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

2SW OF MADISON, Madison, NE

Built 1974 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD AA

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

.3S .8W SILVER CREEK, Merrick, NE

Built 1953 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD 24

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

2.6N CLARKS, Merrick, NE

Built 1958 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD J

Fair

Over: WARM SLOUGH

2.3N .3E CHAPMAN, Merrick, NE

Built 1967 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROAD 4

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO WARM SLOUGH

3W .2S CHAPMAN, Merrick, NE

Built 1968 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 4

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

3.3W 3.3N CHAPMAN, Merrick, NE

Built 1950 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD V

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

2W 7.8N CENTRAL CITY, Merrick, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 22

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

2W 5.8N CLARKS, Merrick, NE

Built 1967 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: WOOD RIVER

4.4W 5S CHAPMAN, Merrick, NE

Built 1912 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RD N 355 AV

Fair

Over: SKEDEE CREEK

3W .7N OF GENOA, Nance, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

5E 1.5N OF BELGRADE, Nance, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RD 360TH AV

Fair

Over: TRIB. OF SKEDEE CREEK

2.5W OF GENOA, Nance, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LITTLE MUDDY CREEK

4.5E 9.4S JOHNSON, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

.1NW OF NEMAHA, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: JIVERS CREEK

1.5W 2.2S OF NEMAHA, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: CODINGTON CREEK

.5E .4S OF AUBURN, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 25

723RD RD

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK TRIB

5S .9W OF AUBURN, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

.5N 4.7W OF NEMAHA, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: ORD CREEK

.4E 1.2S OF GLENROCK, Nemaha, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 35

ROAD 2800

Fair

Over: COURTLAND CANAL

7.5W SUPERIOR, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1947 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

FAS 1990 / ROAD D

Fair

Over: COTTONWOOD CREEK

SJCT US136/N14 6.8W 2.5S, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1940 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 100

ROAD P

Fair

Over: STREAM

S EDGE NELSON, Nuckolls, NE

Built 1979 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.2N 2.7E PALMYRA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: HOOPER CREEK

4N PALMYRA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK

2W 4.5S UNADILLA, Otoe, NE

Built 1983 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: RUSSELL CREEK

2W 1S UNADILLA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.3S 1.3W PALMYRA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: GOOSE CREEK

4.8N 1.9E DUNBAR, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: OWL CREEK

4N 4.8W SYRACUSE, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

.7S .3W UNADILLA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: S FK LITTLE NEMAHA RIVER

7S 4.3E SYRACUSE, Otoe, NE

Built 1915 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: HOOPER CREEK

.7E 3.4N PALMYRA, Otoe, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

2.7E 7.9S OF BURCHARDD, Pawnee, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 20

COLL 7891

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.7E .9S OF BURCHARD, Pawnee, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 40

556 AVE

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.5N 6E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE

Built 1914 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

552 AVE

Fair

Over: YANKTON SLOUGH

4N 2E OF PIERCE, Pierce, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

720 RD-630/631 AV

Fair

Over: STREAM

1E N105NEM CL(720-630631), Richardson, NE

Built 1953 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 20

705 RD-637/639BLVD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

5.5S 2W DAW(705-637/639B), Richardson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 35

ACCESS ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

@ FC COUNTY SHOP( .1E FC), Richardson, NE

Built 1953 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 80

717 RD-643 / 644 A

Fair

Over: HOOSIER CREEK

.5SE STELLA(717-643/644), Richardson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 35

706 LANE

Fair

Over: STREAM

4W FALLS CITY (706 LANE), Richardson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 20

646 AV-711 / 712 R

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK

73/75 6.5E.6S(646-711712), Richardson, NE

Built 1953 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 100

704 RD

Fair

Over: WILDCAT CREEK

75/N8 2S7.3E(704-647/648), Richardson, NE

Built 1968 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 30

638 AV-716 / 717 R

Fair

Over: WHISKEY RUN

4.5W1.5S STEL(638-716717), Richardson, NE

Built 1975 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1.5W 4S OF FRIEND, Saline, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

.2E 6S OF FRIEND, Saline, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 10

BUFFALO RD

Fair

Over: SPRINGFIELD CREEK

2S SPRINGFIELD, Sarpy, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 85

BUFFALO RD

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

2.3S SPRINGFIELD, Sarpy, NE

Built 1935 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 85

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5S 1.6E OF MORSE BLUFF, Saunders, NE

Built 1968 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 125

COUNTY ROAD 24

Fair

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1.5N 4E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1970 Load: 5.0 t ADT: 60

Showing 251-300 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.