State profile · Above median Poor share

Louisiana 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 Louisiana.

12,698
Public bridges
38.7%
Good condition
11.5%
Poor condition

Louisiana holds 12,698 public highway bridges (#24 of 52 by inventory) with a 11.48% Poor share (#8 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 11.5% 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 45 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

12,698

Public highway bridges in Louisiana

Good Condition

38.7%

4,919 bridges rated 7-9

-11.3pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

11.5%

1,458 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

4.0pp vs national avg 7.5%

Louisiana vs national bridge condition

Louisiana - Good condition share 38.7%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Louisiana - Poor-condition share 38.3%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Louisiana 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: Louisiana has 12,698 bridges and a 11.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #45 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 (%) LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%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%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%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%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: Louisiana has 12,698 bridges and a 11.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #45 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.

Louisiana 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

12,698 24th of 54 higher than 30 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 Louisiana

The highlighted point is Louisiana: 12,698 bridges and 11.48% in Poor condition, rank #45 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Louisiana on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • North Dakota: 4,255 bridges · 10.98% Poor
  • Michigan: 11,371 bridges · 11.27% Poor
  • Louisiana: 12,698 bridges · 11.48% Poor
  • Pennsylvania: 23,299 bridges · 12.58% Poor
  • Guam: 47 bridges · 12.77% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Louisiana

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 12,698 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Louisiana’s inventory

State agency holds 61.0% of the 12,698 public highway bridges filed under Louisiana in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Louisiana’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 4.2% of the 12,698 bridges with a recorded original year in Louisiana. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Louisiana38.7%49.8%11.5%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Louisiana (FHWA NBI)

Louisiana 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 Louisiana on the same metric.

ND

North Dakota

10.98% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,255

MI

Michigan

11.27% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$11,371
Selected

LA

Louisiana

11.48% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,698

PA

Pennsylvania

12.58% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$23,299

GU

Guam

12.77% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$47

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Louisiana

Six lowest-condition bridges in Louisiana, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in Louisiana

Community Rd

Good

Over: BULL HOLE CANAL

0.9 MILES W. OF LA 82, Vermilion, LA

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 516

Sweetbay Rd.

Good

Over: NOEL CANAL

1.23 MI S. OF LA 335, Vermilion, LA

Built 2010 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 370

Amerada Rd

Good

Over: COULEE

3.9 Mi. SW of LA 92, Vermilion, LA

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 168

Holly Rd.

