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

County Road 21

Fair

Over: Michigan River

0.1 Mi W of St Hwy 14, Jackson, CO

Built 1983 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 158

US 287 ML

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

2.7 MI NO OF JCT SH 52, Boulder, CO

Built 1990 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 24,000

I 270 ML EBND

Fair

Over: DAHLIA STREET

COMMERCE CITY, Adams, CO

Built 1968 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 46,500

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD 133

W. GLENWOOD INTERCHANGE, Garfield, CO

Built 1970 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 16,500

PREV. US 6 ML

Fair

Over: ALKALI CREEK

2.7 MI E OF GYPSUM, Eagle, CO

Built 1934 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 6,491

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: US 6 RR EAGLE RIVER

19.6 MI E OF GARFIELD C.L, Eagle, CO

Built 1971 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 14,500

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: SH 131 ML

WOLCOTT INTCHNG, Eagle, CO

Built 1970 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 14,500

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: SH 131 ML

WOLCOTT INTERCHANGE, Eagle, CO

Built 1970 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 14,500

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: GAME UNDERPASS

7 MI W OF VAIL SUMMIT, Eagle, CO

Built 1977 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 10,000

I 70 (S FRONTGE RD

Fair

Over: RED SANDSTONE CREEK

IN VAIL, Eagle, CO

Built 1940 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 29,000

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: SODA CREEK ROAD

2.4 MI W OF JCT SH 74, Jefferson, CO

Built 1971 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 22,000

SH 95 ML NBND

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

Sheridan just N. of 285, Denver, CO

Built 1961 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 15,500

SIMMS STREET

Fair

Over: US 6 ML

IN LAKEWOOD, Jefferson, CO

Built 1966 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 28,091

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: OLD GOLDEN ROAD

3.3 MI W OF JCT SH 58, Jefferson, CO

Built 1968 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 43,500

SH 340 ML

Fair

Over: MONUMENT CANYON CREEK

5.4 MI E OF JCT US 6 FRUI, Mesa, CO

Built 1962 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 2,600

US 24 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

6.7 MI E OF CALHAN, El Paso, CO

Built 1935 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 3,000

SH 141 ML

Fair

Over: DOLORES RIVER

12.9 MI NW OF URAVAN, Montrose, CO

Built 1958 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 260

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: SALT CREEK

7.2 MI SO OF JCT US 50 PU, Pueblo, CO

Built 1963 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 7,500

SH 202 ML

Fair

Over: OTERO CANAL

2 MI WEST OF ROCKY FORD, Otero, CO

Built 1951 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 180

US 50 ML

Fair

Over: PROWERS ARROYO

16 MI EAST OF LAS ANIMAS, Bent, CO

Built 1937 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 2,300

US 50 EBND

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

In Lamar, Prowers, CO

Built 1967 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 4,700

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: MISSOURI CREEK

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

Built 1967 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 6,500

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: SANTA CLARA CREEK

9 MI S OF SH10-WALSNBRG., Huerfano, CO

Built 1959 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 5,500

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: SANTA CLARA CREEK

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

Built 1959 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 5,500

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: RUGBY ARROYO

2.3 MI N OF AGUILAR INT., Las Animas, CO

Built 1969 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 5,500

COUNTY ROAD 24

Fair

Over: OTERO CANAL

.7 MI S OF CR Y, Otero, CO

Built 1970 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 24

SH 17 ML

Fair

Over: CONEJOS RIVER

18 MI NE OF NEW MEXICO S., Conejos, CO

Built 1965 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 420

SH 12 ML

Fair

Over: ZARACILLO CANYON

5.2 MI E OF WESTON, Las Animas, CO

Built 1936 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 520

COUNTY ROAD 27

Fair

Over: RIO GRANDE CANAL

4.9 MI NW OF MONTE VISTA, Rio Grande, CO

Built 1988 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 122

CR3W/STOEBER

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE DITCH

JUST N OF CR 4.5N, Rio Grande, CO

Built 1965 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 260

LAKEMOOR DRIVE

Fair

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

2.7 MI SE CR 11, Teller, CO

Built 1985 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 19

I 25 ML NBND

Fair

Over: FARM ACCESS ROAD

5.7 MI S OF WYOMING S.L., Weld, CO

Built 1963 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 10,000

I 25 ML SBND

Fair

Over: FARM ACCESS ROAD

4.5 MI SO OF WYOMING S.L., Weld, CO

Built 1963 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 10,000

FAIRGROUNDS RD

Fair

Over: BRANTNER GULCH

0.2 MI W OF MAIN ENTRANCE, Adams, CO

Built 1993 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 281

SH 13 ML

Fair

Over: COAL MINE ROAD

40 MI NORTH OF MEEKER, Moffat, CO

Built 1973 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 1,500

COUNTY ROAD 344

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

100 FT S OF CR 306, Chaffee, CO

Built 1987 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 105

COUNTY LANE 8

Fair

Over: COLORADO CANAL

.1 MI N OF ROAD E, Crowley, CO

Built 1990 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 50

Tank Trail Bravo

Fair

Over: Drainage Channel

Nr Butts & Bad Toelz RDs, El Paso, CO

Built 2016 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 100

US 287 ML

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

DENVER Federal Blvd., Adams, CO

Built 1972 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 29,000

CR 13 and CR 18

Fair

Over: Unnamed Creek

1.9 Mi N of Hwy 52, Weld, CO

Built 2005 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 13,655

COUNTY ROAD R

Fair

Over: S.FORK REPUBLICAN RIVER

0.8 MILES EAST OF ROAD 5, Kit Carson, CO

Built 1982 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 11

COUNTY RD 53.7

Fair

Over: UNNAMED NATURAL DRAINAGE

0.3 MI S OF CR 42, Las Animas, CO

Built 1935 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 3

Khe Sanh Street

Fair

Over: Clover Ditch

Khe Sanh and Barkeley Ave, El Paso, CO

Built 1978 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY ROAD 13

Fair

Over: AMITY CANAL

.6 MI S OF CR SS, Prowers, CO

Built 1989 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 54

County Road 1

Fair

Over: Lake Canal

.2 Mi S of CR 38, Larimer, CO

Built 2002 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 2,377

County Road 4

Fair

Over: Denver Hudson Canal

0.6 Mi. E. of Co. Rd. 51, Weld, CO

Built 2001 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 22

County Road 59

Fair

Over: South Platte River

0.5 Mi. E. of Co. Rd. Q, Washington, CO

Built 1986 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 53

OLD VICTORY RD

Fair

Over: KIOWA CREEK

0.5 MI E OF KIOWA-BENNETT, Adams, CO

Built 1995 Load: 30.2 t ADT: 1,318

ALAMEDA AVE

Fair

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

0.25 MI E OF HAVANA, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1970 Load: 30.2 t ADT: 31,795

I 25 FRONTAGE RD

Fair

Over: LARIMER COUNTY CANAL SR

5 MI N OF JCT 14/E of I25, Larimer, CO

Built 1966 Load: 30.2 t ADT: 4,395

Showing 2,051-2,100 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.