State profile · Near median Poor share

Montana 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 Montana.

5,224
Public bridges
31.5%
Good condition
6.8%
Poor condition

Montana holds 5,224 public highway bridges (#36 of 52 by inventory) with a 6.81% Poor share (#20 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 6.8% 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 33 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

5,224

Public highway bridges in Montana

Good Condition

31.5%

1,646 bridges rated 7-9

-18.5pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

6.8%

356 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-0.7pp vs national avg 7.5%

Montana vs national bridge condition

Montana - Good condition share 31.5%
National avg

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

Montana - Poor-condition share 22.7%
National avg

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

Montana 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: Montana has 5,224 bridges and a 6.8% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #33 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 (%) MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%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%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%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%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: Montana has 5,224 bridges and a 6.8% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #33 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.

Montana 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

5,224 36th of 54 higher than 18 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 Montana

The highlighted point is Montana: 5,224 bridges and 6.81% in Poor condition, rank #33 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Montana on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Hawaii: 1,195 bridges · 6.53% Poor
  • North Carolina: 19,210 bridges · 6.76% Poor
  • Montana: 5,224 bridges · 6.81% Poor
  • Kentucky: 14,548 bridges · 7.37% Poor
  • New Hampshire: 2,542 bridges · 7.51% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Montana

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 5,224 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Montana’s inventory

State agency holds 46.3% of the 5,224 public highway bridges filed under Montana in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Montana’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 11.7% of the 5,224 bridges with a recorded original year in Montana. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Montana31.5%61.7%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Montana (FHWA NBI)

Counties (56)

Beaverhead 226 Big Horn 135 Blaine 102 Broadwater 37 Carbon 80 Carter 41 Cascade 185 Chouteau 42 Custer 71 Daniels 33 Dawson 109 Deer Lodge 68 Fallon 37 Fergus 158 Flathead 204 Gallatin 210 Garfield 26 Glacier 71 Golden Valley 17 Granite 73 Hill 46 Jefferson 134 Judith Basin 48 Lake 117 Lewis and Clark 200 Liberty 11 Lincoln 190 Madison 97 McCone 44 Meagher 53 Mineral 152 Missoula 206 Musselshell 28 Park 124 Petroleum 26 Phillips 101 Pondera 96 Powder River 23 Powell 113 Prairie 46 Ravalli 148 Richland 97 Roosevelt 57 Rosebud 114 Sanders 120 Sheridan 66 Silver Bow 68 Stillwater 92 Sweet Grass 94 Teton 82 Toole 35 Treasure 26 Valley 104 Wheatland 26 Wibaux 25 Yellowstone 290

Montana 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 Montana on the same metric.

HI

Hawaii

6.53% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,195

NC

North Carolina

6.76% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,210
Selected

MT

Montana

6.81% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,224

KY

Kentucky

7.37% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,548

NH

New Hampshire

7.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,542

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Montana

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

UPPER HIGHWOOD CR

Poor

Over: HIGHWOOD CREEK 076

4M SE HIGHWOOD, Chouteau, MT

Built 1969 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

ROAD 290 N

Poor

Over: CANADIAN COULEE 036

30M N INVERNESS, Hill, MT

Built 1980 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

BLACK COULEE RD

Poor

Over: BLACK COULEE 072

28M N DODSON, Phillips, MT

Built 1950 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 49

SLEEPY HOLLOW LN

Poor

Over: PRICKLY PEAR CREEK

3 M S MONTANA CITY, Jefferson, MT

Built 2010 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 100

HWY 91 N

Poor

Over: BIG HOLE RIVER 041

22M N DILLON, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1940 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 155

CARBINE RD

Poor

Over: PABLO CANAL 026

4M W PABLO, Lake, MT

Built 1986 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 100

All Bridges in Montana

UPPER SPRING CR RD

Fair

Over: MILL DITCH

LEWISTOWN, Fergus, MT

Built 1958 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 6,241

S 248

Fair

Over: POPLAR RIVER

2M W SCOBEY, Daniels, MT

Built 1940 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 390

S 252-HORSE CR RD

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

8M NW CIRCLE, McCone, MT

Built 1950 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 103

S 294

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

5M SW MARTINSDALE, Meagher, MT

Built 1948 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 220

LODGE CREEK RD

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE-STOCKPASS

1M NE CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1952 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 100

S 363

Fair

Over: DODSON SOUTH CANAL

1M SW MALTA, Phillips, MT

Built 1966 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 330

S 467-UNION RD

Fair

Over: MCCUNE CREEK

4M S CIRCLE, McCone, MT

Built 1962 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 77

CONRAD DUPUYER RD

Fair

Over: DRY FORK MARIAS RIVER

10M E DUPUYER, Pondera, MT

Built 1966 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 53

E BOULEVARD ST

Fair

Over: BIG SPRING CREEK

LEWISTOWN-E BOULEVARD ST, Fergus, MT

Built 1920 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 671

S HIGGINS AVE

Fair

Over: CLARK FORK R-PED PATHS

MISSOULA-S HIGGINS AVE, Missoula, MT

Built 1962 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 11,130

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: DEEP CREEK

DEEP CREEK, Deer Lodge, MT

Built 1966 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 75

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: W F BITTERROOT

NO DATA ENTERED, Ravalli, MT

Built 1954 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 10

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Sanders, MT

Built 1965 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 20

SO. FK. TETON RD.

