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

MD 456

Fair

Over: BR OF WYE RIVER

0.47 MILE NORTH OF US 50, Queen Anne's, MD

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 690

MAIN ST-LONACONING

Fair

Over: GEORGES CREEK

0.02 MI E OF MD 36, Allegany, MD

Built 1957 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 153

BASIN RUN ROAD

Fair

Over: BASIN RUN

0.01 MI W OF HARMONY C DR, Cecil, MD

Built 1983 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 157

CULLUM ROAD

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY OF JAMES RUN

0.3 MILE N OF CRESWELL RD, Harford, MD

Built 1920 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 300

OLD PYLESVILLE RD

Fair

Over: BROAD CREEK

0.4 MILES N OF MD 543, Harford, MD

Built 1928 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 161

BW PARKWAY ACCESS

Fair

Over: MD ROUTE 201

0.1 MILES NORTH OF U.S. R, Prince George's, MD

Built 1954 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 34,075

MD 128

Fair

Over: CSX TRANSPORTATION

0.48 MILES EAST OF MD 30, Baltimore, MD

Built 1947 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 15,840

JOPPA ROAD

Fair

Over: MD 139

2.76 MI S OF IS 695, Baltimore, MD

Built 1958 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 7,031

MD 97

Fair

Over: BIG PIPE CREEK

3.35 MILE NORTH OF MD 496, Carroll, MD

Built 1934 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 15,340

US 15 NBR

Fair

Over: FISHING CREEK

0.07 MI N OF POWELL RD, Frederick, MD

Built 1972 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 43,080

MD 90 EBR

Fair

Over: US 50

1.01 MILES WEST OF MD 346, Worcester, MD

Built 1974 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 8,118

MASON ROAD

Fair

Over: EVITTS CREEK

1.26 MI N OF ZEMBOWER RD, Allegany, MD

Built 1950 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 219

RUXTON ROAD

Fair

Over: MTA LIGHT RAIL

100 FEET W OF BELLONA AVE, Baltimore, MD

Built 1960 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 9,190

DANCE MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: DULANEY VALLEY BRANCH

0.17 MI N OF DUL VALL RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1920 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 1,195

GUNPOWDER ROAD

Fair

Over: COMPASS RUN

0.3 MI S. OF BCKLYSVIL RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1920 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 1,755

CROMWELL VALLEY PA

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO MINEBANK RU

0.4 MI. NW CROMWELL BR RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 2005 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 100

SNOWDEN RUN ROAD

Fair

Over: SNOWDEN RUN

1.89 MI W OF MINERAL HILL, Carroll, MD

Built 1974 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 503

DOUBLE HILLS ROAD

Fair

Over: HERRING RUN

0.25 MI NE OF MD 404, Caroline, MD

Built 1913 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 516

HEAPS SCHOOL ROAD

Fair

Over: BROAD CREEK

0.3 MILES N OF MD 543, Harford, MD

Built 1965 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 405

IS 95 SB VIADUCT

Fair

Over: ROADS RRS HERRING RUN

MILEPOST 59.6, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1974 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 67,634

MD 135

Fair

Over: LITTLE YOUGHIOGHENY RIVE

0.12 MILE WEST OF MD 560, Garrett, MD

Built 1959 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 10,972

US 13 BUS

Fair

Over: EAST BRANCH WICOMICO RIV

0.18 MILE S OF US 50BU, Wicomico, MD

Built 1937 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 22,900

BOTTOM ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS

1.8 MI NE OF FORK ROAD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1886 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 223

WESTERN RUN ROAD

Fair

Over: BLACKROCK RUN

0.1 MI E OF FALLS RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1974 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,230

STABLERS CHURCH RO

Fair

Over: LITTLE FALLS

0.8 MI W OF YORK ROAD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1975 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 604

MARRIOTTSVILLE RD

Fair

Over: NORTH BRANCH OF PATAPSCO

AT BALT-CARROLL CO LINE, Baltimore, MD

Built 1976 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 5,500

PATTERSON AVENUE

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO GWYNNS FALL

0.75 MI NE OF LIBERTY RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 12,265

RIPPLE ROAD

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO GWYNNS FALL

0.1 MI S OF LYNN HAVEN DR, Baltimore, MD

Built 1954 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 8,752

BOYCE MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: GRAVELLY BRANCH

1.8 MI N OF MD RTE 314, Caroline, MD

Built 1919 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 2,025

DOLLYHYDE ROAD

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK LINGANORE CRK

0.6 MI N OF EMERS BURR RD, Frederick, MD

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 151

PARKLAWN ENTRANCE

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

RT 28 SOUTH OF ROCKVILLE, Montgomery, MD

Built 1950 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 27

KENT VILLAGE DRIVE

Fair

Over: CATTAIL BRANCH

0.35 MI S OF MD 202, Prince George's, MD

Built 1968 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 4,536

4 TH STREET

Fair

Over: BALD HILL BRANCH

0.12 MI W OF MAIN STREET, Prince George's, MD

Built 1964 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 608

29TH STREET

Fair

Over: TRIB TO NORTHWEST BRANCH

0.05 MI S OF ARUNDEL ROAD, Prince George's, MD

Built 1962 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 249

GAPLAND ROAD

Fair

Over: ISRAEL CREEK

0.08 MI W OF MD RTE 67, Washington, MD

Built 1922 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 160

MILLBROOK ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE ANTIETAM CREEK

0.4 MI W OF MD RTE 67, Washington, MD

Built 1965 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,467

I-895

Fair

Over: CSXT RR

Milepost M7.65, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1957 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 72,510

MD ROUTE 450

Fair

Over: BW PARKWAY

0.3 MILES NORTH OF MD ROU, Prince George's, MD

Built 1953 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50,300

IS 95 NBR

Fair

Over: IS 195

0.81 MI N OF HOWARD CO, Baltimore, MD

Built 1970 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 176,796

MD 231

Fair

Over: PATUXENT RIVER

ON CHARLES CO LINE, Calvert, MD

Built 1952 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 12,021

MD 213

Fair

Over: BOHEMIA RIVER

2.3 MILES SOUTH OF MD 310, Cecil, MD

Built 1988 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 6,317

IS 495 NW RAMP

Fair

Over: MACARTHUR BOULEVARD

0.58 MI E OF VA LINE, Montgomery, MD

Built 1963 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 1,475

MD 34

Fair

Over: ANTIETAM CREEK

1.2 MILES EAST OF MD 65, Washington, MD

Built 1958 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 4,951

US 13 NB

Fair

Over: US 13 BU NB AND NORFOLK

0.47 MILE N OF US 13 BUS, Wicomico, MD

Built 1980 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 17,160

CARROLL ROAD

Fair

Over: CARROLL BRANCH

0.5 MI S OF SPARKS RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1879 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 2,534

KIDDS SCHOOLHOUSE

Fair

Over: PRETTYBOY RESERVOIR

0.7 MI E BECKLEYS RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1932 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 124

BAUMGARDNER ROAD

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.70 MI N OF KEYSVILLE RD, Carroll, MD

Built 1982 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 99

GRIMVILLE ROAD

Fair

Over: GILLIS FALLS

0.04 MI N OF FLAG MARSH, Carroll, MD

Built 1981 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 280

GAITHER ROAD

Fair

Over: SOUTH BRANCH PATAPSCO RI

ON HOWARD COUNTY LINE, Carroll, MD

Built 1978 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 1,282

POINT OF ROCKS ROA

Fair

Over: C&O CANAL

0.3 MILES FROM POTOMAC RI, Frederick, MD

Built 1890 Load: 23.2 t ADT: 159

Showing 151-200 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.