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

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

5N 1E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1940 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: WAHOO CREEK

5.2N 1E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 1955 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

ROAD 25

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK TRIB

1.5N 3E OF VALPARAISO, Saunders, NE

Built 2018 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MILLER BRANCH

3W .7N OF SWEDEBURG, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 3410

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

SJCT US77/N92 4E, Saunders, NE

Built 1978 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 165

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

.7N 2.7W OF CERESCO, Saunders, NE

Built 1990 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

COLL 7851

Fair

Over: SAND CREEK

1.5N 3W OF COLON, Saunders, NE

Built 1967 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MILLERS BRANCH

4.1E OF WESTON, Saunders, NE

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: MEMPHIS LAKE

WEST SIDE MEMPHIS LAKE, Saunders, NE

Built 1935 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 65

Y ROAD

Fair

Over: SKULL CREEK

16N N92 BUTLER CL, Saunders, NE

Built 2000 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY ROAD 18

Fair

Over: CEDAR CANYON

3.7S 3W OF GERING, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY ROAD H

Fair

Over: NINEMILE CREEK

1S 3E OF LAKE MINATARE, Scotts Bluff, NE

Built 1935 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

13S US34 YORK CL, Seward, NE

Built 1974 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7744

Fair

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

1.7E OF CORDOVA, Seward, NE

Built 1986 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 90

FAS 2075

Fair

Over: COLE CREEK

WJCT N58/N92 3.2N, Sherman, NE

Built 1978 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 70

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: FARWELL SOUTH CANAL

.9S OF ASHTON, Sherman, NE

Built 1963 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: FARWELL SOUTH CANAL

3E 4.1N OF ROCKVILLE, Sherman, NE

Built 1963 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 20

COLL 7133

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE CANAL

9N OF HENRY, Sioux, NE

Built 1971 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 95

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE CANAL

4N 5E OF HENRY, Sioux, NE

Built 1978 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 15

COLL 7137

Fair

Over: INTERSTATE CANAL

2.7N 7E OF HENRY, Sioux, NE

Built 1972 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 145

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: UNION CREEK

5W 5.5S OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1985 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

5.9W 1S OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1976 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 15

568TH AVE

Fair

Over: PAYNE CREEK

4.6N 2E OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1972 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BUTTERFLY CREEK

1.6S OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1935 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 90

FAS 3070

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT N15/N32 7N .3W, Stanton, NE

Built 1978 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 200

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT US275/N57 7W 3.8N, Stanton, NE

Built 1975 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 725

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: S BR HUMBUG CREEK

7N OF STANTON, Stanton, NE

Built 1988 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 2687

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

0S HEBRON, Thayer, NE

Built 1933 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 1,240

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

2.5W 1.2N BELLEVUE, Thayer, NE

Built 1910 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

.3E 2.8N GILEAD, Thayer, NE

Built 1978 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 20

COLL 7671

Fair

Over: DRY SANDY CREEK

NJCT US81/N4 3E 1.8N, Thayer, NE

Built 1950 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 200

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

3.5E BELVIDERE, Thayer, NE

Built 1974 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 10

FAS 1495

Fair

Over: DISMAL RIVER

JCT N2/S-86A 13S, Thomas, NE

Built 1996 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 15

FAS 1680

Fair

Over: DANE CREEK

WJCT N11/N70 .6N .4W, Valley, NE

Built 1954 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 760

FAS 2075

Fair

Over: SHERMAN RESERVOIR CANAL

JCT N58/N70 6.5W 2.5N, Valley, NE

Built 1960 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 240

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: DANE CREEK

1S 1.5W ORD, Valley, NE

Built 1930 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.8W KENNARD, Washington, NE

Built 1982 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 65

857TH ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5S 3.9W OF CARROLL, Wayne, NE

Built 1974 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.3W 2.2S COWLES, Webster, NE

Built 2003 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2.8W 3.7S WACO, York, NE

Built 1981 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

2.5S 3.4W THAYER, York, NE

Built 1938 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 35

COLL 7327

Fair

Over: MINNECHADUZA CREEK

.7N VALENTINE, Cherry, NE

Built 2014 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 150

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: N FRK PLUM CREEK

2W 6.25S WOOD LAKE, Cherry, NE

Built 1996 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 90

WOODLAND RD

Fair

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

STREETER PARK AURORA, Hamilton, NE

Built 1935 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 50

MAIN ST/FAS 2620

Fair

Over: BAZILE CREEK

BAZILE MILLS MAIN ST, Knox, NE

Built 1974 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 130

RIVER ST/FAS 3265

Fair

Over: BILLS CREEK

BLUE SPRINGS RIVER @ 1ST, Gage, NE

Built 1972 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 255

4TH STREET

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLUE RIVER

HEBRON 4TH @ PARK, Thayer, NE

Built 1935 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 600

N4

Fair

Over: BNSF RR 083-670-V

IN TABLE ROCK, Pawnee, NE

Built 1940 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 1,120

US6/US34

Fair

Over: MEDICINE CREEK

1E CAMBRIDGE, Furnas, NE

Built 1932 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 3,280

US6

Fair

Over: MIDDLE CREEK

0E EMERALD, Lancaster, NE

Built 1954 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 4,215

Showing 3,301-3,350 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.