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

US 2

Fair

Over: RED ROCK CREEK OVERFLOW

CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1942 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,818

US 2

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

6M W SACO, Phillips, MT

Built 1966 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,250

US 2

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK CANAL

4M E HINSDALE, Valley, MT

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,313

IRR - US 89

Fair

Over: BIRCH CREEK

14M W VALIER, Pondera, MT

Built 1965 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 947

S 200

Fair

Over: CLARK FORK RIVER

2M S PARADISE, Sanders, MT

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,835

S 2

Fair

Over: E THREE FORKS INT I 90

THREE FORKS, Gallatin, MT

Built 2010 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 100

US 12

Fair

Over: TWIN COULEE

1M E LAVINA, Golden Valley, MT

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 459

US 12

Fair

Over: DEAN CREEK

6M E LAVINA, Musselshell, MT

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 438

US 12

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

35M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 1941 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 144

US 12

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

32M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 1941 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 144

S 59

Fair

Over: GRIMES CREEK

17M NW MILES CITY, Custer, MT

Built 1962 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,250

S 200

Fair

Over: N FORK BLACKFOOT RIVER

4M SE OVANDO, Powell, MT

Built 1956 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,663

S 13

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

2M S VIDA, McCone, MT

Built 1993 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 896

S 7

Fair

Over: ASH CREEK

25M S WIBAUX, Wibaux, MT

Built 1942 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 578

S 7

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE-STOCKPASS

17M S WIBAUX, Wibaux, MT

Built 1941 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 624

IRR - US 212

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK

5M W LAME DEER, Big Horn, MT

Built 1974 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,542

S 141

Fair

Over: HALFWAY CREEK

12M NW AVON, Powell, MT

Built 1936 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,564

US 191

Fair

Over: BOX ELDER CREEK

2M E ROY, Fergus, MT

Built 1942 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 287

IRR-S 47-3RD ST E

Fair

Over: INT E HARDIN I 90

HARDIN-3RD ST E, Big Horn, MT

Built 1971 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,905

US 191 FH 42

Fair

Over: WEST GALLATIN RIVER

17M SE BIG SKY, Gallatin, MT

Built 1959 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,214

S 200

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

10M SW RICHEY, Dawson, MT

Built 1959 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 305

S 200

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

1M NW LAMBERT, Richland, MT

Built 2008 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 443

US 87

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

7M NW GRASS RANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,300

US 87

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

4M NW GRASS RANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,300

US 87

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

2M NW GRASS RANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,300

US 89

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

2M SE CLYDE PARK, Park, MT

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,430

S 86-BRIDGER DR

Fair

Over: BRIDGER CREEK

2M NE BOZEMAN, Gallatin, MT

Built 2005 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 8,393

US 12 FH 11

Fair

Over: LOLO CREEK

LOLO HOT SPRINGS, Missoula, MT

Built 1957 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 747

IRR - S 212

Fair

Over: MISSION CREEK

MOIESE, Lake, MT

Built 1959 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 905

S 253

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

22M NW TERRY, Prairie, MT

Built 1947 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 366

S 254

Fair

Over: REDWATER RIVER

11.1M NW RICHEY, Dawson, MT

Built 2014 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 66

S 263

Fair

Over: INT FRENCHTOWN-I 90

FRENCHTOWN, Missoula, MT

Built 1971 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 100

W MILWAUKEE AVE

Fair

Over: CLARK FORK RIVER

DEER LODGE, Powell, MT

Built 1940 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,252

YORK RD

Fair

Over: PRICKLY PEAR CREEK

2M NE HELENA, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1941 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 5,244

SHADY LN

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

2M NE KALISPELL, Flathead, MT

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 6,358

S 324

Fair

Over: HORSE PRAIRIE CREEK

8M E GRANT, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1963 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 282

MAIN ST

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK SMITH RIVER

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Meagher, MT

Built 1962 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 576

S 360 FH 65

Fair

Over: SMITH RIVER

2M E FORT LOGAN, Meagher, MT

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 128

SAINT PHILIP RD

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE

15M SE WIBAUX, Wibaux, MT

Built 1954 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 40

S 431

Fair

Over: INT POWER I 15

POWER, Teton, MT

Built 1972 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 503

IRR - S 451

Fair

Over: LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER

4M N WYOLA, Big Horn, MT

Built 1950 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 380

MAIN ST S

Fair

Over: SANDSTONE CREEK

SOUTH PLEVNA, Fallon, MT

Built 1964 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 118

S 529-CLEAR CR RD

Fair

Over: RED ROCK CREEK

CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1967 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 254

STEWART ST

Fair

Over: SILVERBOW CREEK 012

E OPPORTUNITY, Deer Lodge, MT

Built 1969 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 109

ROUTE 49

Fair

Over: W F BITTERROOT

NO DATA ENTERED, Ravalli, MT

Built 1964 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 21

FOREST ROAD

Fair

Over: WHEELER CREEK

WEST SIDE RESERVOIR, Flathead, MT

Built 1952 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 65

NFSR

Fair

Over: MOOSE CREEK

NORTH FORK FLATHEAD, Flathead, MT

Built 2009 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 40

I 15

Fair

Over: INT ULM

ULM, Cascade, MT

Built 1958 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,053

10TH ST W

Fair

Over: RED ROCK COULEE 096

W EDGE CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1985 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD 332

Fair

Over: USBR MAIN CANAL 052

3M S SAVAGE, Richland, MT

Built 1999 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 100

Showing 1,701-1,750 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.