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

SH 131 ML

Fair

Over: MCKINNIS CREEK

4 MI S OF STMBT.SPRINGS, Routt, CO

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,600

US 40 ML

Fair

Over: DIAMOND CREEK

5.6 MI SE OF JCT SH 14, Grand, CO

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,300

US 40 ML

Fair

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK

7.5 MI SE JCT SH 14, Grand, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,300

US 40 ML

Fair

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK

8.7 MI SE OF JCT SH 14, Grand, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,300

SH 34 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

7.5 MI E OF ESTES PARK, Larimer, CO

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,800

SH 392 ML

Fair

Over: West Fork Fossil Creek

0.1 MI E OF Lemay Ave., Larimer, CO

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,000

US 34 ML EBND

Fair

Over: BARNES INLET CANAL

IN LOVELAND AT LAKE, Larimer, CO

Built 1969 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,500

SH 392 ML

Fair

Over: GREELEY CANAL NO 2

6.2 MI E OF JCT US 85, Weld, CO

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,100

US 85 ML SBND

Fair

Over: LATHAM CANAL

JUST SO OF EVANS, Weld, CO

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,500

MYERS GULCH ROAD

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

IN KITTREDGE S OF HWY 74, Jefferson, CO

Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,881

8TH STREET

Fair

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK TRIB

WEST OF BIJOU AVENUE, El Paso, CO

Built 1949 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 205

SOUTH GILBERT ST

Fair

Over: SELLARS GULCH TRIBUTARY

0.1 MILE S. OF SOUTH ST., Douglas, CO

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,806

CHERRYWOOD CIR.

Fair

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

JUST SOUTH OF ORCHARD RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 158

FRANKLIN ST

Fair

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

.2 MI SOUTH OF ORCHARD RD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 242

QUEBEC STREET

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

.2 MILE S OF DRY CREEK, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 16,295

ORCHARD ROAD

Fair

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

.7 MI E OF BROADWAY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1967 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,806

CALEY AVENUE

Fair

Over: LONE TREE CREEK

.1 MI EAST OF TROY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1999 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,746

ARAPAHOE ROAD

Fair

Over: Willow Creek

JUST EAST OF HOLLY STREET, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 37,378

BRIARWOOD AVENUE

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK TRIB

.1 MI EAST OF HAVANA, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,332

DRY CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: BIG DRY CREEK

0.3 MI W OF COLORADO BLVD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 24,040

HIMALAYA ST

Fair

Over: TOLLGATE CREEK

1 BLOCK N OF CHENANGO, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 18,677

COUNTY ROAD 102

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

2.2 MI SE OF SALIDA, Chaffee, CO

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 293

COUNTY ROAD 105

Fair

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1.9 MI SE OF SALIDA, Chaffee, CO

Built 1945 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9

COUNTY ROAD 105

Fair

Over: SOUTH ARKANSAS RIVER

1.5 MI SE OF SALIDA, Chaffee, CO

Built 1945 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 277

COUNTY ROAD 302

Fair

Over: BIG SANDY DRAW

0.75 MI SE OF SH 285, Chaffee, CO

Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 44

COUNTY ROAD 361

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

.2 MI N OF CR 306, Chaffee, CO

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 837

QUINCY AVE

Fair

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

0.40 MI W OF UNIV BLVD, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,045

96TH AVENUE

Fair

Over: SECOND CREEK

0.3 MI EAST OF CHAMBERS, Adams, CO

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10,390

ELK AVENUE

Fair

Over: COAL CREEK

IN CITY OF CRESTED BUTTE, Gunnison, CO

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,034

FIRST STREET

Fair

Over: COAL CREEK

IN CITY OF CRESTED BUTTE, Gunnison, CO

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 674

Tenth Street

Fair

Over: Fortification Creek

50 Ft E of Rose Street, Moffat, CO

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,452

COUNTY LANE 16

Fair

Over: BOB CREEK

.6 MI NORTH OF RD D, Crowley, CO

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 51

COUNTY ROAD 21

Fair

Over: CULEBRA CREEK

Just SE OF CR L.7, Costilla, CO

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 475

CHEYENNE CANYON RD

Fair

Over: NORTH CHEYENNE CREEK

2.3 MI W OF EVANS AVE, El Paso, CO

Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,202

ALLEGHENY DRIVE

Fair

Over: LOCAL DRAINAGE

0.5 MI W CENTENNIAL BLVD, El Paso, CO

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 314

26TH STREET

Fair

Over: FOUNTAIN CREEK

JUST N OF US 24, El Paso, CO

Built 1964 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,005

FLYING W RANCH RD

Fair

Over: DOUGLAS CREEK

.25 M SW OF CENTENNIAL BL, El Paso, CO

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,420

CENTENNIAL BLVD

Fair

Over: DOUGLAS CREEK

.2 MI S OF FLYING W RANCH, El Paso, CO

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,092

BOURKE DRIVE

Fair

Over: DOUGLAS CREEK

0.1 MI N OF MULE DEER DRI, El Paso, CO

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 429

MAYHURST AVENUE

Fair

Over: CHEYENNE CREEK

S OF INTER. W/CHEYENNE RD, El Paso, CO

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 387

CRESTA ROAD

Fair

Over: CHEYENNE CREEK

INTER. WITH CHEYENNE RD, El Paso, CO

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,291

CENTENNIAL BLVD

Fair

Over: SOUTH DOUGLAS CREEK

.45 MI S-GARDEN GODS RD, El Paso, CO

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,801

HOLLAND PARK BLV

Fair

Over: SOUTH DOUGLAS CREEK

NE OF CENTENNIAL/VONDERPA, El Paso, CO

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,477

OLD BROADMOOR RD

Fair

Over: RESERVOIR CANAL

JUST S OF LAKE AVENUE, El Paso, CO

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,225

RAMONA AVENUE

Fair

Over: CHEYENNE CREEK

0.2 MI W OF NEVADA AVENUE, El Paso, CO

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,659

WEST CHEYENNE RD

Fair

Over: CHEYENNE CREEK

JUST W OF CASCADE AVENUE, El Paso, CO

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,463

SPRINGMEADOW DR

Fair

Over: RESERVOIR SPILLWAY

0.2 MI S OF LAKE AVE, El Paso, CO

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,904

NAVAJO STREET

Fair

Over: CHEYENNE CREEK

0.2 MI E OF TEJON ST, El Paso, CO

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,012

PRO RODEO DRIVE

Fair

Over: NORTH ROCKRIMMON CHANNEL

AT INT. WITH ROCKRIMMON, El Paso, CO

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,654

GARDEN OF GODS RD

Fair

Over: MONUMENT CREEK

0.1 MI W OF NEVADA, El Paso, CO

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 44,579

Showing 2,701-2,750 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.