State profile · Near median Poor share

North Carolina 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 North Carolina.

19,210
Public bridges
43.8%
Good condition
6.8%
Poor condition

North Carolina holds 19,210 public highway bridges (#12 of 52 by inventory) with a 6.76% Poor share (#21 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 6.8% 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 32 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

19,210

Public highway bridges in North Carolina

Good Condition

43.8%

8,421 bridges rated 7-9

-6.2pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

6.8%

1,298 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-0.8pp vs national avg 7.5%

North Carolina vs national bridge condition

North Carolina - Good condition share 43.8%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

North Carolina - Poor-condition share 22.5%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

North Carolina 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: North Carolina has 19,210 bridges and a 6.8% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #32 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 (%) NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%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%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%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%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: North Carolina has 19,210 bridges and a 6.8% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #32 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.

North Carolina 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

19,210 12th of 54 higher than 42 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 North Carolina

The highlighted point is North Carolina: 19,210 bridges and 6.76% in Poor condition, rank #32 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below North Carolina on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Wisconsin: 14,446 bridges · 6.52% Poor
  • Hawaii: 1,195 bridges · 6.53% Poor
  • North Carolina: 19,210 bridges · 6.76% Poor
  • Montana: 5,224 bridges · 6.81% Poor
  • Kentucky: 14,548 bridges · 7.37% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in North Carolina

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 19,210 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains North Carolina’s inventory

State agency holds 92.6% of the 19,210 public highway bridges filed under North Carolina in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When North Carolina’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 5.0% of the 19,210 bridges with a recorded original year in North Carolina. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

North Carolina43.8%49.4%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - North Carolina (FHWA NBI)

Counties (100)

Alamance 244 Alexander 107 Alleghany 117 Anson 169 Ashe 247 Avery 108 Beaufort 154 Bertie 95 Bladen 123 Brunswick 166 Buncombe 555 Burke 231 Cabarrus 236 Caldwell 201 Camden 28 Carteret 55 Caswell 90 Catawba 236 Chatham 241 Cherokee 163 Chowan 38 Clay 63 Cleveland 270 Columbus 226 Craven 147 Cumberland 348 Currituck 22 Dare 40 Davidson 340 Davie 93 Duplin 208 Durham 314 Edgecombe 147 Forsyth 454 Franklin 118 Gaston 232 Gates 41 Graham 94 Granville 149 Greene 62 Guilford 736 Halifax 158 Harnett 134 Haywood 286 Henderson 245 Hertford 58 Hoke 136 Hyde 75 Iredell 335 Jackson 234 Johnston 318 Jones 82 Lee 98 Lenoir 145 Lincoln 169 Macon 223 Madison 244 Martin 124 McDowell 235 Mecklenburg 746 Mitchell 127 Montgomery 151 Moore 178 Nash 260 New Hanover 123 Northampton 83 Onslow 172 Orange 189 Pamlico 45 Pasquotank 54 Pender 112 Perquimans 39 Person 106 Pitt 228 Polk 127 Randolph 401 Richmond 154 Robeson 285 Rockingham 229 Rowan 245 Rutherford 298 Sampson 196 Scotland 101 Stanly 163 Stokes 150 Surry 308 Swain 129 Transylvania 162 Tyrrell 28 Union 353 Vance 75 Wake 760 Warren 84 Washington 59 Watauga 200 Wayne 208 Wilkes 349 Wilson 195 Yadkin 168 Yancey 163

North Carolina 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 North Carolina on the same metric.

WI

Wisconsin

6.52% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,446

HI

Hawaii

6.53% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,195
Selected

NC

North Carolina

6.76% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,210

MT

Montana

6.81% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,224

KY

Kentucky

7.37% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,548

Bridges Needing Most Attention in North Carolina

Six lowest-condition bridges in North Carolina, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

