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

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5E OF MADISON, Madison, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 55

COUNTY ROAD 18

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO SILVER CREEK

1.5E 5N CENTRAL CITY, Merrick, NE

Built 1968 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 7

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

2S 2W ARCHER, Merrick, NE

Built 1975 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 60

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.8N 3.3E DUNBAR, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3W OF DOUGLAS, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BIG SLOUGH

6.8N 3.6E DUNBAR, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

.5W 2.3S DOUGLAS, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.3N PALMYRA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY ROAD 12

Fair

Over: OTOE CREEK

2.6S 4.2E OF CEDAR BLUFFS, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD I

Fair

Over: MILLER BRANCH

3.7E 1S OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1960 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD 9

Fair

Over: OTOE CREEK

.5S 2W OF LESHARA, Saunders, NE

Built 1970 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

2S .2W OF STAPLEHURST, Seward, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: M FK MAPLE CREEK

9.7S 3.9E OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 30

ROAD 5600

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.2E 2.7N OF BYRON, Thayer, NE

Built 1957 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY ROAD 812TH

Fair

Over: DANE CREEK

1.2W ORD, Valley, NE

Built 1988 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 10

846TH ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1W N15 STANTON CL, Wayne, NE

Built 1935 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 30

PINE STREET

Fair

Over: STREAM

VALPARAISO PINE @ 1ST, Saunders, NE

Built 1997 Load: 2.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY GRAVEL

Fair

Over: CROOKED CREEK

17395 S. PAWNEE, Adams, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD A

Fair

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER

5S N92 POLK CL, Butler, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 60

COLL 7912

Fair

Over: STREAM

7.5E WEEPING WATER, Cass, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 55

553 AVE

Fair

Over: STREAM

13W OF COLERIDGE, Cedar, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: PERRIN CREEK

1N 1.2W OF LAUREL, Cedar, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 80

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BAKER CREEK TRIBUTARY

2S .3W OF LAUREL, Cedar, NE

Built 1955 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: NIOBRARA RIVER

1N 11E OF VALENTINE, Cherry, NE

Built 1903 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 5

IRR/TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

4W N9 THURSTON CL, Cuming, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 30

W RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK TRIB

9N .3W BEEMER, Cuming, NE

Built 1995 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

S EDGE OF WEST POINT, Cuming, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 25

COLL 7698

Fair

Over: S BR PEBBLE CREEK

3S 3.5W OF ALOYS, Cuming, NE

Built 1986 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 55

FAS 3540

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT N51/N9 5N 1.6W, Cuming, NE

Built 1987 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 70

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

2N OF WISNER, Cuming, NE

Built 1986 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: WILLOW CREEK

JCT US275/N9 2E, Cuming, NE

Built 1989 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: MEDICINE CREEK

1N OF MAYWOOD, Frontier, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

E EDGE OF BEAVER CITY, Furnas, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 100

EAGLE ROAD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

2.2N .5W CUSHING, Howard, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 5

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: VERDIGRE CREEK TRIBUTARY

1S .8E OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1962 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 2

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: CALAMUS RIVER

7.5W 19.7N OF TAYLOR, Loup, NE

Built 1965 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: NORTH LOUP RIVER

7W 4N OF TAYLOR, Loup, NE

Built 1965 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 55

543RD AVE

Fair

Over: UNION CREEK N FK

4N 6E OF NEWMAN GROVE, Madison, NE

Built 1960 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 55

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: UNION CREEK

1.2S 1W OF MADISON, Madison, NE

Built 1996 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 70

COUNTY ROAD 4

Fair

Over: WARM SLOUGH

3W .8S CHAPMAN, Merrick, NE

Built 1967 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1N 1.4E OF BROCK, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 15

ROAD 2700

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

8.5W .2N SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.3W .5S BURR, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK

1.3W 6.2N BURR, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 30

COLL 7816

Fair

Over: STREAM

4N 2.6W DOUGLAS, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 60

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5W 1N BURR, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LORES BRANCH

1.4E 1S OF PAWNEE CITY, Pawnee, NE

Built 1935 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

.3S 7.3W OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1965 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 40

TOWNSHIP ROAD 19

Fair

Over: N FK ROCK CREEK

3.5N 1W OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 1955 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD H

Fair

Over: MILLER BRANCH CREEK

2.7S 2.4W OF WAHOO, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 3.0 t ADT: 40

Showing 51-100 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.