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

IRR BIA RTE 13

Good

Over: CUT BANK CREEK

6.4 KM N BLACKFEET SCHOOL, Glacier, MT

Built 1966 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 60

IRR BIA RTE 191

Good

Over: FORTY MILE CREEK

AT RED EAGLE CAMPGROUND, Glacier, MT

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 75

S 7

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

1M S WIBAUX, Wibaux, MT

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 759

MARSH CREEK RD

Good

Over: LTL PRICKLY PEAR CR 096

5M W CANYON CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

OLD US 10

Good

Over: BIG DITCH 017

6M W PARK CITY, Stillwater, MT

Built 1955 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,607

IRR BIA RTE 134

Good

Over: LITTLE PEOPLES CREEK

4 KM SE OF HAYS, Blaine, MT

Built 2000 Load: 32.5 t ADT: 100

KEIR LN

Good

Over: SPOKANE CREEK 143

4M SW CANYON FERRY, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2004 Load: 32.5 t ADT: 100

US 89

Good

Over: FOSTER CREEK

1M S BYNUM, Teton, MT

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 579

STEVENS RIDGE TR

Good

Over: STEVENS CREEK 105

4 M SSE NOXON, Sanders, MT

Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

SUN CANYON RD

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK 160

6M NW AUGUSTA, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 199

S VALLEY RD S-509

Good

Over: ODELL CREEK

29M E MONIDA, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 55

RAGGED POINT RD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

6 M N US 12, Musselshell, MT

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 32

S-282 HAAB LANE

Good

Over: PRICKLY PEAR CREEK

3M S MONTANA CITY, Jefferson, MT

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 910

IRR BIA RTE 30

Good

Over: MAIN CANAL

.8 KM E OF PUMP STATION, Valley, MT

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

IRR BIA RTE 4

Good

Over: BIRNEY CREEK

2.9 KM NW OF BIRNEY, Rosebud, MT

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 250

IRR BIA RTE 6

Good

Over: BOX ELDER CREEK

4 KM NW OF ROCKY BOYS, Hill, MT

Built 1992 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 400

IRR BIA RTE 12

Good

Over: MISSION DAM CREEK

3.2KM E OF ST IGNATIUS MT, Lake, MT

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 211

Good

Over: SECOND HAY CREEK 065

4M SW FAIRVIEW, Richland, MT

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

PRYOR MOUNTAIN ROA

Good

Over: BRIDGER CREEK

3M S BRIDGER, Carbon, MT

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CHRISTINA ST W

Good

Over: DOG CREEK

CHRISTINA, Fergus, MT

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

OLD BOULDER ROAD

Good

Over: BOULDER RIVER 029

EAST BIG TIMBER, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

HAMILTON RD

Good

Over: REESE CREEK

8M NE BELGRADE, Gallatin, MT

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

BRENNER LANE

Good

Over: BLOODY DICK CREEK

12 M W GRANT, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

BAIN STREET

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

DENTON-BAIN ST, Fergus, MT

Built 2022 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

Hatchery Facility

Good

Over: Bridger Creek

South of Maint. Buildings, Gallatin, MT

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

ROAD 101

Good

Over: DUVAL COULEE

SECT 34 T22N R24E, Phillips, MT

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 200

AUTO TOUR ROAD

Good

Over: CNL BETW BOWDOIN/DRY LK

SECT 1 E OF BOWDOIN LAKE, Phillips, MT

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

IRR BIA RTE 204

Good

Over: ROSEBUD CREEK

4.8 KM NW OF LAME DEER, Rosebud, MT

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

IRR BIA RTE 209

Good

Over: ROSEBUD CREEK

8.1 KM WEST OF LAME DEER, Big Horn, MT

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

IRR BIA RTE 209

Good

Over: ROSEBUD CREEK

0.4 MILES WEST OF HWY 212, Big Horn, MT

Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

GRAVE CREEK

Good

Over: GRAVE CREEK

GRAVE CREEK, Lincoln, MT

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40

INSIDE NORTH FORK

Good

Over: AKOKALA CREEK

2 Mi. N. of Jct. Hwy. 2 &, Flathead, MT

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

INSIDE NORTH FORK

Good

Over: LOGGING CREEK

2 Mi. N. of Jct. Hwy. 2 &, Flathead, MT

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 75

I 90

Good

Over: INT DREXEL

6.2M E DE BORGIA, Mineral, MT

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,676

I 90

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.2M E SUPERIOR, Mineral, MT

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,776

I 90

Good

Over: GRANT CREEK

RESERVE ST INT MISSOULA, Missoula, MT

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 22,894

I 90

Good

Over: SEP COAL MINE ROAD

MISSOULA, Missoula, MT

Built 1966 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 13,266

I 90

Good

Over: ABANDONED RAILROAD

0.6M E BONNER, Missoula, MT

Built 1964 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,035

I 90 WB

Good

Over: ABANDONED RAILROAD

0.6M E BONNER, Missoula, MT

Built 1964 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,035

I 90

Good

Over: JEFFERSON RIVER

0.6M W THREE FORKS, Gallatin, MT

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,465

I 90

Good

Over: LOWER DEER CREEK

0.6M W GREYCLIFF, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,415

I 90

Good

Over: BERRY CREEK

7.4M E REED POINT, Stillwater, MT

Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,353

I 315 S

Good

Over: FAU 5225-14TH ST SW

GREAT FALLS, Cascade, MT

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,636

OFF RAMP TO 14TH S

Good

Over: RR

GREAT FALLS, Cascade, MT

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,357

CO RD 002 FH 73

Good

Over: WISE RIVER 106

7M S WISE RIVER, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 289

CO RD 002 FH 73

Good

Over: WISE RIVER 105

8M S WISE RIVER, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 289

CO RD 002 FH 73

Good

Over: WISE RIVER 021

10M S WISE RIVER, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 289

CO RD O02 FH 73

Good

Over: WISE RIVER 075

12M S WISE RIVER, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 289

COUNTY ROAD 278

Good

Over: BEAVERHEAD RIVER 124

1.2M S BARRETTS INT, Beaverhead, MT

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 26

BAGAN RD

Good

Over: FORT BELKNAP CANAL 061

4M E CHINOOK, Blaine, MT

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 83

Showing 4,051-4,100 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.