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

BW PARKWAY

Good

Over: MD ROUTE 201

0.8 MILES SOUTH OF MD ROU, Prince George's, MD

Built 1953 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 80,000

US 1

Good

Over: MD 100

0.51 MILE NORTH OF MD 103, Howard, MD

Built 1994 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 35,932

MD 119

Good

Over: GREAT SENECA CREEK

2.0 MILES NORTH OF MD 124, Montgomery, MD

Built 1989 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 10,344

MD 831A

Good

Over: BRADDOCK RUN

0.06 MI N OF US 40AL, Allegany, MD

Built 1900 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 599

SAW MILL ROAD

Good

Over: BIG PIPE CREEK

0.5 MI EAST OF MD 97, Carroll, MD

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 54

BIXLER CHURCH ROAD

Good

Over: OHIO BRANCH

0.55 MI N OF BACKWOODS RD, Carroll, MD

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 675

REELS MILL ROAD

Good

Over: BUSH CREEK

0.25 MI N OF BALL RD, Frederick, MD

Built 1975 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,282

BOWIE ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB TO PATUXENT RIVER

0.2 MI EAST OF US 1 NB, Prince George's, MD

Built 1927 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 14,730

CARRS MILL ROAD

Good

Over: BEAR CABIN BRANCH

1.7 MILES N OF MD 152, Harford, MD

Built 2018 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 8,142

I-695 OL

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

MILEPOST M46.2, Baltimore, MD

Built 1997 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 15,948

MD 75

Good

Over: LITTLE PIPE CREEK

0.06 MILE NORTH OF MR 84, Carroll, MD

Built 1960 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 3,821

MD 272

Good

Over: NORTHEAST CREEK

0.62 MILE NORTH OF MD 274, Cecil, MD

Built 2001 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 10,462

MD 28

Good

Over: WASHINGTON RUN

1.05 MILES EAST OF US 15, Frederick, MD

Built 2008 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 6,272

PIGS EAR ROAD

Good

Over: IS 68

0.05 MI N OF MD 948L, Garrett, MD

Built 1975 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 999

IS 95/IS 495 IL

Good

Over: LIVINGSTON ROAD

0.48 MILE NORTH OF MD 210, Prince George's, MD

Built 2007 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 57,732

UPPER LEVEL ROADWA

Good

Over: LOWER LEVEL ROADWAY

BWI AIRPORT, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1996 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 23,198

MD 560

Good

Over: GLADE RUN

2.33 MILES NORTH OF US 50, Garrett, MD

Built 1950 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 1,914

MD 216

Good

Over: US 29

.16 M N OF ICE CRYSTAL DR, Howard, MD

Built 2001 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 17,672

MD 213

Good

Over: WOODLAND CREEK

0.09 M S OF DAVES HILL RD, Kent, MD

Built 1950 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 4,211

MD 950D

Good

Over: IS 595

AT IS 595, Prince George's, MD

Built 1989 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 5,200

MD 950C

Good

Over: IS 595

0.13 M S OF FORBES BLVD, Prince George's, MD

Built 1991 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 9,450

MD 404

Good

Over: BR OF NORWICH CREEK

1.1 MI W OF MD 309, Queen Anne's, MD

Built 1949 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 19,600

MD 145

Good

Over: GREENE BRANCH

0.3 MILE E OF COOPER ROAD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1915 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 12,432

MD 279

Good

Over: BR OF BIG ELK CREEK

0.15 MILE NORTH OF MD 316, Cecil, MD

Built 1959 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 12,410

IS 70 WBR

Good

Over: IS 270

0.19 M E OF BR NO 1013800, Frederick, MD

Built 1968 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 83,731

FRANKLINTOWN ROAD

Good

Over: DEAD RUN

0.8 MI W HILTON PKWY, Baltimore city, MD

Built 2004 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 1,219

GORSUCH ROAD

Good

Over: WEST BRANCH PATAPSCO RIV

0.06 MI N OF TANNERY ROAD, Carroll, MD

Built 1968 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 7,307

COPPERMINE ROAD

Good

Over: ISRAEL CREEK

0.3 MI EAST OF MD RTE 194, Frederick, MD

Built 1966 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 2,172

HESSONG BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: HUNTING CREEK

AT LAYMAN ROAD INTERSECTN, Frederick, MD

Built 1965 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 804

THOMAS RUN ROAD

Good

Over: THOMAS RUN

0.1 MILES E OF KALMIA RD, Harford, MD

Built 2008 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 1,083

BARTOW DRIVE

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO CONOCOCHEAG

0.17 MI NORTH OF US RT 40, Washington, MD

Built 2000 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 2,418

MASSEY CROSSING RD

Good

Over: POCOMOKE RIVER

WOR-WIC CO LINE, Worcester, MD

Built 2007 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 110

US 29 RAMP 7

Good

Over: US 40 EBR

0.13 MILE EAST OF US 29, Howard, MD

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,400

LINDEN CHURCH ROAD

Good

Over: MD 32

750 E TEN OAKS ROAD, Howard, MD

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,275

MD 349

Good

Over: WINDSOR CREEK

4.42 MILES WEST OF MD 352, Wicomico, MD

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 942

LAUREL RUN ROAD

Good

Over: LAUREL RUN

0.35 MI W OF MD RTE 935, Allegany, MD

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 97

BOLLINGER ROAD

Good

Over: BEAVER RUN

1.05 MI W OF MD 140, Carroll, MD

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,328

BRYAN HALL ROAD

Good

Over: MARUMSCO CREEK

1.2 MI W OF CORNSTACK RD, Somerset, MD

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 140

PATUXENT ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE PATUXENT RIVER

BOUNDRY RD S OF GATE C, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

MD 638

Good

Over: WESTERN MD SCENIC RR

0.02 M N OF SONGBIRD LANE, Allegany, MD

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,621

MD 32

Good

Over: DORSEY RUN

0.47 MILE NORTH OF MD 295, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 65,902

MD 100

Good

Over: PINEY RUN

0.3 MI E OF MD 295, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 78,282

IS 795 NBR

Good

Over: MD 940 RAMP 7

0.13 MILE NORTH OF MD 940, Baltimore, MD

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 68,761

MD 194

Good

Over: BRANCH OF PINEY CREEK

0.27 MILE SOUTH OF MD 140, Carroll, MD

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,732

MD 194

Good

Over: BRANCH OF PINEY CREEK

0.60 MILE SOUTH OF MD 140, Carroll, MD

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,732

MD 6

Good

Over: GILBERT SWAMP

2.94 MI W OF ST MARYS CO, Charles, MD

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,492

MD 6

Good

Over: BR OF PORT TOBACCO CREEK

1.9 MILES WEST OF US 301, Charles, MD

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,552

MD 6

Good

Over: HOGHOLE RUN

2.95 MILES WEST OF US 301, Charles, MD

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,302

MD 224

Good

Over: MARBURY RUN

1.66 MILE SOUTH OF MD 425, Charles, MD

Built 1957 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,502

MD 5

Good

Over: TRIB TO JORDAN SWAMP

0.41 M N OF BR NO 0802300, Charles, MD

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 32,802

Showing 3,551-3,600 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.