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

SUNDOWN ROAD

Good

Over: HAWLINGS RIVER

2.0 MILES EAST OF MD 108, Montgomery, MD

Built 1996 Load: 70.3 t ADT: 6,900

FOURTH LEVEL ENTRA

Good

Over: HOURLY PARKING GARAGE

BWI HOURLY PARK GARAGE, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1991 Load: 70.3 t ADT: 1,104

IS 83 NBR

Good

Over: QUAKER BOTTOM ROAD

0.9 M N OF BR NO 0305600, Baltimore, MD

Built 1999 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 33,380

MD 32 EB

Good

Over: LITTLE PATUXENT RIVER

0.23 M S OF SHAKER DRIVE, Howard, MD

Built 1981 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 81,712

BRENTLAND ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE CATOCTIN CREEK

0.25 MI EAST OF MD RTE 17, Frederick, MD

Built 1982 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 44

GREAT STAR DRIVE

Good

Over: CRICKETT CREEK

1.0 Mile SE of MD 108, Howard, MD

Built 1997 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 6,583

HACKETT CORNER RD

Good

Over: UNICORN BRANCH

0.8 MI. E. OF MD313, Queen Anne's, MD

Built 1987 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 663

SHAFT ROAD

Good

Over: GEORGES CREEK

0.13 MI W OF MD 936, Allegany, MD

Built 1940 Load: 71.0 t ADT: 432

IS 695 OL RAMP 1

Good

Over: LEEDS AVE & HERBERT RUN

0.77 MILE NORTH OF IS 95, Baltimore, MD

Built 2004 Load: 71.2 t ADT: 5,696

STAUFFER ROAD

Good

Over: ISRAEL CREEK

1 MI E OF MD RTE 194, Frederick, MD

Built 1998 Load: 71.2 t ADT: 517

ELLICOTT CENTER DR

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

400 FT NW OF ROGERS AVE, Howard, MD

Built 2003 Load: 71.2 t ADT: 1,814

CLARKSBURG ROAD

Good

Over: BENNETT CREEK TRIBUTARY

0.2 MI W BETHESDA CH RD, Montgomery, MD

Built 2003 Load: 71.2 t ADT: 4,123

MD 261 (BAY AVENUE

Good

Over: BRANCH OF CHESAPEAKE BAY

0.28 MI. N OF 7TH ST., Calvert, MD

Built 2021 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 1,400

CLOVERFIELD DRIVE

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY OF BYNUM RUN

0.1 MI. E. of Tyrell Ct, Harford, MD

Built 2023 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 250

RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: ROCKBURN BRANCH

AT ROCKBURN RD, Howard, MD

Built 2022 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 250

IS 68 RAMPS 1 & 2

Good

Over: BRADDOCK RUN

N OF MD 53, Allegany, MD

Built 1972 Load: 71.7 t ADT: 703

US 1

Good

Over: IS 695

3.0 MI N OF IS 95, Baltimore, MD

Built 1995 Load: 71.7 t ADT: 46,322

PEARRE ROAD

Good

Over: CLEMSON BRANCH

0.5 MI E OF CLEMSONVILLE, Frederick, MD

Built 1982 Load: 71.7 t ADT: 62

BLOOMFIELD ROAD

Good

Over: TUSCARORA CREEK

0.1 MI N OF OPOSSUMTWN PK, Frederick, MD

Built 1982 Load: 71.7 t ADT: 439

MD 564

Good

Over: AMTRAK

0.03 MILE S OF MD 564C, Prince George's, MD

Built 1994 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 8,941

MD 210

Good

Over: MD 414 (OXON HILL ROAD)

0.1 M S OF IS 95/IS 495, Prince George's, MD

Built 2007 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 28,551

SANDS ROAD

Good

Over: FERRY BRANCH

0.2 MI S OF MD 422, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1960 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 2,689

OLD MIDDLETOWN RD

Good

Over: HOLLOW CREEK

0.34 MI SOUTH OF MD 17, Frederick, MD

Built 1974 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 966

STAN FEY DRIVE

Good

Over: MOUNT NEBO BRANCH

0.21 MI N OF MD RTE 214, Prince George's, MD

Built 2001 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 204

OLDE MILL RUN ROAD

Good

Over: MD200 (ICC)