SR1216

Poor

Over: WEST FORK PIGEON RIVER

100 FT.E.JCT.NC215, Haywood, NC

Built 1920 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 30

TSALI ENOLA ROAD

Poor

Over: SOCO CREEK

TSALI ENOLA ROAD, Swain, NC

Built 1960 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 10

HORNBUCKLE CREEKRD

Poor

Over: HORNBUCKLE CREEK

389 HORNBUCKLE CREEK ROAD, Swain, NC

Built 1950 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 5

SR1630

Poor

Over: KIT CREEK

1.8MI.N.JCT.NC55, Wake, NC

Built 1975 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 12,500

SR1340

Poor

Over: NORTH FORK NEW RIVER

.1 MI.N.JCT.NC88, Ashe, NC

Built 1977 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 500

SR1323

Poor

Over: CANAL

0.05 MI.N.JCT.1300, Tyrrell, NC

Built 1961 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 650

All Bridges in North Carolina

IRR BIA RTE 653

Good

Over: WRIGHTS CREEK

3.8KM E OF CHEROKEE NC, Jackson, NC

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

NFSR 81

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

5.9 MI. FROM SR 1127, Graham, NC

Built 1999 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Good

Over: RAVINE

2.54 MILES FROM U.S. ROUT, Avery, NC

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,397

STRAIGHT FORK ROAD

Good

Over: STRAIGHT FORK

Near end of 2-way portion, Swain, NC

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 180

MOTSU ACCESS RD

Good

Over: GOVERNORS CREEK

2.5 MI E OF SR 87, Brunswick, NC

Built 2020 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

FB 13

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

PU 681 921, Hoke, NC

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2

FIREBREAK 31

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE GG1 (W), Hoke, NC

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 34

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE GG1 (W), Hoke, NC

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 4

Good

Over: MCDUFFIE CREEK

RANGE I12 (W), Hoke, NC

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 24

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE CC1 (SW) AREA, Hoke, NC

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 28

Good

Over: SILVER RUN

RANGE BB1 (E) AREA, Hoke, NC

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 39

Good

Over: TUCKAHOE CREEK

RANGE X1 (W) AREA, Hoke, NC

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 19

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

RANGE R (N), Hoke, NC

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 26

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE CC1 (S), Hoke, NC

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 14

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE GG2 (W), Hoke, NC

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 23

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE CC1 (SW), Hoke, NC

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 27

Good

Over: PINEY BOTTOM CREEK

RANGE CC1 (E), Hoke, NC

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 6

Good

Over: ROCKFISH CREEK

RANGE BB2 (W), Hoke, NC

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

MORGANTON RD

Good

Over: PINEY BOTTOM CREEK

RANGE CC2 (S), Hoke, NC

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

FIREBREAK 6

Good

Over: NICHOLSON CREEK

PU 632 836, Hoke, NC

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

MSR TO AIRFIELD

Good

Over: STREAM TO MOSS GILL LAKE

PU 383 778, Scotland, NC

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

MAIN ENTRANCE ROAD

Good

Over: DROWNING CREEK

PU 405 789, Moore, NC

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 500

MSR TO DROP ZONE

Good

Over: LITTLE MUDDY LAKE

PU 400 773, Scotland, NC

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

SR2424

Good

Over: I40 & I85

0.34 MI. S. JCT. NC87, Alamance, NC

Built 1991 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 7,500

NORTH NINTH ST.

Good

Over: PERENNIAL STREAM

.6 MI.N.JCT.US70, Alamance, NC

Built 2008 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 1,500

SR1153

Good

Over: MIDDLE LITTLE RIVER

50 FT. W. JCT. SR1266, Alexander, NC

Built 1981 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 1,000

US52 & NC742

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.15 MI. N. JCT. US742, Anson, NC

Built 1993 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 6,200

SR1166

Good

Over: HORSE CREEK

1.4 MI.N.JCT.SR1186, Avery, NC

Built 2011 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 310

US17S.BYP

Good

Over: US264

0.7 MI.S.OF JCT.US17 BUS., Beaufort, NC

Built 2010 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 3,200

US17N.BYP

Good

Over: SR1306

0.2 MI.S.JCT.US17 BUS., Beaufort, NC

Built 2010 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 3,200

US17S BYPASS

Good

Over: SR1306(W 15TH ST)

0.2 MI.S.JCT.US17 BUS, Beaufort, NC

Built 2010 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 3,200

SR1336

Good

Over: BAKERS CREEK

1.0 MI. N. JCT. NC87, Bladen, NC

Built 2017 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 1,800

SR1324

Good

Over: BRANCH OF ELLIS CREEK

0.1 MI. E. JCT. SR1323, Bladen, NC

Built 2000 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 210

SR2105

Good

Over: REEMS CREEK

.01 MI.S.JCT.SR1003, Buncombe, NC

Built 2010 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 100

I-40 WBL

Good

Over: WINERY ROAD

1.6 MI.E.JCT.NC191, Buncombe, NC

Built 1967 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 25,500

SR2788

Good

Over: GLADE CREEK

.6 MI.E.JCT.NC9, Buncombe, NC

Built 2016 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 100

SR3408

Good

Over: FRENCH BROAD RIVER

0.01 MI.E.JCT.SR1338, Buncombe, NC

Built 1987 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 2,500

NC191

Good

Over: HOMINY CRK. SR3620

04 MI.N.JCT.I40, Buncombe, NC

Built 2001 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 17,000

SR1147

Good

Over: LITTLE SILVER CREEK

.05 MI.S.JCT.SR1148, Burke, NC

Built 1996 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 750

SR1931

Good

Over: E PRONG HUNTING CREEK

.1 MI.W.JCT.SR1887, Burke, NC

Built 2019 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 1,700

SR1514

Good

Over: SMOKY CREEK

.8 MI.S.JCT.SR1513, Burke, NC

Built 1963 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 80

SR1421

Good

Over: WILSON CREEK

0.15 MI.S.JCT.SR1419, Burke, NC

Built 2013 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 680

SR2114

Good

Over: LAKE CONCORD

0.4 MI. W. JCT. SR2198, Cabarrus, NC

Built 1987 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 8,000

NC49 SBL

Good

Over: LITTLE COLD WATER CREEK

0.4 MI. S. JCT. SR2636, Cabarrus, NC

Built 2006 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 7,750

NC49

Good

Over: COLD WATER CREEK

0.4 MI. S. JCT. SR2652, Cabarrus, NC

Built 2005 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 6,500

SR1502

Good

Over: FIELD BRANCH

.5 MI.W.JCT.SR1503, Caldwell, NC

Built 2017 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 700

SR1134

Good

Over: SMOKY CREEK

.5 MI.W.JCT.SR1141, Caldwell, NC

Built 2000 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 1,800

SR1316

Good

Over: BR. OF CULLIE CREEK

0.4 MI.W. OFJCT.SR1300, Carteret, NC

Built 1995 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 120

SR1008

Good

Over: JACOBS FORK RIVER

0.5 MI. S. JCT. SR1143, Catawba, NC

Built 1999 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 3,300

SR1598

Good

Over: NOTTELY RIVER

.2 MI.N.JCT.SR1597, Cherokee, NC

Built 1980 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 300

Showing 10,601-10,650 of 19,210 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
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.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What to do with this

Use North Carolina's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in North Carolina 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. North Carolina 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.