State profile · Below median Poor share

Maryland 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 Maryland.

5,484
Public bridges
32.3%
Good condition
4.6%
Poor condition

Maryland holds 5,484 public highway bridges (#34 of 52 by inventory) with a 4.56% Poor share (#38 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 4.6% 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 15 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

5,484

Public highway bridges in Maryland

Good Condition

32.3%

1,771 bridges rated 7-9

-17.7pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

4.6%

250 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-3.0pp vs national avg 7.5%

Maryland vs national bridge condition

Maryland - Good condition share 32.3%
National avg

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

Maryland - Poor-condition share 15.2%
National avg

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

Maryland 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: Maryland has 5,484 bridges and a 4.6% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #15 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 (%) MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%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%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%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: Maryland has 5,484 bridges and a 4.6% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #15 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.

Maryland 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

5,484 34th of 54 higher than 20 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 Maryland

The highlighted point is Maryland: 5,484 bridges and 4.56% in Poor condition, rank #15 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Maryland on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Minnesota: 13,532 bridges · 4.44% Poor
  • New Mexico: 4,035 bridges · 4.51% Poor
  • Maryland: 5,484 bridges · 4.56% Poor
  • Oregon: 8,305 bridges · 4.61% Poor
  • Connecticut: 4,365 bridges · 4.72% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Maryland

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 5,484 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Maryland’s inventory

State agency holds 53.4% of the 5,484 public highway bridges filed under Maryland in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Maryland’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 15.9% of the 5,484 bridges with a recorded original year in Maryland. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Maryland32.3%63.1%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Maryland (FHWA NBI)

Maryland 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 Maryland on the same metric.

MN

Minnesota

4.44% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$13,532

NM

New Mexico

4.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,035
Selected

MD

Maryland

4.56% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,484

OR

Oregon

4.61% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,305

CT

Connecticut

4.72% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,365

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Maryland

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

All Bridges in Maryland

IS 68 RAMP A(8)

Fair

Over: MECHANIC STREET

0.44 MI E OF US 48H, Allegany, MD

Built 1968 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 11,995

VETERNS HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SEVERN RUN

0.76 MI N OF MD 178A, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1933 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 8,680

MD 100 RAMP

Fair

Over: MD 100 EBR

0.16 MILE EAST OF MD 2, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1963 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 21,300

IS 97 RMP C&Z(3&5)

Fair

Over: IS 97

0.03 MILE SOUTH OF MD 100, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1996 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 43,587

IS 83 NBR

Fair

Over: GUNPOWDER FALLS

1.92 M N OF MD 137, Baltimore, MD

Built 1958 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 59,820

MD 695 IL

Fair

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR

0.18 MILE SOUTH OF MD 151, Baltimore, MD

Built 1966 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 41,012

MD 496

Fair

Over: BEAR BRANCH

0.76 MILE EAST OF MD 97, Carroll, MD

Built 1931 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 4,042

US 1

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF STONE RUN

1.45 MILE NORTH OF MD 276, Cecil, MD

Built 1956 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 7,802

MD 28

Fair

Over: BR OF POTOMAC RIVER

0.58 MI E OF ROCK HALL RD, Frederick, MD

Built 1937 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 6,272

US 40 WBR

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

0.01 M E OF ROCK CREEK DR, Frederick, MD

Built 1936 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 20,782

CATHOLIC CHURCH RD

Fair

Over: US 340

@ US 340, Frederick, MD

Built 1964 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 190

MD 17

Fair

Over: IS 70

1.2 MILE SOUTH OF US 40, Frederick, MD

Built 1968 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 7,931

MD 42

Fair

Over: GLADE RUN

1.45 MILES S OF PA LINE, Garrett, MD

Built 1933 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 691

IS 68 WB

Fair

Over: SAND SPRING RD

0.66 MILE EAST OF W VA, Garrett, MD

Built 1975 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 15,710

MD 165

Fair

Over: WEST BRANCH

1.03 MILES N OF MD 152, Harford, MD

Built 2004 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 7,471

IS 70 EB

Fair

Over: MD 32

2.12 MILES WEST OF US 40, Howard, MD

Built 1973 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 85,270

IS 70 WB

Fair

Over: MD 32

2.12 MILES WEST OF US 40, Howard, MD

Built 1973 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 85,270

MD 32 EB

Fair

Over: CSX TRANSPORTATION

ON ANNE ARUNDEL CO LINE, Howard, MD

Built 1983 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 65,902

IS 495

Fair

Over: MACARTHUR BLVD CB PKWY

0.52 MILE EAST OF VA LINE, Montgomery, MD

Built 1963 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 214,005

IS 270 RAMP C(5)