0.7 mi E OF REDLAND RD, Montgomery, MD

Built 2010 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 1,073

MD 948AD

Good

Over: IS 68

0.07 MILE NORTH OF MD 144, Allegany, MD

Built 1990 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 1,314

BLACK ROCK ROAD

Good

Over: SOUTH BRANCH GUNPOWDER F

150 FT N OF TRACEYS MILL, Carroll, MD

Built 2001 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 228

SHADY LANE

Good

Over: DORSEY BRANCH

0.5 MI N OF SHARP RD, Howard, MD

Built 2011 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 1,300

IS 97 NBR

Good

Over: MD 450

0.33 MI N OF IS 595, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1987 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 91,300

IS 97 SBR

Good

Over: MD 450

0.36 MILE NORTH OF IS 595, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1987 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 91,300

IS 83 RAMP 7

Good

Over: IS 83

0.83 MI S OF BEAVERDAM RD, Baltimore, MD

Built 1991 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 15,300

MD 32 EBR

Good

Over: MIDDLE PATUXENT RIVER

0.89 MILE NORTH OF US 29, Howard, MD

Built 1995 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 61,442

EASTERDAY ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE CATOCTIN CREEK

0.2 MI N OF WOODLAND WAY, Frederick, MD

Built 1982 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 90

ESWORTHY ROAD

Good

Over: MUDDY BRANCH

AT QUERY MILL ROAD, Montgomery, MD

Built 1999 Load: 73.0 t ADT: 3,639

MCNAIR ROAD

Good

Over: DORSEY CREEK

0.3 KM E OF DECATUR AVE, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 2011 Load: 73.1 t ADT: 4,400

BEACH DRIVE

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.4 MILES EAST OF MD 185, Montgomery, MD

Built 2022 Load: 73.2 t ADT: 4,900

MD 213

Good

Over: BIG ELK CREEK

0.1 MILE SOUTH OF MD 7D, Cecil, MD

Built 1999 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 22,306

MD 97

Good

Over: PATUXENT RIVER

ON MONTGOMERY CO LINE, Howard, MD

Built 2000 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 13,200

US 50 BUS WB

Good

Over: US 50

0.561 M W/NAYLOR MILL RD, Wicomico, MD

Built 2001 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 9,641

AIRPORT EXIT ROAD

Good

Over: AIRPORT RETURN RAMP

BWI AIRPORT, Anne Arundel, MD

Built 1992 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 20,000

IS 83 SB RAMP 7

Good

Over: MD 25A

0.36 MI N OF MD 25, Baltimore, MD

Built 2005 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 32,550

MD 7

Good

Over: JAMES RUN

0.28 MILE NORTH OF MD 136, Harford, MD

Built 2014 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 12,500

MD 100J

Good

Over: MD 100

.11 M N OF MEADOWBROOK LA, Howard, MD

Built 1992 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 18,231

IS 595 RAMP W(9)

Good

Over: IS 595 & CD ROAD E-W

MD 3 US 301 IS 595 INT, Prince George's, MD

Built 1992 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 724

IS 595 RAMP W-N(3)

Good

Over: IS 595 AND CD ROAD E-W

MD 3 US 301 IS 595 INT, Prince George's, MD

Built 1992 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 13,853

KINGSBROOK DRIVE

Good

Over: KING BRANCH

.1 MI S. OF CORPORATE DR, Frederick, MD

Built 1992 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 2,500

BARNES ROAD

Good

Over: WELDON CREEK

0.9 MI S OF OAK ORCHRD RD, Frederick, MD

Built 1979 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 216

PARK CIRCLE DRIVE

Good

Over: DEEP RUN

0.4 MI N MD 176 HO/AA CO., Howard, MD

Built 1990 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 870

US 40 EBR

Good

Over: LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS

ON HARFORD CO LINE, Baltimore, MD

Built 1935 Load: 74.2 t ADT: 14,805

US 40 WBR

Good

Over: LITTLE GUNPOWDER FALLS

ON HARFORD CO LINE, Baltimore, MD

Built 1935 Load: 74.2 t ADT: 14,805

Showing 4,851-4,900 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.