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

SR 3267

Good

Over: E. FORK TWELVEMILE CREEK

0.1 MI. S. JCT. SR-3266, Union, NC

Built 2020 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

US158 BUS.

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

0.5 MI. W. JCT. SR1110, Vance, NC

Built 1993 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 3,100

SR1613

Good

Over: CRABTREE CREEK

0.2MI.S.SR3014, Wake, NC

Built 1997 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 31,000

NC98

Good

Over: HORSE MUD CREEK

0.1 MI.E JCT SR1922, Wake, NC

Built 1980 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 20,500

SR1911

Good

Over: BRANCH OF NEW LIGHT CREE

0.1 MI. S. JCT. SR1914, Wake, NC

Built 2001 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 500

SR2049

Good

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

1.0 MI. W. JCT. SR2228, Wake, NC

Built 1979 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 3,700

SR1640

Good

Over: PRONG STIRRUP IRON CREEK

0.2 MI. S. JCT. SR1641, Wake, NC

Built 1985 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 600

SR1187

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.5MI.S.JCT.SR1163, Wake, NC

Built 1993 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 810

SR2328

Good

Over: HOMINY CREEK

0.8 MI.E.SR2300, Wake, NC

Built 1985 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 390

CARROUSEL LANE

Good

Over: COLES BRANCH

200W.JCT.MADISON AVE., Wake, NC

Built 1987 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 300

SR3977

Good

Over: SWIFT CREEK

.7 MI.W.OF SR1300, Wake, NC

Built 1988 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 23,500

MACKENAN DRIVE

Good

Over: WILLIAMS CREEK

.02MI.N.JCT.OLD RALEIGH R, Wake, NC

Built 1990 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 500

FOREST PARKWAY

Good

Over: STRAIGHT BRANCH

225 S.JCT.DUNCAN HILL CT, Wake, NC

Built 1988 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 500

I540

Good

Over: LITTLE BRIAR CREEK OVERF

0.5 MI. E. JCT. SR1644, Wake, NC

Built 1996 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 85,000

I540

Good

Over: LITTLE BRIAR CRK.

0.68 MI.W.JCT.SR1644, Wake, NC

Built 1996 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 85,000

CAMBRIDGE RD

Good

Over: SW BEAVER DAM BR

150 S OF LAKE BOONE TRL, Wake, NC

Built 2011 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

I540

Good

Over: PERRY CREEK

.6 MI. E. OF SR2012, Wake, NC

Built 2003 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 65,500

NC98

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

0.6 MI. E. JCT. US1A, Wake, NC

Built 2006 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 29,000

I-540

Good

Over: TRIB.LOWER BARTON CREEK

0.5 MI. E. JCT. SR3350, Wake, NC

Built 2001 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 83,000

NC540

Good

Over: KIT CREEK

0.7 MI.E. JCT NC55, Wake, NC

Built 2007 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 46,500

I-540

Good

Over: CREEK

.7 MI.E.JCT.TRI.TOWN BLVD, Wake, NC

Built 2007 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 29,500

LOUIS STEVENS DR.

Good

Over: HATCHET GROVE TRIBUTARY

.2MI.S.JCT.MORRISVILLE PW, Wake, NC

Built 2008 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 7,700

DENMARK MANOR DR.

Good

Over: PERENNIAL STREAM

.04 E.SUFFOLK GREEN, Wake, NC

Built 2010 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 900

ROSEBERRY WAY

Good

Over: CREEK

0.1 MI.N.OPTIMIST FARM RD, Wake, NC

Built 2007 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

CABARRUS ST.

Good

Over: RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTE

20 EAST OF MCDOWELL ST, Wake, NC

Built 2006 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

CARY GLEN BLVD.

Good

Over: MORRIS BRANCH

.25 MI.S.JCT.MCCRIMMON PK, Wake, NC

Built 2019 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

LANTERN RIDGE LN.

Good

Over: CREEK

400 FT.E.JCT.GROGANS MILL, Wake, NC

Built 2019 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

SR1632

Good

Over: KIT CREEK

0.1 MI. N. JCT. NC540, Wake, NC

Built 2009 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

SR5083

Good

Over: S. LAKE BR.

0.4 MI W SR1387 W LAKE RD, Wake, NC

Built 2022 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

SR3590

Good

Over: LOWER BARTON CREEK

0.1 MI. E. JCT. SR3594, Wake, NC

Built 2020 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

SR1504

Good

Over: TRIB. OF WALKERS CR.

0.5 MI.W. OF JCT.SR1507, Warren, NC

Built 1999 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 110

SR1156

Good

Over: MOUNTAIN CANAL

0.5 MI. N. OF JCT. SR1165, Washington, NC

Built 1995 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 170

NC105

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

.2 MI.S.JCT.SR1151, Watauga, NC

Built 1960 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 13,000

SR1571

Good

Over: REEDY BRANCH

0.3 MI. E. JCT. SR1556, Wayne, NC

Built 2003 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 4,000

SR1215

Good

Over: HORSE BRANCH CREEK

0.4MI. N. JCT. US13, Wayne, NC

Built 2018 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 270

SR1340

Good

Over: NAHUNTA SWAMP

0.3MI.N.JCT.SR1353, Wayne, NC

Built 1998 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 80

SR1001

Good

Over: UT TO ROCK CREEK

.3 MI.S.JCT.SR2479, Wilkes, NC

Built 1983 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

SR2303

Good

Over: WEST SWAN CREEK

.5 MI.S.JCT.SR2309, Wilkes, NC

Built 1988 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 660

SR2325

Good

Over: BRIER CREEK

.5 MI.N.JCT.SR2326, Wilkes, NC

Built 1990 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 80

SR1715

Good

Over: BEE TREE BRANCH

.2 MI.N.JCT.SR1703, Wilkes, NC

Built 2007 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 140

SR1114

Good

Over: W.PRONG MORAVIAN CREEK

1 MI.S.JCT.SR1115, Wilkes, NC

Built 2001 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 450

SR1300

Good

Over: JONES CREEK

.1 MI.E.JCT.SR1354, Wilkes, NC

Built 1985 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 470

SR2310

Good

Over: UT TO SWAN CREEK

.1 MI.S.JCT.SR2309, Wilkes, NC

Built 2018 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 40

SR1561

Good

Over: BUMGARNER BRANCH

.6 MI.N.JCT.NC16, Wilkes, NC

Built 2014 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 100

SR1112

Good

Over: S.PALM MORAVIAN FALLS CR

1.2 MI.W.JCT.SR1110, Wilkes, NC

Built 2014 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 90

SR1428

Good

Over: CATTAIL BRANCH

0.5 MI. E. JCT. SR1430, Wilson, NC

Built 1993 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 410

SR1645

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.2 MI. E. JCT. SR1644, Wilson, NC

Built 2020 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 640

SR1537

Good

Over: GOSS SWAMP

0.3 MI. E. OF SR1507, Wilson, NC

Built 1990 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 350

SR1123

Good

Over: LITTLE CREEK

0.4 MI N NC42, Wilson, NC

Built 1991 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 310

SR1432

Good

Over: BRANCH OF TOWN CREEK

0.5 MI. E. JCT. SR1433, Wilson, NC

Built 1960 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 590

Showing 17,851-17,900 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.