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

TAUCK RD

Good

Over: BOX ELDER CREEK 023

21M NE HAMMOND, Carter, MT

Built 2013 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

N FORT SHAW RD

Good

Over: SUN RIVER 063

FORT SHAW, Cascade, MT

Built 1998 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

HUGHESVILLE RD

Good

Over: DRY FORK BELT CREEK 101

5M E MONARCH, Cascade, MT

Built 1962 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

LITTLE WOLF CR RD

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK 145

7M NW WOLF CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2007 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 128

SILVER BUTTE RD

Good

Over: FISHER RIVER 075

18M SE LIBBY, Lincoln, MT

Built 1938 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

SOUTHSIDE RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK 002

5M W SUPERIOR, Mineral, MT

Built 1962 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 293

W FORK RD

Good

Over: W FORK BITTERROOT R 003

9M SW CONNER, Ravalli, MT

Built 2004 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 46

COUNTY ROAD 126

Good

Over: USBR MAIN CANAL 054

1M N SIDNEY, Richland, MT

Built 2013 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 485

MAIN ST

Good

Over: USBR MAIN CANAL 051

EAST EDGE SAVAGE, Richland, MT

Built 1992 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 53

9TH LN NE

Good

Over: MUDDY CREEK 115

4M W POWER, Teton, MT

Built 1982 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 26

2ND LN SE

Good

Over: GREENFIELD CANAL 053

2M SE FAIRFIELD, Teton, MT

Built 1938 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 14

BENDER RD

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK 017

5M SE BILLINGS, Yellowstone, MT

Built 2015 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

SUGAR AVE

Good

Over: SEP I 90 011

BILLINGS, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1966 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 2,026

MAILBOX RD

Good

Over: CROOKED CREEK 088

6M NW SHEPHERD, Yellowstone, MT

Built 2014 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

CHICAGO RD

Good

Over: TWELVE MILE CREEK 093

4M SW SHEPHERD, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1989 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

CLARK RD

Good

Over: CROOKED CREEK 080

2M NE SHEPHERD, Yellowstone, MT

Built 2012 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 100

OLD US 87

Good

Over: PRYOR CREEK 069

8M SE BILLINGS, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1979 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 561

US 2

Good

Over: BATTLE CREEK-N FK MILK R

3M W ZURICH, Blaine, MT

Built 1999 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 2,067

US 93

Good

Over: MCCALLA CREEK

5M N VICTOR, Ravalli, MT

Built 2010 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 12,937

US 12

Good

Over: EAST SPRING COULEE

11M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 2012 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 226

US 12

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

9M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 2012 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 226

S 200

Good

Over: MIDDLE FK DEARBORN RIVER

25M NE LINCOLN, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1993 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,356

US 191

Good

Over: ABANDONED RR

HARLOWTON, Wheatland, MT

Built 1969 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 800

S 200S

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

2 M SE OF LINDSAY, Dawson, MT

Built 1966 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 980

IRR - US 89

Good

Over: KENNEDY CREEK

3M N BABB, Glacier, MT

Built 1976 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 2,203

US 89

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

7M SE CLYDE PARK, Park, MT

Built 1984 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,430

S 72

Good

Over: SILVER TIP CREEK

3M N BELFRY, Carbon, MT

Built 2011 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,722

ROTHIEMAY RD

Good

Over: CARELESS CREEK

5M N RYEGATE, Golden Valley, MT

Built 1967 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 55

S 308

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

RED LODGE, Carbon, MT

Built 2003 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,246

SARPY CREEK RD

Good

Over: TULLOCK CREEK

16M E HARDIN, Big Horn, MT

Built 1968 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 199

S 500

Good

Over: FLATWILLOW CREEK

6M SW MOSBY, Petroleum, MT

Built 1962 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 31

BUFFALO TRAIL RD

Good

Over: CANYON CREEK

9M W BILLINGS, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1968 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 852

SIMMS FAIRFIELD RD

Good

Over: SUN RIVER

SIMMS, Cascade, MT

Built 1983 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 472

BIG SHEEP CR RD C

Good

Over: BIG SHEEP CREEK 134

11.5M SW DELL, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2017 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 175

FOREST ROAD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

FATTY-PIPER CONNECTOR, Lake, MT

Built 1985 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 10

FOREST ROAD

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

NORTH FORK FLATHEAD, Flathead, MT

Built 2000 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 5

THOMPSON CR RD

Good

Over: S FK FISH CREEK

THOMPSON CR FISH CR, Mineral, MT

Built 1999 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 50

COTTONWOOD LK RD

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

COTTONWOOD LAKES, Powell, MT

Built 2007 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 40

HAMILTON HEIGHTS R

Good

Over: BITTERROOT CANAL 057

3M SE CORVALLIS, Ravalli, MT

Built 1992 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 100

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: EAST ROSEBUD CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Carbon, MT

Built 2007 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: PICKET PIN CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 2010 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 40

MILL CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: ANDERSON CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Gallatin, MT

Built 2009 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: PACKER CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mineral, MT

Built 1980 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 50

SAGE RD

Good

Over: BATTLE CREEK 052

15M N CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 2009 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 100

E PARROT CREEK RD

Good

Over: MUSSELSHELL RIVER 012

7M NE ROUNDUP, Musselshell, MT

Built 2016 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 80

HAMILTON ROAD

Good

Over: SMITH CREEK

6M NE BELGRADE, Gallatin, MT

Built 2017 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

CLOPTON LANE

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

7MI E TOWNSEND, Broadwater, MT

Built 2017 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

COUNTY RD 407 (CAR

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

2 M SE TOWNSEND, Broadwater, MT

Built 2018 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

BOZEMAN TRAIL RD

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

2M SE BOZEMAN, Gallatin, MT

Built 2019 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 776

US 87

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

7.125M E HOBSON, Fergus, MT

Built 2021 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 2,202

Showing 3,651-3,700 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.