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

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

.5W 1.9S OF DAYKIN, Jefferson, NE

Built 1984 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 25

FAS 3665

Good

Over: N FK BIG NEMAHA RIVER

JCT N41/N50 6W .3S, Johnson, NE

Built 1976 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 205

607 RD

Good

Over: LAFLINS BRANCH

1.5NW OF CRAB ORCHARD, Johnson, NE

Built 2018 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: N BR VERDIGRIS CREEK

.7W 1.4S OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1985 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 45

COLL 7655

Good

Over: STREAM

3.4N OF WINNETOON, Knox, NE

Built 2000 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 70

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

4.2E 1.2S BAZILE MILLS, Knox, NE

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

4.5S 3.5W OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2008 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

AGNEW RD

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK TRIB (B147)

JCT US77/S-55E 2N 3.5E, Lancaster, NE

Built 2019 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 72

NW 84TH ST

Good

Over: WEST OAK CREEK (E 117)

JCT US34/ HWY79 2W 2.2 N, Lancaster, NE

Built 2018 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 72

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: MEDICINE CREEK

4.5W 2.7N OF WELLFLEET, Lincoln, NE

Built 1996 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: MEDICINE CREEK

.25 S WELLFLEET, Lincoln, NE

Built 2001 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 1475

Good

Over: WEST BIRDWOOD CREEK

JCT US30/N25 2.5W 14.5N, Lincoln, NE

Built 2000 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 65

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: HIGGINS BRANCH

.5W 3.4S OF JULIAN, Nemaha, NE

Built 2023 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 25

3RD RD

Good

Over: HOOPER CREEK

2W 3.5N PALMYRA, Otoe, NE

Built 1998 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: S FK LITTLE NEMAHA RIVER

1E .5S DOUGLAS, Otoe, NE

Built 1997 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

4E 1N OF TARNOV, Platte, NE

Built 1990 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CHERRY CREEK

6.2W 1S PLATTE CENTER, Platte, NE

Built 1993 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

637 AV-SOUTH 708TR

Good

Over: S FK BIG NEMAHA RIVER

2.5W2.7S DAW(637A-S708TR), Richardson, NE

Built 1979 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

637 AV-710 / 712 R

Good

Over: N FK BIG NEMAHA RIVER

2.5W1S DAW (637-710/712), Richardson, NE

Built 1981 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

.1W 2S OF FRIEND, Saline, NE

Built 1987 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 20

ROAD 700

Good

Over: N FK SWAN CREEK TRIB

4E 5.5N OF TOBIAS, Saline, NE

Built 2018 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 25

COLL 7751

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

3E 2.5S OF FRIEND, Saline, NE

Built 1982 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

.5W 4N WILBER, Saline, NE

Built 2007 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

6.3S OF DORCHESTER, Saline, NE

Built 2017 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 90

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SQUAW CREEK

.2E .7S OF DORCHESTER, Saline, NE

Built 1935 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

.75E .9N SWANTON, Saline, NE

Built 2007 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

.7W 3.2S OF FRIEND, Saline, NE

Built 1985 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 10

ROAD S

Good

Over: DUCK CREEK

.5N 2.5E OF PRAGUE, Saunders, NE

Built 2022 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

ROAD 26

Good

Over: WAHOO CREEK N FK

3.6 W OF MALMO, Saunders, NE

Built 2019 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROAD H

Good

Over: STREAM

1.6E OF ITHACA, Saunders, NE

Built 2023 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 110

COUNTY ROAD 9

Good

Over: MITCHELL-GERING CANAL

1S 5W OF MITCHELL, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1991 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

SUGAR FACTORY ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT US26/N71 2E 8.3N, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 335

COUNTY ROAD S

Good

Over: BAYARD DRAIN

2N 2.7E OF MCGREW, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 2010 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 1060 HIGHLAND

Good

Over: WINTERS CREEK

JCT N71/N92 1.5E 2.5N, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1969 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 3,660

COLL 7215

Good

Over: LARRABEE CREEK

NE/SD LINE &N87 4.5S 2.1E, Sheridan, NE

Built 1979 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 55

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: OAK CREEK

2.2S 1W OF LITCHFIELD, Sherman, NE

Built 1999 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 2065

Good

Over: DAVIS CREEK

EJCT N58/N92 8E 8.8N, Sherman, NE

Built 1977 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 75

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: FARWELL MAIN CANAL

3.9N OF ASHTON, Sherman, NE

Built 1963 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

COLL 7666

Good

Over: STREAM

EJCT US81/US136 1.4N 4.9E, Thayer, NE

Built 1988 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 35

IRR/COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NORTH BLACKBIRD CREEK

2S 3.5E OF WINNEBAGO, Thurston, NE

Built 1995 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 25

IRR/FAS 3550

Good

Over: MIDDLE CREEK

JCT N9/S-87A 1.8E, Thurston, NE

Built 1950 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 115

FAS 3825

Good

Over: BELL CREEK

JCT US30/N31 6.7W 2.9N, Washington, NE

Built 1964 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 135

ROAD 20

Good

Over: BROWN CREEK

1N 1.2E FONTANELLE, Washington, NE

Built 2021 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

FAS 2690

Good

Over: GALLAWAY CREEK

JCT I80/US81 5.5S .6W, York, NE

Built 1984 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 475

FAS 2680

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

JCT I80/L-93B 7.6S 3E, York, NE

Built 2023 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 120

N4

Good

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

3E DAVENPORT, Thayer, NE

Built 1962 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 600

N7

Good

Over: NORTH LOUP RIVER

1N BREWSTER, Blaine, NE

Built 1963 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 415

N14/N70

Good

Over: BNSF RR

14N NELIGH, Antelope, NE

Built 1936 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,475

US20

Good

Over: NORTH LOGAN CREEK TRIB

7NE LAUREL, Cedar, NE

Built 2018 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 2,015

US20

Good

Over: WILLIS CREEK

4W JACKSON, Dakota, NE

Built 1954 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 2,640

Showing 9,001-9,050 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.