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 41

Fair

Over: TRIB TO HERRING RUN

0.14 M N OF BALTO CITY, Baltimore, MD

Built 1963 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 29,990

IS 95 SBR

Fair

Over: PROPOSED LANSDOWNE ROAD

0.31 MI S OF BALT CITY, Baltimore, MD

Built 1971 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 182,461

IS 795 SBR

Fair

Over: CSX TRANSPORTATION

0.82 MI N OF MCDONOUGH RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1984 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 110,982

MD 27

Fair

Over: MARYLAND MIDLAND RR

0.4 MILE NORTH OF MD 808B, Carroll, MD

Built 1991 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 10,690

MD 135

Fair

Over: SAVAGE RIVER

0.09 MI W OF ALLEGANY CO, Garrett, MD

Built 1937 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 3,150

SHELBOURNE ROAD

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO WEST BRANCH

0.17 MI S OF LOCUST AVE, Baltimore, MD

Built 1930 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 3,000

BIDDLE STREET

Fair

Over: I-83 ABANDONED RR

0.2 MI N MD STATE PEN, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1930 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 18,180

HANOVER STREET

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

HANOVER ST OVER CSX RR, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1900 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 27,130

RELOCATED MONROE S

Fair

Over: GWYNNS FALLS

MONROE ST & ANNAP RD, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1975 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 19,110

LITTLE EGYPT RD

Fair

Over: EAST BRANCH CHRISTIANA R

0.19 MI W OF MD 896, Cecil, MD

Built 1968 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 1,401

TANK ROAD

Fair

Over: NORTH BR PATAPSCO RIVER

0.53 MI S OF WESLEY RD, Carroll, MD

Built 1974 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 174

DORSEY RUN ROAD

Fair

Over: DORSEY RUN

0.5 MI S OF MD RTE 175, Howard, MD

Built 1955 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 6,745

CRABBS BRANCH WAY

Fair

Over: CRABBS CREEK

0.1 MI W OF REDLAND RD, Montgomery, MD

Built 1982 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 16,564

CEDAR RIDGE ROAD

Fair

Over: MEADOW BROOK

0.2 MI S OF IS 70, Washington, MD

Built 1935 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 900

BW PARKWAY

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM ROAD

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

Built 1953 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 80,000

BW PARKWAY (NBL)

Fair

Over: MD ROUTE 197 (EBL)

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

Built 2001 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 88,000

MD 131

Fair

Over: IS 83

1.20 MI W OF MD 45, Baltimore, MD

Built 1973 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 11,441

MD 91

Fair

Over: NORTH BRANCH PATAPSCO RI

.04 MILE NORTH OF MD 879D, Carroll, MD

Built 1965 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 5,640

MD 279

Fair

Over: BIG ELK CREEK

0.04 MILE NORTH OF MD 268, Cecil, MD

Built 1960 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 14,060

PETERSVILLE ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE CATOCTIN CREEK

0.61 MI N OF MD 871G, Frederick, MD

Built 1941 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 3,270

MD 180

Fair

Over: US 340

0.13 MILE WEST OF MD 872, Frederick, MD

Built 1964 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 4,460

IS 70 WBR

Fair

Over: IS 70 RAMP A

0.28 MILE EAST OF MD 180, Frederick, MD

Built 1968 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 78,360

BROKEN LAND PKWY

Fair

Over: US 29

1.79 MI S OF MD 175, Howard, MD

Built 1991 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 32,730

IS 270 & CD RDS

Fair

Over: WATTS BRANCH

0.21 MILE NORTH OF MD 28, Montgomery, MD

Built 1955 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 239,460

IS 495

Fair

Over: BRUNETT AVENUE

0.297 MILE WEST OF US 29, Montgomery, MD

Built 1959 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 232,010

IS 270 SB

Fair

Over: IS 495 OL

1.04 MILE SOUTH OF MD 187, Montgomery, MD

Built 1990 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 44,696

I-495 I.L.

Fair

Over: AMTRAK

0.18 MILE SOUTH OF MD 450, Prince George's, MD

Built 1964 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 226,100

LWR GEORGES CRK RD

Fair

Over: GEORGES CREEK

0.01 MI W OF MD 939, Allegany, MD

Built 1993 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 598

PUTTY HILL AVENUE

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO HERRING RUN

0.25 MI W OF MD 41, Baltimore, MD

Built 1961 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 12,957

TWIN ARCH ROAD

Fair

Over: SOUTH BR PATAPSCO RIVER

ON HOWARD CO LINE, Carroll, MD

Built 1987 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 4,137

PURDUM ROAD

Fair

Over: BENNETT CREEK TRIBUTARY

0.6 MI N OF MOUNTAIN VIEW, Montgomery, MD

Built 1975 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 830

CATTAIL ROAD

Fair

Over: DRY SENECA CREEK

1.5 MI S OF JCT SR 28, Montgomery, MD

Built 1975 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 2,435

IS 695

Fair

Over: MD 295 NBR

0.38 MI S OF MD 168, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1951 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 128,182

IS 695

Fair

Over: MD 295 SBR

0.38 MILE SOUTH OF MD 168, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1951 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 128,182

MILLERSVILLE ROAD

Fair

Over: IS 97

AT IS 97, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1988 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 4,210

IS 95 NBR

Fair

Over: PROPOSED LANSDOWNE ROAD

0.31 MI S OF BALT CITY, Baltimore, MD

Built 1972 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 182,461

MD 268

Fair

Over: AMTRAK

0.51 MILE WEST OF MD 279, Cecil, MD

Built 1987 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 6,284

IS 70

Fair

Over: BR OF CONOCOCHEAGUE CREE

0.81 MILE EAST OF MD 63, Washington, MD

Built 1966 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 45,040

CEARFOSS PIKE

Fair

Over: CONOCOCHEAGUE CREEK

0.85 MI SE OF PA LINE, Washington, MD

Built 1977 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 999

BELFAST ROAD

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.2 MI E. OF IS83 EXIT 24, Baltimore, MD

Built 1953 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 4,918

FALLS ROAD

Fair

Over: MTA JONES FALLS & C. M

ON RAMP JFX-FALLS RD, Baltimore city, MD

Built 1960 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 6,335

SLICERS MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: STONE RUN

0.7 M NW OF US RTE 1, Cecil, MD

Built 1984 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 390

KAYS MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: BEAVER RUN

0.44 MI S OF MD 140, Carroll, MD

Built 1978 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 1,671

PATAPSCO ROAD

Fair

Over: WEST BR PATAPSCO RIVER

0.04 MI N OF WESLEY ROAD, Carroll, MD

Built 1980 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 706

SUGARLAND ROAD

Fair

Over: DRY SENECA CREEK

2.3 MI S OF JCT SR 28, Montgomery, MD

Built 1971 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 433

HARRIS ROAD WEST

Fair

Over: LITTLE MONOCACY RIVER

0.7 MI S OF MT EPHRAM RD, Montgomery, MD

Built 1925 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 161

WOOTTON PARKWAY

Fair

Over: WATTS BRANCH

0.9 MI W OF JCT SR 189, Montgomery, MD

Built 1972 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 14,452

WOOTTON PARKWAY

Fair

Over: I-270

0.2 MI E SEVEN LOCKS ROAD, Montgomery, MD

Built 1990 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 19,444

BURNSIDE BRIDGE RD

Fair

Over: SHARMANS BRANCH

0.83 MI SW OF MD RTE 34, Washington, MD

Built 1978 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 310

RESEARCH ROAD

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

CAPITAL BELTWAY TO EXIT 2, Prince George's, MD

Built 1966 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 600

Showing 2,601-2,650 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.