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

730 RD

Good

Over: BIG NEMAHA N FK TRIB

2.2W 2.5N OF TECUMSEH, Johnson, NE

Built 2020 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

725 RD

Good

Over: YANKEE CREEK TRIB

1 N OF CRAB ORCHARD, Johnson, NE

Built 2017 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: YANKEE CREEK

3S 1.2W OF CRAB ORCHARD, Johnson, NE

Built 2012 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

627 AVE

Good

Over: LONG BRANCH TRIB

1N N62 NEMAHA CL, Johnson, NE

Built 2020 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LOST BRANCH TRIB

2.5E .3S CRAB ORCHARD, Johnson, NE

Built 2010 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

614 AVE

Good

Over: BEATTY CREEK

1.4E 1.8N OF VESTA, Johnson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

2E 1.3N TECUMSEH, Johnson, NE

Built 1990 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

624 AVE.

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK TRIB.

3E .55S TECUMSEH, Johnson, NE

Built 2014 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 70

FAS 3635

Good

Over: STREAM

JCT US136/N50 3E .9N, Johnson, NE

Built 2017 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 70

RD 736

Good

Over: SFK LITTLE NEMAHA R TRIB

1S 1.5W OF COOK, Johnson, NE

Built 2018 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

21 1000 CNTY RD

Good

Over: PHELPS COUNTY CANAL

.3N 1.3W AXTELL, Kearney, NE

Built 2010 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

S 200 CNTY RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

.5W 8N AXTELL, Kearney, NE

Built 2016 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 20

K 100 CNTY RD

Good

Over: PHELPS COUNTY CANAL

1.5W AXTELL, Kearney, NE

Built 2010 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 150

FAS 1840 D 1400

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

JCT N10/N74 7S 1.4E, Kearney, NE

Built 2011 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 95

B 1600 CNTY RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

8.5S 3.2E OF MINDEN, Kearney, NE

Built 2013 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

31ST ROAD

Good

Over: CROOKED CR DRNG DITCH

1W 9.75N OF MINDEN, Kearney, NE

Built 2011 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 150

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NORTH PLATTE RIVER

.5N OF SARBEN, Keith, NE

Built 1986 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7113

Good

Over: STREAM

5S 5E OF DIX CR69, Kimball, NE

Built 1975 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 65

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

2W .7N OF DIX, Kimball, NE

Built 1985 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: STREAM

1S 4.2E DIX, Kimball, NE

Built 1985 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 10

513TH RD

Good

Over: VERDIGRE CREEK MID BR

10.5W 4.4S OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: M BR VERDIGRIS CREEK

8.5W 3.4S OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1996 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

1.7N 1.4E OF VERDIGRE, Knox, NE

Built 1979 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 20

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

.2S .9W OF CENTER, Knox, NE

Built 1991 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: W.B. N.F. ELKHORN RIVER

4W .7S OF WAUSA, Knox, NE

Built 1961 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

4W .2S OF WAUSA, Knox, NE

Built 1966 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 2870

Good

Over: N FK ELKHORN RIVER

JCT N59/N121 2.1E 3N, Knox, NE

Built 1957 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 150

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Good

Over: N FK ELKHORN RIVER

2.5S 6.7E OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 2006 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

S 98TH STREET

Good

Over: STREAM P-174

S 98TH PIONEERS TO VANDOR, Lancaster, NE

Built 2011 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 413

S 141ST STREET

Good

Over: STREAM (R 161)

.5S 1W BENNET, Lancaster, NE

Built 1997 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

W MC KELVIE RD

Good

Over: WEST OAK CREEK (E 29)

3E MALCOLM, Lancaster, NE

Built 1980 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 64

N 14TH ST

Good

Over: LITTLE SALT CREEK (F 88)

JCT I80/I180 .8E 5.3N, Lancaster, NE

Built 2021 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 3,703

PIONERS BL/FAU5204

Good

Over: SALT CREEK (O 175)

SJCT US77/N2 .9W .2S, Lancaster, NE

Built 1993 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 2,590

ALVO RD

Good

Over: CAMP CREEK (H 80)

2S 2.5E OF WAVERLY, Lancaster, NE

Built 1988 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 84

SW 40TH ST

Good

Over: MIDDLE CREEK (L 218)

1.5N OF PIONEERS PARK, Lancaster, NE

Built 2015 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,450

N 98TH ST/FAS 3415

Good

Over: JORDAN CREEK (G 99)

JCT I80/US77 3.5N 3E, Lancaster, NE

Built 1987 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 200

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: CANAL

1.4N 7W NORTH PLATTE, Lincoln, NE

Built 2012 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 80

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: RAIL ROAD

1.2N 7W NORTH PLATTE, Lincoln, NE

Built 2012 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 80

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NORTH PLATTE CANAL

2.5W 5N OF HERSHEY, Lincoln, NE

Built 2011 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: BNSF RR 094-658-U

7S 1W OF SUTHERLAND, Lincoln, NE

Built 1975 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: PRIVATE ROAD

7S .5W SUTHERLAND, Lincoln, NE

Built 1975 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NORTH PLATTE CANAL

2E .4N OF SUTHERLAND, Lincoln, NE

Built 2023 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 100

GUN CLUB RD

Good

Over: PLATTE RIVER OVERFLOW

1.4S 1.4E OF MAXWELL, Lincoln, NE

Built 2014 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 20

538TH AVE

Good

Over: SHELL CREEK TRIB

1.5N 1E OF NEWMAN GROVE, Madison, NE

Built 2021 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: UNION CREEK

2.5N 3E OF NEWMAN GROVE, Madison, NE

Built 2014 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

838TH RD

Good

Over: BATTLE CREEK

1.5S 1W OF BATTLE CREEK, Madison, NE

Built 1981 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 90

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: DRAINAGE WAY

8E NEWMAN GROVE, Madison, NE

Built 2016 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 60

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: UNION CREEK TRIBUTARY

4W 3.5S OF MADISON, Madison, NE

Built 2016 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: DRAINAGE WAY

JCT N32/N121 2N 1.8E, Madison, NE

Built 2007 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

830TH RD

Good

Over: UNION CREEK TRIB

1N 1.5E OF MADISON, Madison, NE

Built 2020 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

Showing 10,151-10,200 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.