State profile · Near median Poor share

South 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 South Carolina.

9,490
Public bridges
38.9%
Good condition
6.2%
Poor condition

South Carolina holds 9,490 public highway bridges (#26 of 52 by inventory) with a 6.17% Poor share (#25 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 6.2% 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 28 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

9,490

Public highway bridges in South Carolina

Good Condition

38.9%

3,690 bridges rated 7-9

-11.1pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

6.2%

586 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-1.3pp vs national avg 7.5%

South Carolina vs national bridge condition

South Carolina - Good condition share 38.9%
National avg

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

South Carolina - Poor-condition share 20.6%
National avg

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

South 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: South Carolina has 9,490 bridges and a 6.2% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #28 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 (%) SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%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%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%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: South Carolina has 9,490 bridges and a 6.2% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #28 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.

South 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

9,490 26th of 54 higher than 28 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 South Carolina

The highlighted point is South Carolina: 9,490 bridges and 6.17% in Poor condition, rank #28 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below South Carolina on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • New Jersey: 6,827 bridges · 6.01% Poor
  • Mississippi: 16,739 bridges · 6.03% Poor
  • South Carolina: 9,490 bridges · 6.17% Poor
  • Wyoming: 3,136 bridges · 6.51% Poor
  • Wisconsin: 14,446 bridges · 6.52% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in South Carolina

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 9,490 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains South Carolina’s inventory

State agency holds 89.2% of the 9,490 public highway bridges filed under South Carolina in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When South Carolina’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 13.0% of the 9,490 bridges with a recorded original year in South Carolina. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

South Carolina38.9%54.9%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - South Carolina (FHWA NBI)

Counties (46)

Abbeville 163 Aiken 198 Allendale 69 Anderson 463 Bamberg 80 Barnwell 76 Beaufort 72 Berkeley 216 Calhoun 64 Charleston 336 Cherokee 199 Chester 190 Chesterfield 199 Clarendon 170 Colleton 231 Darlington 174 Dillon 128 Dorchester 198 Edgefield 124 Fairfield 139 Florence 277 Georgetown 113 Greenville 635 Greenwood 144 Hampton 113 Horry 479 Jasper 129 Kershaw 174 Lancaster 181 Laurens 259 Lee 91 Lexington 229 Marion 112 Marlboro 96 McCormick 68 Newberry 218 Oconee 215 Orangeburg 273 Pickens 291 Richland 361 Saluda 125 Spartanburg 638 Sumter 166 Union 131 Williamsburg 195 York 288

South 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 South Carolina on the same metric.

NJ

New Jersey

6.01% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$6,827

MS

Mississippi

6.03% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$16,739
Selected

SC

South Carolina

6.17% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$9,490

WY

Wyoming

6.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,136

WI

Wisconsin

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

Bridges Needing Most Attention in South Carolina

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

C-42-1024

Poor

Over: PACOLET RIVER

1.0 MI NW OF CAMPOBELLO, Spartanburg, SC

Built 1932 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 275

C-4-3791

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD

1.0 MI S WILLIAMSTON, Anderson, SC

Built 1950 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 175

C-28-250

Poor

Over: LITTLE FLAT ROCK CK

13MI W OF CAMDEN, Kershaw, SC

Built 1950 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 200

S-41-164

Poor

Over: BR OF LITTLE SALUDA RV

5.5 MI NE OF SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1952 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 25

C-11-92

Poor

Over: GILKEY CREEK

6.7 MI SE GAFFNEY, Cherokee, SC

Built 1954 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 125

C-11-331

Poor

Over: ABINGTON CREEK

8.8 MI SE GAFFNEY, Cherokee, SC

Built 1954 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 275

All Bridges in South Carolina

S-38-640

Poor

Over: TRIB TO FOUR HOLE SWAMP

4MI SE HOLLY HILL, Orangeburg, SC

Built 1968 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 50

S-26-911

Poor

Over: KINGSTON LAKE

5 MI S OF LORIS, Horry, SC

Built 1974 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 300

S-2-22

Poor

Over: SOUTH EDISTO RIVER #1

5.0 MI W SALLEY, Aiken, SC

Built 1953 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 600

S-2-357

Poor

Over: NORTH EDISTO RIVER 1/2 L

5.0 MI N WAGNER, Aiken, SC

Built 1954 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 550

S-5-75

Poor

Over: COLSTON BRANCH

4MI N EHRHARDT, Bamberg, SC

Built 1954 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 150

S-30-344

Poor

Over: BANKS CREEK

15.5 MI SW CLINTON, Laurens, SC

Built 1955 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,100

S-41-98

Poor

Over: HALFWAY SWAMP CREEK

10.3MI NW SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1955 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 375

SC 3

Poor

Over: WATCHCAW CREEK

13 MI SW OF ALLENDALE, Allendale, SC

Built 1957 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 950

S-23-189

Poor

Over: REEDY RIVER

CITY GREENVILLE CLEVELAND, Greenville, SC

Built 1959 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 9,000

S-9-151

Poor

Over: BUCK HEAD CREEK

9 MI NE ST MATHEWS, Calhoun, SC

Built 1960 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 125

S-5-47

Poor

Over: LITTLE SALKEHATCHIE RIVE

4.5M SW DENMARK, Bamberg, SC

Built 1961 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 450

S-3-331

Poor

Over: JACKSON CREEK

2MI NW SYCAMORE, Allendale, SC

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 125

S-6-150

Poor

Over: TOBY CREEK

3 MI S BLACKVILLE, Barnwell, SC

Built 1969 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 175

S-37-207

Poor

Over: CLEVELAND CREEK

11.2 MI S SENECA, Oconee, SC

Built 1970 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 275

S-41-432

Poor

Over: RICHLAND BR

4.9MI SE SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1972 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 50

