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

S384

Good

Over: Dry Creek

7M E Hardin, Big Horn, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 199

LULU PASS ROAD

Good

Over: FISHER CREEK

4 M NE OF COOKE CITY, Park, MT

Built 2002 ADT: 100

Meeteetse Trail

Good

Over: Rock Creek

1M SE of Red Lodge, Carbon, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 100

Powderville RD E

Good

Over: North Fork Horse Creek

16 Miles NE of Broadus, Powder River, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 48

S 248

Good

Over: Drainage

5m east of Richland, Daniels, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 193

S 248

Good

Over: Spring Creek

2 M west of Four Buttes, Daniels, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 100

S 248

Good

Over: Drainage

2 Miles West of Scobey, Daniels, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 507

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BIG HOLE RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2022 ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: CANYON CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2023 ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: WARM SPRINGS CR

ROAD TO REC RESIDENCE, Deer Lodge, MT

Built 2016 ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: JOHNSON CR

NO DATA ENTERED, Ravalli, MT

Built 2016 ADT: 50

FORST ROAD

Good

Over: FELIX CREEK

EAST SIDE SOUTHFORK, Flathead, MT

Built 1997 ADT: 200

Forest Road

Good

Over: CLAYTON CREEK

West Side South Fork, Flathead, MT

Built 2007 ADT: 50

FOREST ROAD

Good

Over: HALLOWAT CREEK

HALLOWAT CREEK ROAD, Flathead, MT

Built 1986 ADT: 10

Shields River Road

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Park, MT

Built 2009 ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2019 ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2018 ADT: 50

SWAMP CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: SWAMP CREEK

SWAMP CREEK, Lincoln, MT

Built 1995 ADT: 50

RTE 471

Good

Over: PIPE CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Lincoln, MT

Built 2020 ADT: 50

RD 336

Good

Over: EAST FORK PIPE CREEK

JCT RD 112 & RD 336, Lincoln, MT

Built 2020 ADT: 50

STUD HORSE CREEK R

Good

Over: LOWER HOLSTROM DITCH

OVER LOWER HOLSTROM DITCH, Meagher, MT

Built 2017 ADT: 50

ACM RD

Good

Over: THOMPSON RIVER

ACM RD, Sanders, MT

Built 1996 ADT: 50

SAGE RD

Good

Over: E FORK BATTLE CREEK 053

18M N CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1999 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 100

10TH LN NW

Good

Over: FOSTER CREEK 026

11M N CHOTEAU, Teton, MT

Built 1984 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 100

4TH RD NE

Good

Over: NO NAME DITCH 011

12M NE FAIRFIELD, Teton, MT

Built 1938 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 100

NFSR 235

Good

Over: FAIRVIEW CR.

FAIRVIEW CR. NO. 1, Judith Basin, MT

Built 1977 Load: 10.0 t ADT: 40

1869: DEADWOOD GUL

Good

Over: BIG SHEEP CREEK

6 mi SW of I-15 exit 23, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1991 Load: 10.4 t ADT: 25

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: ST REGIS RIVER

WARD CR, Mineral, MT

Built 1960 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: ST REGIS RIVER

DEER CR, Mineral, MT

Built 1963 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 50

WALBERG RANCH LN

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK 054

25M W PHILLIPSBURG, Granite, MT

Built 1987 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 592

WISE RIVER RD

Good

Over: MILLER CREEK 116

MISSOULA, Missoula, MT

Built 2002 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 100

27TH AVE W

Good

Over: BIG DITCH 031

3M W LAUREL, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1988 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 590

ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Park, MT

Built 2000 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 50

IRR - I 90

Good

Over: BIGHORN RIVER

HARDIN, Big Horn, MT

Built 1971 Load: 12.6 t ADT: 4,249

FOREST GROVE RD

Good

Over: S FORK MCDONALD CREEK

5M SW GRASSRANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 2021 Load: 12.7 t ADT: 146

LOST HORSE CR RD

Good

Over: DEADMAN CREEK 098

7M SW CANYON CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1990 Load: 12.7 t ADT: 100

JOHN G MINE RD

Good

Over: HELENA VALLEY CANAL 116

6M NW HELENA, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1958 Load: 12.7 t ADT: 790

VALIER DUPUYER RD

Good

Over: VALIER CANAL 035

5M NE DUPUYER, Pondera, MT

Built 1950 Load: 12.7 t ADT: 119

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: GERMAN GULCH

GERMAN GULCH, Silver Bow, MT

Built 1966 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 50

NFSR

Good

Over: LOST JOHNNY CREEK

SOUTH FORK FLATHEAD, Flathead, MT

Built 2009 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 40

LOWER VALLEY RD

Good

Over: ASHLEY CREEK 001

5M SE KALISPELL, Flathead, MT

Built 1995 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 100

GARCON GULCH ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE BITTERROOT RIVER

7 M N HOT SPRINGS, Lake, MT

Built 2022 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

TETRAULT RD

Good

Over: WHITEFISH RIVER 090

9M SE WHITEFISH, Flathead, MT

Built 1995 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

BROWNS MEADOW RD

Good

Over: MOUNT CREEK 171

13M W KALISPELL, Flathead, MT

Built 2008 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

BULLHEAD RD

Good

Over: NO NAME COULEE 021

7M NE WILLIAMS, Pondera, MT

Built 1960 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

OVERPASS RD

Good

Over: SEP I 15 009

1M N BRADY, Pondera, MT

Built 1964 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

SPANISH CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK SPANISH CREEK

SPANISH CREEK, Madison, MT

Built 1967 Load: 13.9 t ADT: 50

YAAK 92

Good

Over: WEST FORK YAAK RIVER

JUST BEFORE JCT WITH 276, Lincoln, MT

Built 1976 Load: 14.3 t ADT: 99

OLD HWY RD E

Good

Over: BATTLE CREEK 025

5M E CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 1938 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 100

SKYLINE DR

Good

Over: PABLO 3A CANAL 039

3M S POLSON, Lake, MT

Built 2015 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 100

Showing 3,251-3,300 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.