State profile · Near median Poor share

Nebraska 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 Nebraska.

15,398
Public bridges
52.9%
Good condition
7.9%
Poor condition

Nebraska holds 15,398 public highway bridges (#16 of 52 by inventory) with a 7.9% Poor share (#15 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 7.9% 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 38 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

15,398

Public highway bridges in Nebraska

Good Condition

52.9%

8,149 bridges rated 7-9

2.9pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

7.9%

1,217 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

0.4pp vs national avg 7.5%

Nebraska vs national bridge condition

Nebraska - Good condition share 52.9%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Nebraska - Poor-condition share 26.3%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Nebraska 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: Nebraska has 15,398 bridges and a 7.9% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #38 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 (%) NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%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%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%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: Nebraska has 15,398 bridges and a 7.9% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #38 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.

Nebraska 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

15,398 16th of 54 higher than 38 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 Nebraska

The highlighted point is Nebraska: 15,398 bridges and 7.90% in Poor condition, rank #38 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Nebraska on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Oklahoma: 22,917 bridges · 7.70% Poor
  • Alaska: 1,685 bridges · 7.89% Poor
  • Nebraska: 15,398 bridges · 7.90% Poor
  • Massachusetts: 5,295 bridges · 8.88% Poor
  • Missouri: 24,618 bridges · 8.95% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Nebraska

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 15,398 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Nebraska’s inventory

State agency holds 23.1% of the 15,398 public highway bridges filed under Nebraska in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Nebraska’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 20.7% of the 15,398 bridges with a recorded original year in Nebraska. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Nebraska52.9%39.2%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Nebraska (FHWA NBI)

Nebraska 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 Nebraska on the same metric.

OK

Oklahoma

7.70% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$22,917

AK

Alaska

7.89% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,685
Selected

NE

Nebraska

7.90% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$15,398

MA

Massachusetts

8.88% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,295

MO

Missouri

8.95% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,618

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Nebraska

Six lowest-condition bridges in Nebraska, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in Nebraska

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: SICILY CREEK

3.5W OF WYMORE, Gage, NE

Built 1985 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 50

874TH RD

Good

Over: VERDIGRIS CREEK

4.7W 1S WINNETOON, Knox, NE

Built 1982 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: W. BRANCH N. F. ELKHORN

6.1W 3S OF WAUSA, Knox, NE

Built 1975 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE BAZILE CREEK

1.5S 2.1W OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2002 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2E .5N OF HADAR, Pierce, NE

Built 1979 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 35

642 AV-712 / 713 R

Good

Over: STREAM

3.5W VERDON (642-712/713), Richardson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 35

COLL 7668

Good

Over: STREAM

.1W OF WESTERN, Saline, NE

Built 1971 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 115

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

1.9E 4S OF TOBIAS, Saline, NE

Built 1940 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 20

NORTH HIGHLAND RD

Good

Over: NINEMILE CREEK

JCT US26/L-79E 4E 6.2N, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1965 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 260

COUNTY ROAD D

Good

Over: STREAM

5N OF SCOTTSBLUFF, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1985 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 20

COLL 7578

Good

Over: STREAM

4.8S .5E OF HEBRON, Thayer, NE

Built 1973 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 45

COLL 7578

Good

Over: BALLS BRANCH

5.3N 4.9E HUBBELL, Thayer, NE

Built 1977 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

1.7E 3.3N OF DESHLER, Thayer, NE

Built 1973 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 80

IRR/COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: RATTLESNAKE CREEK

1.5N 2.5W OF PENDER, Thurston, NE

Built 1935 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: GERANIUM CANAL

8W 2.8N ORD, Valley, NE

Built 1986 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: GERANIUM CANAL

11.2W 2N ORD, Valley, NE

Built 1986 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: I80

1W YORK INTRCHG, York, NE

Built 1966 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: EAST BOW CREEK

3S 4.5W OF OBERT, Cedar, NE

Built 1997 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 448

Good

Over: WOOD RIVER

2E OF SUMNER, Dawson, NE

Built 1981 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 80

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

RD. G BET. 11 & 12, Dodge, NE

Built 1970 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 100

COLL 7856

Good

Over: FREMONT CUTOFF DITCH

RD. R BET. 14 & 15, Dodge, NE

Built 1964 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 105

FAS 3495

Good

Over: MAPLE CREEK

RD. 20 BET. M & N, Dodge, NE

Built 1967 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 150

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

RD. 16 BET. A & B, Dodge, NE

Built 1973 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

2S FAIRMONT, Fillmore, NE

Built 1935 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

15S 10.7W OF ELWOOD, Gosper, NE

Built 1974 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 30

707TH RD

Good

Over: FRANKLIN CANAL

1.5S .7E REPUBLICAN CITY, Harlan, NE

Built 1985 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 100

W MILL RD

Good

Over: OAK CREEK (F 62)

.5S OF RAYMOND, Lancaster, NE

Built 1989 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 114

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: UNION CREEK

3N 5E OF NEWMAN GROVE, Madison, NE

Built 1972 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: FARMERS IRR. DIST

4.5E 3.6N BAYARD, Morrill, NE

Built 1987 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE NEMAHA RIVER

1.2N TALMAGE, Otoe, NE

Built 1974 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 25

738TH RD

Good

Over: PHELPS CO CANAL

4N .5W OF FUNK, Phelps, NE

Built 2022 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 85

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

1W OF LINDSAY, Platte, NE

Built 1968 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 45

FAS 2875

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK UNION CREEK T

JCT US81/N91 6W 2.1N, Platte, NE

Built 1976 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 205

FAS 2780

Good

Over: LOSEKE CREEK

JCT US81/N22 5.5N 9.6E, Platte, NE

Built 1973 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 170

636 AV-718/719 RD

Good

Over: STREAM

4.5N 2E HUMB(636-718/719), Richardson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 20

705 RD-659 / 660A

Good

Over: STREAM

.7SW RULO (705R-659/660A), Richardson, NE

Built 1940 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 30

COLL 7843

Good

Over: STREAM

2S OF ITHACA, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 220

COUNTY ROAD 26

Good

Over: TRI-STATE CANAL

3.5E OF SCOTTSBLUFF, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1935 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.7W 1S HEBRON, Thayer, NE

Built 1994 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

.5E 1.8N THAYER, York, NE

Built 1965 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 10

US6

Good

Over: BNSF RR 073-005-K

1.1NE OF ASHLAND, Saunders, NE

Built 1990 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 4,920

FAS 1665

Good

Over: REPUBLICAN RIVER

1S EDISON, Furnas, NE

Built 1948 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 250

LOWELL RD

Good

Over: PLATTE RIVER MID CHANNEL

JCCTI80/L-10C 1.7S, Buffalo, NE

Built 1979 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,300

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: BOW CREEK

2E 7.5N OF MAGNET, Cedar, NE

Built 1991 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NORWEGIAN BOW CREEK

2NW OF HARTINGTON, Cedar, NE

Built 1995 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 35

CO RD 6 MI 6109

Good

Over: COW CREEK

1W 6S SIDNEY, Cheyenne, NE

Built 1983 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7552

Good

Over: W FK BIG BLUE RIVER

5N US6 ADAMS CL, Clay, NE

Built 1983 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

3N 9E OF BROKEN BOW #12, Custer, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 750

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

2.2S OF OVERTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1983 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 10

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: SOUTH PEBBLE CREEK

RD. 6 BET. D & E S.BR., Dodge, NE

Built 1971 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 55

Showing 6,251-6,300 of 15,398 bridges

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.

What to do with this

Use Nebraska's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Nebraska 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. Nebraska 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.