Fair

Over: Boulder Creek

0.1 Mi So of Canyon Blvd, Boulder, CO

Built 1978 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 10,000

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD

6.2 MI NO OF JCT SH 66, Weld, CO

Built 1961 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 36,000

Showing 1,701-1,750 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.