Fair

Over: TETON RIVER

25 MI. NW OF CHOTEAU MT., Teton, MT

Built 1944 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 16

NFSR #251

Fair

Over: DRY WOLF CR

19 MI. SW OF STANFORD, Judith Basin, MT

Built 1976 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: HOGBACK CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Granite, MT

Built 2008 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 50

RD 250

Fair

Over: TROUT CR

PIERCE-SUPERIOR, Mineral, MT

Built 1965 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 50

I 15

Fair

Over: INT DEARBORN-MISSOURI R

6M N CRAIG, Cascade, MT

Built 1971 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 2,224

VICTOR CROSSING E

Fair

Over: BITTERROOT RIVER 019

1M E VICTOR, Ravalli, MT

Built 1982 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 100

18131: MAIDEN ROCK

Fair

Over: Big Hole River

24 mi SW of Butte MT, Silver Bow, MT

Built 1951 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 25

FDR 1203

Fair

Over: TIE CREEK

TIE CR, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 15

RD 895

Fair

Over: SULLIVAN CREEK

SULLIVAN CR, Flathead, MT

Built 1952 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: CEDAR CR

CEDAR CR, Mineral, MT

Built 1935 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 50

I 15

Fair

Over: INT DEARBORN-MISSOURI R

6M N CRAIG, Cascade, MT

Built 1971 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 2,224

I 94

Fair

Over: YELLOWSTONE RIVER

1M N FALLON, Prairie, MT

Built 1978 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 2,191

I 115S

Fair

Over: SEP I 15

0.6M W BUTTE, Silver Bow, MT

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 2,177

NITCHE RD

Fair

Over: ROSEBUD CREEK 029

2M SW ABSAROKEE, Stillwater, MT

Built 2003 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 100

SQUAW CREEK RD

Fair

Over: PRYOR CREEK 004

2M SE HUNTLEY, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1978 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 100

11TH LN

Fair

Over: GREENFIELD S CANAL 047

11M E FAIRFIELD, Cascade, MT

Built 2009 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 100

NFSR 330

Fair

Over: LANDERS FORK

LANDERS FORK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1977 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 21

WEST FORTINE ROAD

Fair

Over: FORTINE CR

FORTINE CR, Lincoln, MT

Built 1963 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 50

RD 4791

Fair

Over: GRANITE CR

LOWER GRANITE, Lincoln, MT

Built 1964 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 50

RD 367

Fair

Over: GRAVES CR

GRAVES VERMILLION, Sanders, MT

Built 1954 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 50

RD 7688

Fair

Over: W FK FISHTRAP

LOWER FISHTRAP RIDG, Sanders, MT

Built 1965 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 40

I 15

Fair

Over: MISSOURI RVR-RR-LOCAL

5M N CRAIG, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1971 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 2,224

BOYD COONEY DAM RD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK 027

1M W BOYD, Carbon, MT

Built 1973 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 564

E ROSEBUD RD

Fair

Over: EAST ROSEBUD CREEK 018

2M SW ROSCOE, Carbon, MT

Built 1993 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 76

GORDON RD

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK 042

7M NW VAUGHN, Cascade, MT

Built 1973 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 70

SHIPPE CANYON RD

Fair

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK 032

2M S PLENTYWOOD, Sheridan, MT

Built 1970 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 159

WHISKEY RD

Fair

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK 043

3M N MEDICINE LAKE, Sheridan, MT

Built 1978 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 71

MANN RD

Fair

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK

SW PLENTYWOOD, Sheridan, MT

Built 1967 Load: 21.7 t ADT: 183

IRR BIA RTE 16

Fair

Over: LODGE GRASS CREEK

AT LODGE GRASS, Big Horn, MT

Built 1962 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 300

MANY GLACIER ROAD

Fair

Over: APIKUNI CREEK

10.3 miles west of U.S. R, Glacier, MT

Built 1931 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 452

MANY GLACIER ROAD

Fair

Over: WINDY CREEK

8.8 miles west of U.S. Ro, Granite, MT

Built 1931 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 452

CHIEF MOUNTAIN INT

Fair

Over: LEE CREEK

12.7 miles north of Saint, Glacier, MT

Built 1935 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 246

I 15

Fair

Over: RED ROCK RIVER

6.2M S CLARK CANYON DAM, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1981 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,089

I 15

Fair

Over: INT GRASSHOPPER CREEK

8M N CLARK CANYON DAM, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1988 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,210

I 15

Fair

Over: MISSOURI RIVER-LOCAL

7M N CRAIG, Cascade, MT

Built 1971 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,224

I 90 EB

Fair

Over: ST. REGIS RIVER

1.9M W ST. REGIS, Mineral, MT

Built 1981 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 3,180

I 90

Fair

Over: CLARK FORK RVR-RR-LOCAL

0.6M E ST. REGIS, Mineral, MT

Built 1982 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 3,513

Showing 601-650 of 5,224 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
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.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What to do with this

Use Montana's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Montana 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. Montana 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.