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: NIEMAN DITCH

JCT US30/N15 1W 1N, Colfax, NE

Built 1999 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

FAS 3040

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT US30/N15 9N 1.6W, Colfax, NE

Built 1975 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: EHERNBERGER DRAINAGE

.2SW OF SCHUYLER, Colfax, NE

Built 1995 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 155

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3E 6.2S OF LEIGH, Colfax, NE

Built 2012 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 45

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.75 E WISNER, Cuming, NE

Built 2010 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 90

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1N 4W OF WEST POINT, Cuming, NE

Built 1982 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 15

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1.5S 20W OF OCONTO #439, Custer, NE

Built 1940 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

COLL 7397

Fair

Over: STREAM

15W OF OCONTO NO. 425, Custer, NE

Built 1988 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SOUTH LOUP RIVER

2.5S 14E OF OCONTO #593, Custer, NE

Built 1990 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 5

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

17E 3S OF OCONTO #508A, Custer, NE

Built 1989 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: DEAD MANS CANYON

3.5N 6E BROKEN BOW #134, Custer, NE

Built 1987 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

FAS 1855

Fair

Over: PLATTE RIVER

JCT I80/L-24B .7S, Dawson, NE

Built 1977 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,335

CO RD 766/FAS 1630

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

JCT US30/N47 .3N 12E, Dawson, NE

Built 1992 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

ROAD 758

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.5N 1W LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 429

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1N 8E OF COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1983 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 430

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

3N 3W OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1985 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 762

Fair

Over: FARMERS/MERCHANTS CANAL

5.5N 3.9W LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1983 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 20

RD 762

Fair

Over: FARMERS/MERCHANTS CANAL

5.5N 2.2W OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1987 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 760

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

3.5N .7W OF LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1985 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD 760

Fair

Over: FRENCH CREEK

3.5N LEXINGTON, Dawson, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD 423

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.5E 5.5N OF COZAD, Dawson, NE

Built 1992 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

CO RD 36.3

Fair

Over: STREAM

CO STATELINE, Deuel, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTRY ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

.3M W OF 276TH STREET, Douglas, NE

Built 1927 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 81

WEST MAPLE ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1SW VALLEY, Douglas, NE

Built 1985 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 197

WEST MAPLE ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1SW VALLEY, Douglas, NE

Built 1985 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 197

PACIFIC STREET

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.5S 3W OF WATERLOO, Douglas, NE

Built 1987 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 213

ORCHARD AVE

Fair

Over: BOXELDER CREEK TRIB

.02E OF 196TH ON ORCHARD, Douglas, NE

Built 2005 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 500

L STREET

Fair

Over: BOXELDER CREEK TRIB

.1E OF 194 AVE ON L ST, Douglas, NE

Built 2004 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 500

L STREET

Fair

Over: BOXELDER CREEK TRIB

.1 E OF 194TH AVE ON L ST, Douglas, NE

Built 2004 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 500

CALHOUN RD/COL7965

Fair

Over: PONCA CREEK

NR CALHOUN RD & PONC RD, Douglas, NE

Built 1984 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,094

228TH ST/COLL 7941

Fair

Over: DITCH

.5E 1.2N OF WATERLOO, Douglas, NE

Built 2012 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 904

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

1S 1.9W SHICKLEY, Fillmore, NE

Built 1935 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

21 1/4 & I, Franklin, NE

Built 1975 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: THOMPSON CREEK

W AND 30, Franklin, NE

Built 1994 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 45

FAS 1575

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5S MEDICINE CR DAM, Frontier, NE

Built 1974 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 225

COLL 7811

Fair

Over: STREAM

4W 3N OF ODELL, Gage, NE

Built 1995 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

FAS 3240

Fair

Over: STREAM

JCT US77/S-34D 3S 3.8E, Gage, NE

Built 1995 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 135

51 RD

Fair

Over: BIG BLUE RIVER TRIB

.5E HOLMSVILLE, Gage, NE

Built 2001 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 275

LOCUST ROAD

Fair

Over: BLOODY RUN

4.5S OF FILLEY, Gage, NE

Built 2011 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 25

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5N 4.5W BARNESTON, Gage, NE

Built 1995 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 10

TOWNSHIP ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.5N 4.2E OF BEATRICE, Gage, NE

Built 1995 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 15

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

5E 2.5S OF SCOTIA, Greeley, NE

Built 1920 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 40

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: FREEMAN CREEK

3S 3.5E OF SPALDING, Greeley, NE

Built 1930 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 35

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: STREAM

3S 3E OF GREELEY, Greeley, NE

Built 1976 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 15

CAPTITAL AVE

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

3.5S 1E OF CAIRO, Hall, NE

Built 1972 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

FAS 2225 ALDA RD

Fair

Over: M CH PLATTE RIVER

JCT I80/L-40C 1.3S, Hall, NE

Built 1988 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 790

90TH ROAD

Fair

Over: N CH PLATTE RIVER

4E OF WOOD RIVER, Hall, NE

Built 2010 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

MONITOR RD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

4W 2N OF GRAND ISLAND, Hall, NE

Built 2004 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 95

FAS 2420

Fair

Over: N BR BIG BLUE RIVER

JCT US34/N14 5N 1.7E, Hamilton, NE

Built 1987 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 65

FAS 1425

Fair

Over: FRENCHMAN CREEK

JCT US6/S-43A .6S .2E, Hayes, NE

Built 1981 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 85

Showing 4,501-4,550 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.