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

CANYON FERRY RD

Good

Over: HELENA VALLEY CANAL

9M NE EAST HELENA, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2010 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,580

CABIN CREEK RD

Good

Over: CABIN CREEK

19M SE FALLON, Prairie, MT

Built 1988 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 27

CABLE MTN CAMPGROU

Good

Over: N FK FLINT CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Granite, MT

Built 2015 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 40

RD 535

Good

Over: PL. VALLEY FISHER RIVER

SW END OF LOON LAKE, Lincoln, MT

Built 1982 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 40

WOLVERENE CR ROAD

Good

Over: WIGWAM CR

WIGWAM CR, Lincoln, MT

Built 1981 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 50

I 15

Good

Over: SILVERBOW CREEK-RR

1.2M W BUTTE, Silver Bow, MT

Built 2018 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 6,807

N FOUR BUTTES RD

Good

Over: BUTTE CREEK 012

1M N FOUR BUTTES, Daniels, MT

Built 2017 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 100

US 12

Good

Over: HOME CREEK

5M NE MELSTONE, Rosebud, MT

Built 2019 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 240

SILVERBOW LANE

Good

Over: BEAVERHEAD RIVER

8 M W SHERIDAN, Madison, MT

Built 2020 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 35

S 327

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY CREEK

3M SE BAINVILLE, Roosevelt, MT

Built 2020 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 280

HOWLETT ROAD

Good

Over: CROW CREEK

3 M SW RONAN, Lake, MT

Built 2021 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 100

EDWARDS ROAD

Good

Over: E FORK BITTERROOT RIVER

SULA, Ravalli, MT

Built 2021 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 100

I 15

Good

Over: BOULDER RIVER

4.3M S BASIN, Jefferson, MT

Built 1985 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 1,571

I 90

Good

Over: JEFFERSON RIVER

0.6M W THREE FORKS, Gallatin, MT

Built 1968 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 8,465

BLACK BEAR RD

Good

Over: TROUT CREEK 141

YORK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 2000 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 100

PETTY CREEK RD

Good

Over: PETTY CREEK 038

5M S ALBERTON, Missoula, MT

Built 1990 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 388

US 93

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS

11M N WYE INT, Missoula, MT

Built 2009 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 8,184

US 93

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS

1M SE POLSON, Lake, MT

Built 2006 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 7,781

US 93

Good

Over: WILDLIFE UNDERPASS

3M N STEVENSVILLE, Ravalli, MT

Built 2005 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 11,080

US 287

Good

Over: MADISON RIVER OVERFLOW

SE ENNIS, Madison, MT

Built 2001 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 4,210

US 12

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

14M E TOWNSEND, Broadwater, MT

Built 2015 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 707

US 212 FH 59

Good

Over: WEST FORK ROCK CREEK

1M S RED LODGE, Carbon, MT

Built 1980 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 1,068

S 19

Good

Over: LITTLE BOX ELDER CREEK

9M N GRASS RANGE, Fergus, MT

Built 1962 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 586

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Ravalli, MT

Built 2003 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 40

DERBY GULCH ROAD

Good

Over: WEST BRIDGER CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Sweet Grass, MT

Built 2007 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 40

ROAD 227

Good

Over: KADING CREEK

NEAR KADING CREEK CG, Powell, MT

Built 2011 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: SAVENAC CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mineral, MT

Built 2009 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 50

BIMAT LN

Good

Over: RED ROCK RIVER 037

2M N DELL, Beaverhead, MT

Built 2018 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 29

IRR - US 89

Good

Over: LAKE CREEK

1M N KIOWA, Glacier, MT

Built 2018 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 830

HORSE RANCH ROAD

Good

Over: ARMELLS CREEK

3.9 miles north of Irish, Cascade, MT

Built 2017 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 20

I 15

Good

Over: INT SEIBEN

10M S WOLF CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1962 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 2,383

I 15

Good

Over: INT SEIBEN

10M S WOLF CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1962 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 2,383

BUTTERFLY LAKE LN

Good

Over: BBWA CANAL 196

BILLINGS-BUTTERFLY LAKE L, Yellowstone, MT

Built 2004 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 100

IRR - US 2

Good

Over: RR

2M SE BROWNING, Glacier, MT

Built 1997 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 3,608

US 89

Good

Over: JENSEN COULEE

3M SE DUPUYER, Pondera, MT

Built 2006 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 485

US 287

Good

Over: MADISON RIVER OVERFLOW

SE ENNIS, Madison, MT

Built 2001 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 4,210

US 87

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

7M SW LEWISTOWN, Fergus, MT

Built 2009 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 2,443

EASTSIDE HWY

Good

Over: IRRIGATION CANAL

CORVALLIS-EASTSIDE HWY, Ravalli, MT

Built 1997 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 4,267

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: HELLS CANYON CREEK

UPPER END OF HELLS CANYON, Jefferson, MT

Built 1998 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 50

IRR BIA RTE 6

Good

Over: LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER

AT CROW AGENCY, Big Horn, MT

Built 1999 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,000

FRANCES HEIGHTS RD

Good

Over: CANAL 034

3M W VALIER, Pondera, MT

Built 2020 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 100

I 15

Good

Over: SEP LYONS CREEK ROAD

6M S WOLF CREEK, Lewis and Clark, MT

Built 1964 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 2,522

I 90

Good

Over: CAMP CREEK

1.9M E MANHATTAN, Gallatin, MT

Built 1965 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 9,601

BLACK JACK RD

Good

Over: SAGE CREEK 001

14M E WHITLASH, Liberty, MT

Built 2006 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 100

LKOUT PSS SKI AREA

Good

Over: INT LKOUT PASS-I 90 004

9M W SALTESE, Mineral, MT

Built 1973 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 100

BRIDGE STREET

Good

Over: BELT CREEK 012

BELT-BRIDGE STREET, Cascade, MT

Built 2012 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,640

CLAGETT ST

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK 081

DEER LODGE-CLAGETT ST, Powell, MT

Built 2007 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 100

FOURTH ST

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK 080

DEER LODGE-4TH ST, Powell, MT

Built 2007 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 100

US 2

Good

Over: SWAMP CREEK

23M NW HAPPY`S INN, Lincoln, MT

Built 2013 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,597

S 19

Good

Over: NORTH FORK BEAR CREEK

11M SE ROY, Fergus, MT

Built 1960 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 473

Showing 4,651-4,700 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.