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

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD 134

2.5 MI. W. OF GLENWOOD SP, Garfield, CO

Built 1969 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 16,500

PETROLEUM AVE

Fair

Over: COAL CREEK

JUST NORTH OF 3RD STREET, Fremont, CO

Built 1991 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 278

COUNTY ROAD 143

Fair

Over: OAK CREEK

11.3 MI S OF SH 115, Fremont, CO

Built 1993 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 236

CR19 / BEAR PAW

Fair

Over: HARDSCRABBLE CREEK

5 MI SE OF SH 67, Fremont, CO

Built 1995 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 100

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: ARROYO

1.9 MI E OF JCT SH 229 S, Pueblo, CO

Built 1939 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 1,600

COUNTY ROAD 49

Fair

Over: COMANCHE CANAL

1.3 MI N OF CR A, Kiowa, CO

Built 1991 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 264

US 50 ML

Fair

Over: OTERO CANAL

3.4 MI EAST OF FOWLER, Otero, CO

Built 1947 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 4,700

County Road 4

Fair

Over: Denver Hudson Canal

1.1 Mi E of Co Rd 41, Weld, CO

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 229

119 SR/CDOT ACC RD

Fair

Over: N FK CLEAR CREEK AR

0.1 MI N OF JCT US 6, Gilpin, CO

Built 1939 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 10

SH 470 ML WBND

Fair

Over: BELLEVIEW AVE

1.2 MI S OF JCT SH 285, Jefferson, CO

Built 1990 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 31,500

WASHINGTON STREET

Fair

Over: I 25 ML & LRT

IN DENVER T-REX, Denver, CO

Built 2003 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 1,816

SH 65 ML

Fair

Over: GUNNISON RIVER

5 MI E OF DELTA, Delta, CO

Built 1980 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 7,000

I 25 ML

Fair

Over: GARDEN OF THE GODS ROAD

IN COLORADO SPRINGS, El Paso, CO

Built 1988 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 118,000

SH 96 ML

Fair

Over: ADOBE CREEK

2.3 MI NE OF ARLINGTON, Kiowa, CO

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 420

COUNTY ROAD 23

Fair

Over: MIDDLE RUSH CREEK

1.2 MILES N OF ROAD 2G, Lincoln, CO

Built 1993 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 53

US 160 ML

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

7.5 MI E OF PAGOSA SPRING, Archuleta, CO

Built 1946 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 4,100

COUNTY ROAD 11

Fair

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

.1 MI NORTH OF CR 112, Teller, CO

Built 1996 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 1,974

County Road 8

Fair

Over: Big Dry Creek

0.9 Mi E of Co Rd 21, Weld, CO

Built 1983 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 108

County Road 22

Fair

Over: Sullivan Ditch

0.1 Mi E of Co Rd 17, Weld, CO

Built 2002 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 263

County Road 37

Fair

Over: Larimer and Weld Canal

1.2 Mi N of Co Rd 78, Weld, CO

Built 2010 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 61

County Road 42

Fair

Over: Gilmore Ditch

10 Ft E of Co Rd 47, Weld, CO

Built 2001 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 1,464

E ALEXANDER DR

Fair

Over: MURPHY CREEK

0.4 E DEGAULLE ST, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,494

Crystal River Rd.

Fair

Over: Crystal River

30 FT E OF SH133, Pitkin, CO

Built 1996 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD Z

Fair

Over: RIO GRANDE RIVER

11.5 MI NW OF SAN ACACIO, Costilla, CO

Built 1987 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 80

SH 93 ML

Fair

Over: PED. UNDERPASS

BROADWAY AND 16TH ST., Boulder, CO

Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 27,000

WB PENA BLVD

Fair

Over: SECOND CREEK TRIB

WEST OF TOWER ROAD, Denver, CO

Built 1993 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 50,608

COUNTY ROAD 67

Fair

Over: SOUTH PLATTE RIVER

AT TOWN OF TRUMBULL, Jefferson, CO

Built 1990 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 800

RAMP TO SHOSHONE

Fair

Over: I 70 COLORADO RIVER R

POWER PLANT INTERCHANGE (, Garfield, CO

Built 1987 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 148

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: GAME UNDERPASS

3.6 MI EAST OF JCT US 6-G, Eagle, CO

Built 1979 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 11,000

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: GAME UNDERPASS

3.5 MI W OF EAGLE SPUR, Eagle, CO

Built 1979 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 11,000

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: US 40 ML

0.6 MI E OF JCT US 6, Jefferson, CO

Built 1969 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 35,000

I225 ML NBND

Fair

Over: SH 30 ML

IN AURORA, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 68,500

I225 ML SBND

Fair

Over: SH 30 ML

IN AURORA, Arapahoe, CO

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 70,000

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: US 36 ML

BYERS INTERCHANGE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1963 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 6,000

I 70 ML EBND

Fair

Over: US 36 ML

BYERS INTERCHANGE, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1963 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 6,000

I 70 ML WBND

Fair

Over: I 70 BUSS RT

IN DEERTRAIL, Arapahoe, CO

Built 1965 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 6,000

COUNTY ROAD L.60

Fair

Over: I 70 ML

2.0 MI E OF COLO-UTAH SL, Mesa, CO

Built 1973 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 73

SH21B SBND RAMP

Fair

Over: PINE CREEK

S. BND. POWERS BLVD., El Paso, CO

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 18,500

SH 90 ML

Fair

Over: DRAW

2.2 MI E OF COLO-UTAH SL, Montrose, CO

Built 1956 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 260

COUNTY ROAD 11

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

1.8 MILES N OF COLO 94, Lincoln, CO

Built 1992 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 15

Cty Rd 8.5/Park Av

Fair

Over: Pawnee Ditch

0.5 Mi. E. of Co. Rd. 23, Logan, CO

Built 1996 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 302

County Rd 43

Fair

Over: N. Fork Big Thompson

Horseshoe Bend Rd, Larimer, CO

Built 2016 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 667

County Rd 43

Fair

Over: N. Fork Big Thompson

Horseshoe Bend Rd, Larimer, CO

Built 2016 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 600

County Road 6

Fair

Over: Dry Creek Tributary

0.2 Mi E of Co Rd 23E, Larimer, CO

Built 1988 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,684

GPG PARKING

Fair

Over: WETLANDS

JUST N OF MTN VILLAGE BLV, San Miguel, CO

Built 2019 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 595

COUNTY ROAD 3

Fair

Over: WILEY DRAINAGE

.9 MI N OF US 50, Prowers, CO

Built 1998 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 102

COUNTY ROAD 74

Fair

Over: UPPER BEAR CREEK

4 MI W JCT EVRGN LAKE, Jefferson, CO

Built 1992 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 1,066

I 76 ML WBND

Fair

Over: SH 59 ML

15 MI SW OF JCT US 385, Sedgwick, CO

Built 1968 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 4,000

I 76 ML EBND

Fair

Over: SH 59 ML

16 MI NE OF JCT SH 55, Sedgwick, CO

Built 1968 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 4,000

144TH AVENUE

Fair

Over: BADGER CREEK

1.3 MI E OF WINVIEW ROAD, Adams, CO

Built 1978 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 21

Showing 3,551-3,600 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.