Good

Over: VINCENT CANAL

0.4 Mi S of La 14, Vermilion, LA

Built 2012 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 106

Bluebonnet Rd

Good

Over: GRAND MARAIS BAYOU

1.8 Mi W of LA 13, Vermilion, LA

Built 2010 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 61

Alpha Rd

Good

Over: COULEE KENNY

0.52 MI NORTH OF LA 696, Vermilion, LA

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 173

Emery Rd

Good

Over: DES ILES COULEE

0.8 Mi S of La 13, Vermilion, LA

Built 2009 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 20

Pioneer Rd

Good

Over: COULEE BATON

1.3 MILES S. OF LA 14, Vermilion, LA

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 106

Cleo Rd

Good

Over: COULEE BATON

0.4 Mi W of Alexander Rd, Vermilion, LA

Built 2010 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 853

Cuz Rd

Good

Over: ISLE MARRONE CANAL

0.92 MI W OF LA 35, Vermilion, LA

Built 2010 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 350

Columbus Rd

Good

Over: TOUCHETS CANAL

0.5 Mi S of La 35, Vermilion, LA

Built 2009 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 591

Cedric Rd

Good

Over: GRANGERS CANAL

.09 MI E of Leblanc Rd, Vermilion, LA

Built 2000 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 200

LA0155

Good

Over: SALINE BAYOU

1.85 MI EAST OF LA 9, Bienville, LA

Built 1982 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,022

Sparks-Davis Rd

Good

Over: TRIB TO BUCHANAN BAYOU

0.6 MI. S. OF KEITHVILLE-, Caddo, LA

Built 2013 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 37

LA3132

Good

Over: SPRR

0.1 MI. E. OF US 171, Caddo, LA

Built 1979 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 12,192

Fant Parkway NB

Good

Over: OLD RED R.CHANL

0.3 MI. NO. OF LA 30, Caddo, LA

Built 1974 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 7,678

Fant Parkway SB

Good

Over: OLD RED R.CHANL

0.3 MI. NO. OF LA 30, Caddo, LA

Built 1974 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 7,678

Fant Parkway NB

Good

Over: BYCYCLE TRAIL

0.5 MI. NO. OF LA 30, Caddo, LA

Built 1974 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 7,678

Clarence Ivory Rd

Good

Over: BLACK BAYOU

0.65 MI W. OF LA 534, Claiborne, LA

Built 1998 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 90

I0049

Good

Over: BOIS DARC BAYOU

2.71 M N OF LA 177 INTR, De Soto, LA

Built 1988 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 22,806

Antioch Oxford Rd

Good

Over: CHATMAN BAYOU

3.7 MI. S OF LA 175, De Soto, LA

Built 2003 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 75

LA0784

Good

Over: GRAND BAYOU

1.69M EAST OF US71-US84, Red River, LA

Built 1991 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 626

Ferguson Rd

Good

Over: CHICOT BAYOU

1.6 MI EAST OF US 71, Red River, LA

Built 1998 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 111

OLIVE GROVE RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

2.0 MILES SOUTH OF LA 556, Jackson, LA

Built 2014 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 68

GEORGIE RIDGE RD

Good

Over: BOEUF RIVER

.75 MILES WEST OF LA 585, Richland, LA

Built 2012 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 100

DELOUTRE SWITCH RD

Good

Over: RAILROAD BRANCH

0.2 M N INT 620, Union, LA

Built 1990 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 448

BURNETT TOWN RD

Good

Over: AUSTIN BRANCH

0.7 MI W of B F TOWER RD, Allen, LA

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 64

DEE GILLAND RD

Good

Over: LITTLE CREEK

0.5 MI E OF LA 389, Beauregard, LA

Built 2006 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 12

CLIFFORD COOLEY RD

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

0.8 MI E of BEEHIVE LOOP, Beauregard, LA

Built 2006 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 6

GREENTOWN RD

Good

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

1.6 MI WEST OF LA 394, Beauregard, LA

Built 2006 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 50

HAUSER RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BARNES CREEK

0.7 MI E. of US 171, Beauregard, LA

Built 2006 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 25

CHOUPIQUE RD

Good

Over: SPRING GULLY

0.6 MI S OF LA 108, Calcasieu, LA

Built 2015 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 500

MAPLEWOOD DRIVE

Good

Over: GUM SLOUGH

0.8 MI EAST OF LA 27, Calcasieu, LA

Built 2020 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 14,781

CONTRABAND PARKWAY

Good

Over: DRAIN

0.1 MI E OF LAUBERGE BLVD, Calcasieu, LA

Built 2017 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 55

LA0027

Good

Over: BUXTON CREEK

2.2 MI S OF LA 12, Calcasieu, LA

Built 1988 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 7,798

LA0114

Good

Over: Cross Drain

0.5 Mi of W of LA 115, Avoyelles, LA

Built 2021 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,890

US0167

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.76 MI. SOUTH OF LA 500, Grant, LA

Built 2010 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 7,084

LA0122

Good

Over: PARASOL BAYOU

2.12 M E OF E JCT LA 471, Grant, LA

Built 1988 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 683

LA0120

Good

Over: OLD RIVER

.4 MI. E OF INT I-49, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1985 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 665

LA0487

Good

Over: HASKINS CREEK

2.2 MI. N OF LA120, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1989 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 968

LA0478

Good

Over: BAYOU CHORI

3.49 MI. WEST OF LA 117, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 60

LA0478

Good

Over: BAYOU DEMUSE

2.2 MI. WEST OF LA 117, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 60

LA0118

Good

Over: ROCKY BRANCH

5.59MI EAST OF LA 117, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1998 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 164

I0049

Good

Over: LA 493

INT. I-49 NORTH & LA 493, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1986 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 18,305

I0049

Good

Over: LA 493

INT. I-49 SOUTH & LA 493, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1986 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 28,142

LA0480

Good

Over: BAYOU BOURBEAUX

3.9 MI. E OFINT US71, Natchitoches, LA

Built 1992 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 684

Paul Rd

Good

Over: SALINE BAYOU

2.5 MI. EAST OF LA 1206, Rapides, LA

Built 2008 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 350

US0165

Good

Over: LITTLE BAYOU CLEAR

0.66 MI. NORTH OF LA 3265, Rapides, LA

Built 1994 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 6,729

US0165

Good

Over: ROCKY BAYOU

3.37 MI. NORTH OF LA 3265, Rapides, LA

Built 1994 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 6,729

US0165

Good

Over: WILLOW BAYOU

5.57 MI. NORTH OF LA 3265, Rapides, LA

Built 1994 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 6,729

Showing 9,701-9,750 of 12,698 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 Louisiana's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Louisiana 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. Louisiana 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.