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-24-456

Fair

Over: BR TO HARD LABOR CK

6.3MI SW GREENWOOD, Greenwood, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-24-456

Fair

Over: BR OF HARD LABOR CK

6.2MI SW GREENWOOD, Greenwood, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-28-651

Fair

Over: HORSE HEAD BRANCH

2 MI NW OF LUGOFF, Kershaw, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 550

S-28-652

Fair

Over: BR GRANNIES QUARTER CK

12 MI N OF CAMDEN, Kershaw, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 100

C-32-3555

Fair

Over: SENN BRANCH

5 MI NW OF COLUMBIA, Lexington, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 150

S-36-172

Fair

Over: BR OF ROCKY CREEK

16.3 MI SE NEWBERRY, Newberry, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 400

S-38-117

Fair

Over: TRIB TO BETTY BR

1.5MI S ROWESVILLE, Orangeburg, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-41-380

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

9.0 MI NE SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1970 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 75

S-3-39

Fair

Over: JACKSON BRANCH

3MI N ALLENDALE, Allendale, SC

Built 1971 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 100

S-14-463

Fair

Over: HUNGRY HALL BRANCH

7MI NW SUMMERTON, Clarendon, SC

Built 1971 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-30-659

Fair

Over: BR OF CAMPBELL CK.

10.2 MI SW CLINTON, Laurens, SC

Built 1971 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 550

S-30-660

Fair

Over: WARRIOR CREEK

4.1 MI E GRAY COURT, Laurens, SC

Built 1971 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 150

S-36-217

Fair

Over: REBECCA

IN WHITMIRE, Newberry, SC

Built 1971 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 150

S-6-65

Fair

Over: SPUR BRANCH

3.5 MI NE WILLISTON, Barnwell, SC

Built 1972 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 325

S-41-342

Fair

Over: SALEM BR

4.6MI SW SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1972 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-46-1461

Fair

Over: WRIGHTS CREEK

4.7 MI N MCCONNELLS, York, SC

Built 1972 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 250

S-6-632

Fair

Over: GALL BRANCH

8.5 MI E BARNWELL, Barnwell, SC

Built 1973 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 50

S-18-71/COWTAIL RD

Fair

Over: COWTAIL CREEK

3.5 MI SW ST GEORGE, Dorchester, SC

Built 1973 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 250

S-18-668

Fair

Over: TRIB TO INDIAN FIELD SWP

5 MI E ST GEORGE, Dorchester, SC

Built 1974 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 500

S-19-18

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

2.5 MI W JOHNSTON, Edgefield, SC

Built 1973 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 325

S-30-703

Fair

Over: BR TO ENOREE RIVER

5.3 MI NE GRAY COURT, Laurens, SC

Built 1973 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 150

S-8-787

Fair

Over: CATON CREEK

8 MI SW MONCKS CORNER, Berkeley, SC

Built 1974 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 350

S-25-543

Fair

Over: TRIB BRIAR CREEK

9 MI S HAMPTON, Hampton, SC

Built 1974 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-27-277

Fair

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

14.5 MI W RIDGELAND, Jasper, SC

Built 1974 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-6-38

Fair

Over: WINDY HILL CREEK

6.5 MI N BARNWELL, Barnwell, SC

Built 1975 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 225

S-24-489

Fair

Over: BR TO CORONACA CR

7.1MI NW GREENWOOD, Greenwood, SC

Built 1975 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 75

S-32-638

Fair

Over: FOURTEEN MILE CREEK

1 MI NW OF LEXINGTON, Lexington, SC

Built 1975 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 2,000

S-32-1310

Fair

Over: ROCKY BRANCH

2 MI W OF CHAPIN, Lexington, SC

Built 1975 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 425

S-38-1263

Fair

Over: COOPER SWAMP

9MI SW ORANGEBURG, Orangeburg, SC

Built 1975 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-11-42

Fair

Over: THICKETTY CREEK

3.6MI SW GAFFNEY, Cherokee, SC

Built 1976 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 550

S-24-456

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

7.2MI SW GREENWOOD, Greenwood, SC

Built 1976 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 125

S-41-375

Fair

Over: TRIB TO LAKE MURRAY

8.0MI E SALUDA, Saluda, SC

Built 1976 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 75

S-471/HARLEY RD

Fair

Over: POLK SWAMP

4.2 MI W ST GEORGE, Dorchester, SC

Built 1977 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 400

S-30-19

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK FORK

11.5 MI S LAURENS, Laurens, SC

Built 1977 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 1,000

S-30-671

Fair

Over: BR TO S. DURBIN CK

15.9 MI NW LAURENS, Laurens, SC

Built 1977 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 275

S-6-39

Fair

Over: BENTLEYS BRANCH

8 MI S BARNWELL, Barnwell, SC

Built 1978 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 100

SC 412

Fair

Over: WEEMS CREEK

9.3 MI SW OF ANDERSON, Anderson, SC

Built 1979 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 300

S-40-2480

Fair

Over: BR OF WATEREE CREEK

4 MI NW OF BALLENTINE, Richland, SC

Built 1979 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 800

S-37-148

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

TOWN OF WALHALLA, Oconee, SC

Built 1980 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 1,150

S-39-137

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

1.5 MI E OF SIX MILE, Pickens, SC

Built 1982 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 1,800

S-43-50

Fair

Over: TEARCOAT BRANCH

7 MI SE OF SUMTER, Sumter, SC

Built 1987 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 700

C-22-744

Fair

Over: TRIB TO N SANTEE RIVER

16 MI SW GEORGETOWN, Georgetown, SC

Built 1990 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 225

US 221

Fair

Over: WARRIOR CREEK

8.3 MI NE OF LAURENS, Laurens, SC

Built 1929 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 2,400

SC 120

Fair

Over: SAMMY SWAMP

2 MI N OF PINEWOOD, Sumter, SC

Built 1930 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 2,000

US 301 SB

Fair

Over: LEMON SWAMP

2.5MI S OF BAMBERG, Bamberg, SC

Built 1937 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 1,400

SC 48

Fair

Over: GRIFFINS CREEK

3 MI S OF EASTOVER, Richland, SC

Built 1947 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 2,400

SC 185

Fair

Over: ROCKY RIVER

7.9 MI SE OF ANDERSON, Anderson, SC

Built 1949 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 2,100

SC 45

Fair

Over: ECHAW CREEK

8MI SE JAMESTON, Berkeley, SC

Built 1950 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 400

S-25-20

Fair

Over: MILL BAY CREEK

8MI SW ESTILL, Hampton, SC

Built 1951 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 75

S-14-106

Fair

Over: HORSE BRANCH

2MI SE TURBEVILLE, Clarendon, SC

Built 1952 Load: 18.8 t ADT: 275

Showing 1,451-1,500 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.