S-45-33

Poor

Over: MILL BRANCH

2.0 MI NW HEBRON, Williamsburg, SC

Built 1972 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,350

S-26-569

Poor

Over: BR OF LOUSING SWP

6.0 MI NE AYNOR, Horry, SC

Built 1975 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,050

S-42-974

Poor

Over: MEADOW CREEK

3.0 MI SE INMAN, Spartanburg, SC

Built 1960 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 2,700

S-5-12

Poor

Over: LEMON SWAMP

4.5MI SW BAMBERG, Bamberg, SC

Built 1955 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 175

S-44-18

Poor

Over: PADGETTS CREEK

9.4 MI SW UNION, Union, SC

Built 1955 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 225

S-30-19

Poor

Over: CANE CREEK

11.6MI S LAURENS, Laurens, SC

Built 1957 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,000

S-4-294

Poor

Over: WILSONS CREEK

2.7MI SE IVA, Anderson, SC

Built 1958 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 75

S-29-245

Poor

Over: CAMP CREEK

5.1MI NW HEATH SPRINGS, Lancaster, SC

Built 1958 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 300

S-30-95

Poor

Over: SOUTH DURBIN CREEK

4.9 MI NW GRAY COURT, Laurens, SC

Built 1960 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 225

S-38-690

Poor

Over: ROBERTS SWAMP

6 MI E NORWAY, Orangeburg, SC

Built 1960 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 175

S-25-17

Poor

Over: BROADWATER CREEK

2MI NW YEMASSEE, Hampton, SC

Built 1962 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 275

S-6-38

Poor

Over: WHALEY BRANCH

6.5 MI N BLACKVILLE, Barnwell, SC

Built 1963 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 100

S-14-307

Poor

Over: BROADWAY BRANCH

8MI N SUMMERTON, Clarendon, SC

Built 1964 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 400

S-31-228

Poor

Over: BLACK RIVER

7 MI S OF BISHOPVILLE, Lee, SC

Built 1965 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 125

S-23-565

Poor

Over: TRIB TO REEDY RIVER

8.4 MI SW FOUNTAIN INN, Greenville, SC

Built 1966 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 600

SC 188

Poor

Over: LAKE KEOWEE (CANE CK)

4.0 MI N OF SENECA, Oconee, SC

Built 1969 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 6,800

S-41-571

Poor

Over: BR TO INDIAN CREEK

9.1MI NE SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 150

US 29

Poor

Over: LITTLE THICKETTY CREEK

7.2 MI W OF GAFFNEY, Cherokee, SC

Built 1929 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 6,800

S-3-66

Poor

Over: LOWER THREE RUN CREEK

3MI W MARTIN, Allendale, SC

Built 1950 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-39-159

Poor

Over: PRATERS CREEK

4.0 MI NE SIX MILE, Pickens, SC

Built 1954 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 275

S-14-56

Poor

Over: TAWCAW CREEK

2MI SE SUMMERTON, Clarendon, SC

Built 1956 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 650

S-23-42

Poor

Over: N SALUDA RIVER SPILLWAY

11.7MI N TRAVELERS REST, Greenville, SC

Built 1956 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 50

S-38-77

Poor

Over: LITTLE LIMESTONE CREEK

9MI NW ORANGEBURG, Orangeburg, SC

Built 1956 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 250

S-24-178

Poor

Over: BR BIG CURL TAIL CK

3.0MI W GREENWOOD, Greenwood, SC

Built 1957 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 1,450

S-6-167

Poor

Over: BUCK CREEK

5 MI NW BARNWELL, Barnwell, SC

Built 1959 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-3-88

Poor

Over: BENTLEY BRANCH

8MI NW ALLENDALE, Allendale, SC

Built 1961 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-3-241

Poor

Over: MILLER CREEK

2.5MI NE SYCAMORE, Allendale, SC

Built 1961 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-25-17

Poor

Over: UNNAMED

6MI NW YEMASSEE, Hampton, SC

Built 1962 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 275

S-14-307

Poor

Over: SAMMY SWAMP

8MI N SUMMERTON, Clarendon, SC

Built 1964 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 400

S-30-415

Poor

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

4.2 MI NE GRAY COURT, Laurens, SC

Built 1964 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 150

S-23-941

Poor

Over: I-385

1.8 MI NE MAULDIN, Greenville, SC

Built 1980 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 8,400

S-30-43

Poor

Over: BR TO LITTLE RIVER

2.8 MI SE LAURENS, Laurens, SC

Built 1984 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 950

S-2-809

Poor

Over: BIG HORSE CREEK

AT GRANITVILLE, Aiken, SC

Built 1950 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 1,650

S-30-107

Poor

Over: REEDY CREEK

4.2 MI NW GRAY COURT, Laurens, SC

Built 1956 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 125

S-23-40

Poor

Over: SALUDA OVERFLOW

8.0MI NW TRAVELERS REST, Greenville, SC

Built 1957 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 650

Showing 9,201-9,250 of 9,490 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 South Carolina's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in South 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. South 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.