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

SNOW SHOE CR RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BLACKFOOT R 017

3M E AVON, Powell, MT

Built 2001 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 46

AIRPORT RD

Good

Over: FERRIS DITCH

2M E BELGRADE, Gallatin, MT

Built 2022 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 3,662

NFSR

Good

Over: SMITH CREEK

CONDON, Missoula, MT

Built 2010 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 40

FOREST ROAD

Good

Over: PIPER CREEK

PIPER CREEK ROAD, Lake, MT

Built 2015 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 40

FOREST ROAD

Good

Over: NICOLA CREEK

UPPER BIG CREEK AREA, Flathead, MT

Built 2004 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 40

RD 231

Good

Over: LIBBY CR

LIBBY CR, Lincoln, MT

Built 1984 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 99

COTTONWOOD CR RD

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK 140

9M SW LEWISTOWN, Fergus, MT

Built 2013 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 45

COTTONWOOD CUTOFF

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK 025

6M SW LEWISTOWN, Fergus, MT

Built 2012 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 100

N SANDIN RANCH LN

Good

Over: MIDDLE FORK ROCK CR 032

15M SW PHILLIPSBURG, Granite, MT

Built 2004 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 273

01017: CROOKED CRE

Good

Over: Gypsum Creek

9 mi N of Cowley WY, Carbon, MT

Built 2010 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 25

FOREST ROAD

Good

Over: UPPER TWIN CR

CABLE CAR SLIDE AREA, Flathead, MT

Built 1965 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 120

ROUTE 4106

Good

Over: THEODORE

NO DATA ENTERED, Powell, MT

Built 2015 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 40

QUARTZ CREEK RD

Good

Over: BIG FOOT CREEK

BIG FOOT CREEK, Lincoln, MT

Built 2015 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 40

FDR 109

Good

Over: S FK TETON RIVER

3.5 MI. SW OF JCT 144/109, Teton, MT

Built 1965 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 99

NFSR 274

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

SPRING CREEK 2, Meagher, MT

Built 1996 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: MCCORMICK CR

MCCORMICK CR, Missoula, MT

Built 1973 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 40

QUAINTANCE LN

Good

Over: BOULDER DITCH 029

13M SE BOULDER, Jefferson, MT

Built 2010 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 100

EKBLAD ROAD

Good

Over: HOT SPRINGS CREEK 101

NE HOT SPRINGS, Sanders, MT

Built 2010 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 100

FLATHEAD PASS RD

Good

Over: FLATHEAD CREEK

5M W SEDAN, Gallatin, MT

Built 2017 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 26

FLICK LANE

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

SHERIDAN, Madison, MT

Built 2016 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

2ND ROAD SW

Good

Over: BIG COULEE

5M SW FAIRFIELD, Teton, MT

Built 2019 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

STASSO ROAD

Good

Over: PABLO CANAL 37A4

5 MILES SOUTH OF POLSON, Lake, MT

Built 2020 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

INGERSOLL CREEK RO

Good

Over: W ROSEBUD CREEK

10M SW ABSAROKEE, Stillwater, MT

Built 2019 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

FOREST GROVE RD

Good

Over: S FORK MCDONALD CR

6M SW GRASSRANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 2021 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 146

I 90

Good

Over: INT DE BORGIA

DE BORGIA, Mineral, MT

Built 1976 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 3,676

I 90

Good

Over: INT DE BORGIA

DE BORGIA, Mineral, MT

Built 1976 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 3,676

BANNACK BENCH RD

Good

Over: GRASSHOPPER CREEK 009

BANNACK, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2012 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

BACK LOOP RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER 023

1M N WYOLA, Big Horn, MT

Built 1986 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

ZURICH RD

Good

Over: MILK RIVER 033

S ZURICH, Blaine, MT

Built 1993 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

SIMMS CASCADE RD

Good

Over: FORT SHAW CANAL 041

2M SW SIMMS, Cascade, MT

Built 1938 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

FRENCH LN

Good

Over: POPLAR RIVER 009

4M NW SCOBEY, Daniels, MT

Built 2003 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 99

GOLDENSTEIN LN

Good

Over: SOURDOUGH CREEK 053

1M S BOZEMAN, Gallatin, MT

Built 1982 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

MT 38-SKALKAHO RD

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK 013

10M W PORTERS CORNER, Granite, MT

Built 1989 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 273

BRIDGE ST

Good

Over: MISSOURI RIVER 062

CRAIG, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2006 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 773

MOFFAT RD

Good

Over: MARIAS RIVER 011

17M S CHESTER, Liberty, MT

Built 1995 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

UPPER FORD RD

Good

Over: YAAK RIVER 152

6M N YAAK, Lincoln, MT

Built 1995 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

OLD SHELBY RD

Good

Over: DRY FK MARIAS RIVER 013

3M NE CONRAD, Pondera, MT

Built 1970 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 60

N OLD STAGE RD

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK 078

5M NW DEER LODGE, Powell, MT

Built 2007 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

GREEN MOUNTAIN RD

Good

Over: SWAMP CREEK 030

5M N TROUT CREEK, Sanders, MT

Built 1986 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

BIG GULCH RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BITTERROOT RIV018

9 M SE HOT SPRINGS, Sanders, MT

Built 2014 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 100

US 89

Good

Over: RR

VAUGHN, Cascade, MT

Built 2002 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 5,533

US 89

Good

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK

BYNUM, Teton, MT

Built 2010 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 570

US 212

Good

Over: YELLOWSTONE RIVER

1M S LAUREL, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1997 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 12,460

US 93 FH 19

Good

Over: FERN CREEK

1M S DARBY, Ravalli, MT

Built 1990 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 3,081

US 12

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

8M NW FORSYTH, Rosebud, MT

Built 2012 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 226

US 87-ROUNDUP RD

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

2M N BILLINGS, Yellowstone, MT

Built 1977 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 5,986

US 191

Good

Over: LEBO CREEK

7M S HARLOWTON, Wheatland, MT

Built 2014 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 702

S 3

Good

Over: PAINTED ROBE CREEK

6M S LAVINA, Golden Valley, MT

Built 1993 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 1,847

US 87

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

1M W STANFORD, Judith Basin, MT

Built 1993 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 2,230

US 89 FH 32

Good

Over: BELT CREEK

3M S BELT, Cascade, MT

Built 1968 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 702

Showing 3,851-3,900 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.