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 ROAD 19

Fair

Over: CEDAR CANYON DRAIN

2.5S 2W OF GERING, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 60

JENKINS ROAD

Fair

Over: HIGH LINE CANAL

1.2NW OF LAKE MINATARE, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

1SW OF BEE, Seward, NE

Built 1972 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

12.5S 2.2E OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1976 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.5W 3.3N CHESTER, Thayer, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1N 4.8E HEBRON, Thayer, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 30

600 AVE @ 842.8

Fair

Over: STREAM

5W 2N US77 BURT CL, Thurston, NE

Built 2000 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 45

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: NEW YORK CREEK

.7S .2E HERMAN, Washington, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 15

852ND RD.

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT N16/N35 4.0S 1.7E, Wayne, NE

Built 1971 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 90

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: W FK BIG BLUE RIVER

3W LUSHTON, York, NE

Built 1940 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

2.5S .2W GRESHAM, York, NE

Built 1972 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2N .3E THAYER, York, NE

Built 1940 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO TURKEY CREE

.2W OF PAWNEE CITY, Pawnee, NE

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 60

FRONTAGE/OLD 20

Fair

Over: NIOBRARA RIVER

3SE VALENTINE, Cherry, NE

Built 1931 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: I80

1E AURORA INTRCHG, Hamilton, NE

Built 1966 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 30

US83

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

3SW MAYWOOD, Frontier, NE

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,745

N89

Fair

Over: STREAM

4W DANBURY, Red Willow, NE

Built 1958 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 580

SKYLINE DRIVE

Fair

Over: SL28B/W DODGE RD

IN ELKORN, Douglas, NE

Built 2002 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 900

S13D NEHAWKA SPUR

Fair

Over: N BR WEEPING WATER CREEK

0S NEHAWKA, Cass, NE

Built 1948 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 405

AK-SAR-BEN ACCESS

Fair

Over: LITTLE PAPIO CREEK

WOOLWORTH AVE @ 69TH ST, Douglas, NE

Built 1961 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,000

County Road 728

Fair

Over: Medicine Creek Spillway

7.2 MI NW of Cambridge, Frontier, NE

Built 1949 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 170

County Road 44B

Fair

Over: Trenton Dam Spillway

2.7 mi W of Trenton, Hitchcock, NE

Built 1953 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 293

FAS 2580

Fair

Over: AL HOPKINS CREEK

JCT US275/N45 1.9N, Antelope, NE

Built 1976 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 345

516TH ROAD

Fair

Over: ELKHORN RIVER OVERFLOW

.5N OF CLEARWATER, Antelope, NE

Built 1965 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 255

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: BELMAR CREEK

.6E OF NELIGH, Antelope, NE

Built 1977 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 38

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2.5W 2N OF ALBION, Boone, NE

Built 1975 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.7N ALBION, Boone, NE

Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 30

FAS 3530

Fair

Over: LOGAN CREEK

JCT US77/N51 1.8W 4.6S, Burt, NE

Built 1982 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 455

FAS 3530

Fair

Over: ELM CREEK

JCT US73/N51 3.8S 3.2E, Burt, NE

Built 1948 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 225

COLL 7862

Fair

Over: BELL CREEK

2.7S 1W CRAIG, Burt, NE

Built 1973 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD 40

Fair

Over: STREAM

.7S 1.8W ABIE, Butler, NE

Built 1978 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 15

262ND RD

Fair

Over: CALLAHAN CREEK TRIB

4.5E 2.2N OF GREENWOOD, Cass, NE

Built 1974 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 210

CHURCH RD

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

JCT N1/N50 3N 3.8E, Cass, NE

Built 1964 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 3340

Fair

Over: SOUTH CEDAR CREEK

JCT N50/S-13K 4.5E, Cass, NE

Built 1960 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 230

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

11W N50 OTOE CL, Cass, NE

Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: FOUNTAIN CREEK

2S OF SOUTH BEND, Cass, NE

Built 1982 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

7.5S 2.2W OF FORDYCE, Cedar, NE

Built 1972 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1W 4S OF LAUREL, Cedar, NE

Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 45

COLL 7206

Fair

Over: NIOBRARA RIVER

13S 15W OF MERRIMAN, Cherry, NE

Built 1984 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

12.1S OF CLARKSON, Colfax, NE

Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: PEBBLE CREEK

.5S OF ALOYS, Cuming, NE

Built 1985 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 55

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1W 8.5S OF WISNER, Cuming, NE

Built 1995 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 60

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: COFFEE CREEK

5S 2W OF WEST POINT, Cuming, NE

Built 1991 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 80

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

4W OF WEST POINT, Cuming, NE

Built 1983 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7698

Fair

Over: S BR PEBBLE CREEK

SJCT US275/N32 3S 6.4W, Cuming, NE

Built 1989 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 105

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

2N 4.2W OF WISNER, Cuming, NE

Built 1986 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

5.2N 1E OF WISNER, Cuming, NE

Built 1935 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 85

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

2E 4.2N OF WISNER, Cuming, NE

Built 1989 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 55

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1S 2W OF WEST POINT, Cuming, NE

Built 1992 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 65

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: WOOD RIVER

2.5S 3.2E OCONTO #511A, Custer, NE

Built 1930 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 20

Showing 2,001-2,050 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.