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 12 ML

Fair

Over: VALDEZ CANYON

2.4 MI E OF SEGUNDO, Las Animas, CO

Built 1987 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 1,500

County Road 30

Fair

Over: Dry Sand Creek

0.2 Mi. E. of Co. Rd. 47, Sedgwick, CO

Built 1992 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 45

County Road 6

Fair

Over: Braton Ditch

0.3 Mi E of Co Rd 19, Weld, CO

Built 2003 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 3,870

COUNTY ROAD L.7

Fair

Over: CULEBRA CREEK

.2 MI E OF CR 25.5, Costilla, CO

Built 2004 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 67

COUNTY ROAD 57

Fair

Over: BIG TIMBER CREEK

.1 MI S OF CR Z, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1989 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 19

COUNTY ROAD J

Fair

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

.1 MI E OF CR 27, Cheyenne, CO

Built 1987 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 13

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: COLORADO RIVER

1 MI W OF SILT, Garfield, CO

Built 1975 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 10,500

I 25 ML

Fair

Over: BESSEMER DITCH

IN PUEBLO, Pueblo, CO

Built 1957 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 39,000

US 50 ML EBND

Fair

Over: BNSF RR

1.5 MI EAST OF MANZANOLA, Otero, CO

Built 1969 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 2,800

COUNTY ROAD 55

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

0.1 MI EAST OF SH 24, Lake, CO

Built 1986 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 59

CO RD 613(NEPESTA)

Fair

Over: ROCKY FORD CANAL

JUST N OF SH 50, Pueblo, CO

Built 1990 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 102

County Road 52.5

Fair

Over: Empire Intake Canal

0.4 Mi E of Co Rd 65, Weld, CO

Built 1960 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 133

CHAMBERS ROAD

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

JUST SOUTH OF 28TH AVE, Adams, CO

Built 1973 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 11,649

CRAWFORD GULCH RD

Fair

Over: VAN BIBBER CREEK

2. MI N OF GOLDEN GATE RD, Jefferson, CO

Built 1978 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 273

I 76 ML WBND

Fair

Over: BIJOU CREEK

1 MI E OF WIGGINS, Morgan, CO

Built 1955 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 9,500

RAMP/I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: LINCOLN STREET

JUST EAST OF MOUSETRAP, Denver, CO

Built 1991 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 78,500

60TH AVENUE

Fair

Over: BOULDER DIVERSION CANAL

1.1 MI E OF HWY 93, Jefferson, CO

Built 1976 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 5,380

SOAPWEED ROAD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.2 MI N OF JUDGE ORR RD, El Paso, CO

Built 1965 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 135

SH 103 ML

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

IN IDAHO SPRINGS, Clear Creek, CO

Built 1958 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 2,300

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD 190 DRAW

5 MI E OF DEER TRAIL, Elbert, CO

Built 1966 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 5,500

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD 190 DRAW

1.1 MI E OF ARAPAHOE CL., Elbert, CO

Built 1966 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 5,500

COUNTY ROAD 16

Fair

Over: SOUTH BOULDER CREEK

6.9 M W SH 119, Gilpin, CO

Built 1988 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 232

COUNTY ROAD C

Fair

Over: KICKING BIRD CANAL

0.4 MI E OF CR 39.5, Kiowa, CO

Built 1991 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 10

SH 209 ML

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

0.4 MI NORTH OF JCT US 50, Pueblo, CO

Built 1969 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 230

COUNTY LINE RD

Fair

Over: HIGHLINE CANAL

0.5 MI W OF BROADWAY, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1965 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 10,720

N. PAGOSA BLVD.

Fair

Over: RESERVOIR SPILLWAY

PAGOSA LAKES SUBDIVISION, Archuleta, CO

Built 1975 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 1,959

US 6 ML

Fair

Over: CITY STREETS UP RR

IN STERLING, Logan, CO

Built 1972 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 9,900

FIRE STATION DR

Fair

Over: NORTH CLEAR CREEK

0.1 MI N OF CHASE ST, Gilpin, CO

Built 1995 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 16

COLORADO AVENUE

Fair

Over: RAILROAD/SIERRA MADRE ST

0.2 MI E OF I25, El Paso, CO

Built 1998 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 13,843

DRENNAN RD

Fair

Over: JIMMY CAMP CREEK TRIB.

0.8 MI E OF MARKSHEFFEL R, El Paso, CO

Built 1984 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 2,210

JOSEPHINE ST

Fair

Over: EAST HARVARD GULCH

JOSEPHINE ST N OF YALE AV, Denver, CO

Built 1967 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 405

YAMPA ST

Fair

Over: BLUE GRAMA CHANNEL

TOWER RD & 61ST AVE, Denver, CO

Built 2022 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 4,047

COUNTY ROAD 74

Fair

Over: WEST KIOWA CREEK

CNTY LINE 0.4 MI W RD 17, Elbert, CO

Built 1989 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 130

RIVERWALK PARKWAY

Fair

Over: EAST FORK SAND CREEK

0.1 MI N OF MEADOWBROOK P, El Paso, CO

Built 2004 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 651

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: COLORADO RIVER

1.1 MI W OF SILT SPUR, Garfield, CO

Built 1975 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 10,500

YOSEMITE STREET

Fair

Over: I 225 ML

IN DENVER, Denver, CO

Built 1971 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 28,314

SH 470 ML EBND

Fair

Over: ACRES GREEN DRIVE

3.5 M E OF JCT SH 177, Douglas, CO

Built 1984 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 47,500

SH 141 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

0.2 MI N OF URAVAN, Montrose, CO

Built 1956 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 260

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

1.4 MI E OF CHIVINGTON, Kiowa, CO

Built 1962 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 430

CENTRAL AVE

Fair

Over: I 25 ML

IN PUEBLO, Pueblo, CO

Built 1970 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 6,808

SH 109 ML

Fair

Over: PURGATOIRE RIVER

18 MI S OF LA JUNTA, Otero, CO

Built 1972 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 350

US 34 ML

Fair

Over: BIJOU CANAL

6.6 MI NE OF WIGGINS, Weld, CO

Built 1969 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 5,000

Fourth Street

Fair

Over: Fortification Creek

500 Ft E of Lincoln St., Moffat, CO

Built 1985 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 759

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: COLORADO RIVER

2 MI W OF JCT SH 13/RIFLE, Garfield, CO

Built 1975 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 8,500

US 6 ML

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

2.8 MI E OF JCT I-70, Clear Creek, CO

Built 1984 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 5,600

US 385 ML

Fair

Over: BONNY CREEK

12 MI. NO.OF BURLINGTON, Kit Carson, CO

Built 1997 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 740

IRR# US 160 ML

Fair

Over: MC ELMO CREEK

0.58 MI NORTH of CR G, Montezuma, CO

Built 1958 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 9,400

TALLMAN DRIVE

Fair

Over: TALLMAN GULCH

0.1 MI E OF HILL TOP ROAD, Douglas, CO

Built 1985 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 9,965

COUNTY ROAD 243

Fair

Over: FLORIDA RIVER

1.0 MI S OF LEMON RES., La Plata, CO

Built 1992 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 483

88TH AVENUE

Fair

Over: LOCAL DRAINAGE

0.5 MI WEST OF MANILA RD, Adams, CO

Built 1983 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 1,341

Showing 3,351-3,400 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.