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: KEARNEY CANAL

7E .5N OF ELM CREEK, Buffalo, NE

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 3075 CO RD J

Fair

Over: N BR BIG BLUE RIVER

EJCT N15/N92 5W 2.9S, Butler, NE

Built 1970 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 145

COUNTY ROAD 34

Fair

Over: STREAM

1S 3.2W OF DAVID CITY, Butler, NE

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD X

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.2S 4.5E DWIGHT, Butler, NE

Built 1990 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 5

COUNTY ROAD 24 1/2

Fair

Over: STREAM

.3S 2.6W SURPRISE, Butler, NE

Built 1998 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 43

Fair

Over: SKULL CREEK

2N .4W ABIE, Butler, NE

Built 1987 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

CHURCH RD

Fair

Over: PAWNEE CREEK

JCT I80/N63 1S 5.4E, Cass, NE

Built 1957 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 735

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LIME CREEK

1S 1W OF OBERT, Cedar, NE

Built 1955 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

COLL 7329

Fair

Over: NIOBRARA RIVER

1.5N 3.5E OF VALENTINE, Cherry, NE

Built 1970 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 155

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: NIOBRARA RIVER

7.2S 1W OF CODY, Cherry, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 45

FAS 3155

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT N15/N91 5E 7.1S, Colfax, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 55

COLL 7865

Fair

Over: STREAM

.7N 5W OF ALOYS, Cuming, NE

Built 1987 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 90

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

8W .2N OF BANCROFT, Cuming, NE

Built 2003 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.2E 2N OF BEEMER, Cuming, NE

Built 1983 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: CUMING CREEK

4E 3N OF WEST POINT, Cuming, NE

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 60

FAS 1745

Fair

Over: MILBURN-SARGENT CANAL

JCT N2/S-21A 7E 7.5N, Custer, NE

Built 1983 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 105

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: WOOD RIVER

4S 3.7E OCONTO #512A, Custer, NE

Built 1930 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 3564

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT US20/N12 1.8W 1.5S, Dakota, NE

Built 1978 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 45

COUNTY ROAD 424

Fair

Over: FIELD DRAIN

2N 3E OF COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1982 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 110

COUNTY ROAD 430

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

4.5N 3W OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 762

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

5.5N 2.5W OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1988 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 25

FAS 3140

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT US20/N116 3S .2W, Dixon, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 190

COUNTY ROAD 9

Fair

Over: HAMPTON DITCH

RD. 9 BET. R & S N. BR., Dodge, NE

Built 1966 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 75

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: RAWHIDE CREEK

RD. 18 BET. R & S, Dodge, NE

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 125

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: DITCH #8

RD. S BET 25 & 26, Dodge, NE

Built 1960 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 55

F ST; COUNTY RD 49

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.5S .2W OF WATERLOO, Douglas, NE

Built 1932 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 67

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

4W 1.3S SCHICKLEY, Fillmore, NE

Built 1966 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 25

FAS 2380

Fair

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

WJCT US81/N74 10.2W 4S, Fillmore, NE

Built 1971 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 45

COLL 7446

Fair

Over: CENTER CREEK

28 & N 1/2, Franklin, NE

Built 1973 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 120

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.7E 1N OF DEWITT, Gage, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: PIERCE CREEK

4.2E 2N OF PICKRELL, Gage, NE

Built 1983 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 35

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

3W OF FILLEY, Gage, NE

Built 1982 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

FAS 3202

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

.2E OF LIBERTY, Gage, NE

Built 1955 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 115

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: SHAW CREEK

2.5W ADAMS, Gage, NE

Built 2001 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 10

COLL 7477

Fair

Over: MIDAN CANAL

1.9S BURWELL, Garfield, NE

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 130

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LATERAL E-65

1E OF SMITHFIELD, Gosper, NE

Built 1977 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: W BR SPRING CREEK

4.5E 9S OF GREELEY, Greeley, NE

Built 2014 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 85

1-R RD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

3.5N. OF GRAND ISLAND, Hall, NE

Built 1940 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 30

WHITE CLOUD RD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

2.5N OF GRAND ISLAND, Hall, NE

Built 1950 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 40

WOOD RIVER RD

Fair

Over: N CH PLATTE RIVER

2.6S .8W ALDA, Hall, NE

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 40

SCHPVIL RD/COL7549

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

3.7E 4.1S OF CAIRO, Hall, NE

Built 1930 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 165

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3W 8.2S AURORA, Hamilton, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2S .3W HAMPTON, Hamilton, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 40

855TH RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

JCT US281/N95 1N 3.5E, Holt, NE

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 125

PAUL STREET

Fair

Over: STREAM

1W ST PAUL, Howard, NE

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 350

11TH AVE/COLL 7568

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5S .7E FARWELL, Howard, NE

Built 1970 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 20

FAS 3595

Fair

Over: YANKEE CREEK

JCT US136/S-49C 1.4E .8N, Johnson, NE

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 70

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: WESTERN CANAL

3.2S 2.5W OF BRULE, Keith, NE

Built 1961 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 20

FAS 2280

Fair

Over: MERRIMAN CREEK

JCT N14/N59 2.6W, Knox, NE

Built 1934 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 540

IRR/COLL 7662

Fair

Over: STREAM

6N 1W OF BLOOMFIELD, Knox, NE

Built 1986 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 80

Showing 4,001-4,050 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.