Fair

Over: IS 270; C-D RDS & RP F/1

AT I-270, Montgomery, MD

Built 1990 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 15,251

DEER RIDGE ROAD

Fair

Over: MD 119

1.39 M N OF MD 124, Montgomery, MD

Built 1989 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 21,111

MD 212

Fair

Over: PAINT BRANCH

1.37 MILES N OF IS 495, Prince George's, MD

Built 1934 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 23,281

IS 595 WB

Fair

Over: FOLLY BRANCH

1.11 MILES WEST OF MD 193, Prince George's, MD

Built 1955 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 113,590

US 40 EB

Fair

Over: I-70

2.81 MILES WEST OF MD 66, Washington, MD

Built 1968 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 15,958

US 40 WB

Fair

Over: I-70

2.81 MILES WEST OF MD 66, Washington, MD

Built 1968 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 15,933

MD 632

Fair

Over: NORFOLK & WESTERN RR

0.75 MILE NORTH OF IS 70, Washington, MD

Built 1976 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 12,081

MIDDLE RIVER ROAD

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.09 MI N OF US 40, Baltimore, MD

Built 1991 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 17,445

I-83 NB

Fair

Over: CENTRE STREET

0.1 MI N OF ORLEANS ST, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1976 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 71,820

TRACEYS STORE ROA

Fair

Over: PRETTYBOY BRANCH

1.7 MI NE OF FORESTON RD, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1932 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 110

BELVIDERE ROAD

Fair

Over: PRINCIPIO CREEK

0.03 MI S OF LINTON R RD, Cecil, MD

Built 1996 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 675

OLD ELK NECK ROAD

Fair

Over: AMTRAK

0.32 MI S OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 1980 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 5,968

MILL ISLAND PKWY

Fair

Over: TUSCARORA CREEK

0.9 MI. NORTH OF MD 26, Frederick, MD

Built 1996 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 4,274

SHEPPARD LANE

Fair

Over: MIDDLE PATUXENT RIVER

1.3 MI N OF MD RTE 108, Howard, MD

Built 1983 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 3,124

RANDOLPH ROAD (EB)

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

1.5 MILES EAST OF MD 355, Montgomery, MD

Built 1953 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 23,434

SEVEN LOCKS ROAD

Fair

Over: CABIN JOHN CREEK

0.1 MI S OF JCT SR MD 190, Montgomery, MD

Built 1980 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 9,414

GREENWOOD LANE

Fair

Over: BALD HILL BRANCH

0.22 MI NE OF MD 450, Prince George's, MD

Built 1967 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 5,960

PEARRE ROAD

Fair

Over: SIDELING HILL CREEK

ON ALLEGANY CO LINE, Washington, MD

Built 1890 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 66

ASHTON ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE CONOCOCHEAGUE CRE

0.19 MI N OF IS 70, Washington, MD

Built 1960 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 704

HOGMAW ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE ANTIETAM CREEK

0.45 MI W OF MD RTE 67, Washington, MD

Built 1988 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 153

IS 95 NB

Fair

Over: KEY HIGHWAY

0.4 MI. N. OF EXIT 55, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1982 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 58,406

IS 95 SB

Fair

Over: KEY HWY WB MCCOMAS ST

I-95 SB MILEPOST 55.8, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1982 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 65,378

IS 95 SB

Fair

Over: B & O RR

0.25 MI S OF PULASKI HWY, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1972 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 68,217

EARLTON ROAD

Fair

Over: I-95

Milepost M88.4, Harford, MD

Built 1963 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 829

I-895 RAMP SB

Fair

Over: US 1 PATAPSCO RIVER

I-895 SB Milepost 1.08, Howard, MD

Built 1959 Load: 44.9 t ADT: 1,643

IS 595

Fair

Over: MD 450

0.61 MI W OF MD 2, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1991 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 106,360

MD 2

Fair

Over: MD 695

0.12 MILE NORTH OF MD 711, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1968 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 40,541

DOVER ROAD

Fair

Over: MD 10

AT MD 10, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1974 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 2,465

MD 256

Fair

Over: ROCKHOLD CREEK

0.94 MI W OF MD 258, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1980 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 3,344

IS 195 EBR

Fair

Over: AMTRAK PATAPSCO RIVER

0.96 MI N OF MD 295, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1990 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 39,015

IS 97 NB

Fair

Over: MD 32 WBR

0.36 MI S OF MD 3, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1989 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 93,710

Showing 1,901-1,950 of 5,484 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 Maryland's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Maryland 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. Maryland 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.