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

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

I 90

Fair

Over: RR

5.6M W WHITEHALL, Jefferson, MT

Built 1966 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 4,591

I 90

Fair

Over: SEP ALLEN CREEK ROAD

7.4M W PARK CITY, Stillwater, MT

Built 1970 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 5,470

IRR - I 90

Fair

Over: INT WYOLA-S 457

WYOLA, Big Horn, MT

Built 1985 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,977

NISSEN LN

Fair

Over: EAST BENCH CANAL 001

3M E DILLON, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1962 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

LOVERS LEAP RD

Fair

Over: SEP I 15 12

1M N DILLON, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1973 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 440

STEPHENS RD

Fair

Over: FORT BELKNAP CANAL 007

1M NW CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1999 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 211

COAL MINE RD

Fair

Over: RED ROCK COULEE 012

5M NW CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1933 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 41

OLD US 91

Fair

Over: MISSOURI RIVER-RR 069

11M S CASCADE, Cascade, MT

Built 1931 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 314

SUN RIVER RD

Fair

Over: SEP WEST HILL-I 15 127

GREAT FALLS, Cascade, MT

Built 1967 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,339

TUSLER RD

Fair

Over: YELLOWSTONE RIVER 094

9M NE MILES CITY, Custer, MT

Built 1907 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 102

FRONTAGE ROAD 201

Fair

Over: INT MOON CREEK-I 94 005

10M SW MILES CITY, Custer, MT

Built 1962 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 82

ROAD 217

Fair

Over: BAD ROUTE CREEK 028

29M SW GLENDIVE, Dawson, MT

Built 1985 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

WASHBOARD RD

Fair

Over: DOG CREEK 101

W SUFFOLK, Fergus, MT

Built 1983 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

UPPER CHIPPEWA RD

Fair

Over: CHIPPEWA CREEK 004

5M NW GRASSRANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 1980 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

JENNI RD

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK 030

7M W LEWISTOWN, Fergus, MT

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

JP RD

Fair

Over: WHITEFISH RIVER 154

2M SE WHITEFISH, Flathead, MT

Built 1985 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 3,186

KELLY CANYON RD

Fair

Over: ROCKY CREEK 042

2M E BOZEMAN, Gallatin, MT

Built 2001 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

LONE MOUNTAIN TRL

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FK W GALLATIN 004

BIG SKY-LONE MOUNTAIN TRL, Gallatin, MT

Built 1979 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 9,549

BUFFALO TRAIL

Fair

Over: MUSSELSHELL RIVER 003

2M E RYEGATE, Golden Valley, MT

Built 1915 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

WILLOW CREEK RD

Fair

Over: RED ROCK COULEE 009

12M N HAVRE, Hill, MT

Built 1969 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

TERRACE LAKE RD

Fair

Over: PABLO FEEDER CANAL 022

2M E RONAN, Lake, MT

Built 2009 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

APPLEGATE DR

Fair

Over: HELENA VALLEY CANAL 115

6M NW HELENA, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1958 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,526

KOUNTZ RD

Fair

Over: JEFFERSON RIVER 017

3M E WHITEHALL, Madison, MT

Built 1973 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 264

OLD HWY 10 E

Fair

Over: CLARK FK-RR 060

ST REGIS, Mineral, MT

Built 1942 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 119

MURPHYS LN

Fair

Over: YELLOWSTONE RIVER 004

E EMIGRANT, Park, MT

Built 1949 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,444

OLD US HWY 2

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK OVERFLO 100

19M E MALTA, Phillips, MT

Built 1933 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

ROCK CREEK CATTLE

Fair

Over: CLARK FORK RIVER 038

5M N DEER LODGE, Powell, MT

Built 1989 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 275

ROCK CREEK CATTLE

Fair

Over: CLARK FORK RIVER 03

5M N DEER LODGE, Powell, MT

Built 1989 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 275

S FRONTAGE RD 011

Fair

Over: RACETRACK CREEK 067

7M S DEER LODGE, Powell, MT

Built 1930 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 899

OLD DARBY RD

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK 052

4M N DARBY, Ravalli, MT

Built 1918 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

OLD HWY 10

Fair

Over: WYANT COULEE 044

7M W FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 1932 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 271

OLD HWY 10

Fair

Over: RESERVATION CREEK 043

11M W FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 1936 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 271

LOWER SWEET GRASS

Fair

Over: YELLOWSTONE RIVER 038

SE GREYCLIFF, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 1991 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

OLD US 10

Fair

Over: PUMP CREEK 042

2.5M W REED POINT, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 1932 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 29

CASTLE BUTTE RD

Fair

Over: COW GULCH 186

8M N POMPEY`S PILLAR, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1997 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

N MONTANA ST

Fair

Over: WALKING PATH 004

BUTTE-N MONTANA ST, Silver Bow, MT

Built 1962 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

ELYSIAN RD

Fair

Over: HOGAN`S SLOUGH 184

BILLINGS-ELYSIAN RD, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1994 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

MAIN STREET

Fair

Over: ALKALI CREEK 209

BILLINGS, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1975 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

US 89

Fair

Over: TETON RIVER

1M S CHOTEAU, Teton, MT

Built 1939 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,257

S 200

Fair

Over: BULL RIVER

4M NW NOXON, Sanders, MT

Built 1952 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,508

US 87

Fair

Over: ABANDONED RAILROAD

6M SW LOMA, Chouteau, MT

Built 1974 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,667

THIRD ST NE

Fair

Over: ABANDONED RR-ANTELOPE CR

HARLOWTON-THIRD ST NE, Wheatland, MT

Built 1939 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,051

US 12

Fair

Over: MUGGINS CREEK

1M W SUMATRA, Rosebud, MT

Built 1947 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 240

US 12

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

INGOMAR, Rosebud, MT

Built 1947 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 144

US 12

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

20M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 144

S 1

Fair

Over: SILVER BOW CREEK

6M SW WARM SPRINGS, Deer Lodge, MT

Built 1964 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 4,553

S 1

Fair

Over: SILVER BOW CREEK

6M SW WARM SPRINGS, Deer Lodge, MT

Built 1964 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 4,553

S 21

Fair

Over: INT CONRAD I 15

CONRAD, Pondera, MT

Built 1972 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

S 200

Fair

Over: INT BONNER I 90

1M W BONNER, Missoula, MT

Built 1965 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 8,131

Showing 651-700 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.