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

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: RANDOLF CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mineral, MT

Built 1991 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK 143

1M W GLENGARRY, Fergus, MT

Built 2012 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 100

RD 867

Good

Over: BIG CHERRY CR

CHERRY CR, Lincoln, MT

Built 1982 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 40

RD 7611

Good

Over: CLEAR CR

DIRTY-CLEAR RD, Sanders, MT

Built 1991 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: PROSPECT CREEK

COX GULCH, Sanders, MT

Built 1974 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 50

RANCH ACCESS OP

Good

Over: SEP I-90 001

2M S ABERDEEN, Big Horn, MT

Built 1985 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 100

JARVI RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BELT CREEK 037

13M E BELT, Cascade, MT

Built 1971 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 100

SUN R CASCADE RD

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY CREEK 040

6M N CASCADE, Cascade, MT

Built 2004 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 67

CENTRAL AVE W

Good

Over: SUN RIVER 056

GREAT FALLS, Cascade, MT

Built 1987 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,578

FRONTAGE ROAD 005

Good

Over: MOON CREEK 093

9M SW MILES CITY, Custer, MT

Built 2013 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 100

OLD US 10

Good

Over: UPPER DEER CREEK 005

4M NW GREYCLIFF, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 1975 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 553

N CANAL DR

Good

Over: HUNTLEY MAIN CANAL 104

S HUNTLEY, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1975 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 100

MARY ST

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK 118

NE BILLINGS-MARY ST, Yellowstone, MT

Built 2007 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 572

US 87

Good

Over: MARIAS RIVER

LOMA, Chouteau, MT

Built 1988 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,368

IRR - US 89

Good

Over: N FORK CUT BANK CREEK

5M N KIOWA, Glacier, MT

Built 1987 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 830

S 518

Good

Over: INT MONTANA CITY-I 15

MONTANA CITY, Jefferson, MT

Built 1968 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 4,983

CENTRAL AVE

Good

Over: MISSOURI RIVER-PED TRAIL

GREAT FALLS-CENTRAL AVE W, Cascade, MT

Built 1980 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 25,875

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BLOODY D--- CR

BLOODY D--- CR, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1998 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: SHEEPHEAD CR

NO DATA ENTERED, Ravalli, MT

Built 2011 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 100

HERON RD

Good

Over: CABINET GORGE RES 049

1M W HERON, Sanders, MT

Built 2017 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 529

SIX MILE ROAD

Good

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Park, MT

Built 2014 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 50

NFSR #251

Good

Over: PLACER CREEK

19 MI. SW OF STANFORD, Judith Basin, MT

Built 1954 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 50

GALBREATH RD

Good

Over: ST MARY CANAL 045

18M NE BABB, Glacier, MT

Built 1991 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 100

BLACK PINE ROAD

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK 007

2M NW PHILLIPSBURG, Granite, MT

Built 1991 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 100

S FRESNO RD

Good

Over: SAGE CREEK 053

3M NE BOX ELDER, Hill, MT

Built 2009 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 46

LITTLE JOE CR RD

Good

Over: SEP I 90 005

1M W ST REGIS, Mineral, MT

Built 1983 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 57

COUNTY ROAD 653

Good

Over: E FORK BITTERROOT R 107

4M NE SULA, Ravalli, MT

Built 1991 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 303

S 544

Good

Over: LITTLE POWDER RIVER

BIDDLE, Powder River, MT

Built 1974 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 138

MATOVICH RD

Good

Over: MCDONALD CREEK

5M NE GRASS RANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 2023 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 100

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: ARCHIBALD CR

NO DATA ENTERED, Lake, MT

Built 2004 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 50

SKYLINE DR

Good

Over: PABLO FEEDER CANAL 040

2M SE POLSON, Lake, MT

Built 2011 Load: 19.9 t ADT: 100

LEIGHTON RD

Good

Over: PABLO CANAL 37A

2M NW PABLO, Lake, MT

Built 2018 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 100

OLD FREIGHT RD

Good

Over: POST CREEK 053

3M NW ST IGNATIUS, Lake, MT

Built 2016 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 100

FORD RD

Good

Over: PABLO FEEDER CANAL 072

3M SE POLSON, Lake, MT

Built 2017 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 100

SHEPHERD RD

Good

Over: RAZOR CREEK 090

3M N SHEPHERD, Yellowstone, MT

Built 2017 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 100

LT PRICKLY PEAR RD

Good

Over: LTL PRICKLY PEAR CR 097

6M W CANYON CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1952 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 121

TULLOCK RD

Good

Over: INT BIGHORN I 94 002

1M S BIGHORN, Treasure, MT

Built 1963 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 100

US 12

Good

Over: BIG PORCUPINE CREEK

13M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 2004 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 226

S 43 FH 20

Good

Over: TRAIL CREEK

19M W WISDOM, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1961 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 431

IRR - S 66

Good

Over: LITTLE PEOPLES CREEK

2M NW HAYS, Blaine, MT

Built 2015 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 971

IRR - S 66

Good

Over: LITTLE PEOPLES CREEK

4M NW HAYS, Blaine, MT

Built 2015 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 971

IRR - S 66

Good

Over: LITTLE PEOPLES CREEK

8M NW HAYS, Blaine, MT

Built 2015 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 971

S 83 FH 15

Good

Over: MORRELL CREEK

SEELEY LAKE, Missoula, MT

Built 1950 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 2,580

S 234

Good

Over: SCOTTS COULEE

1M S HAVRE, Hill, MT

Built 1976 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,085

NFSR 314

Good

Over: TROUT CREEK

SPOTTED DOG-TROUT, Powell, MT

Built 2004 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 50

DEMERSVILLE RD

Good

Over: ASHLEY CREEK 004

1M E FOUR CORNERS, Flathead, MT

Built 1999 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 100

FDR 267

Good

Over: CHAMBERLAIN CREEK

0.9 MI E. US89/FDR267 JCT, Cascade, MT

Built 2002 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 50

8TH LN NE

Good

Over: TETON RIVER 049

2M SW COLLINS, Teton, MT

Built 1998 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 100

E REEDER STREET

Good

Over: BLACKTAIL DEER CREEK 131

DILLON-E REEDER ST, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2010 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 1,925

050438: SAUERKRAUT

Good

Over: Sauerkraut Creek

4.5 mi. W of Lincoln MT, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2010 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 5

Showing 3,351-3,400 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.