State profile · Above median Poor share

South Dakota 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 Dakota.

5,887
Public bridges
33.8%
Good condition
16.4%
Poor condition

South Dakota holds 5,887 public highway bridges (#33 of 52 by inventory) with a 16.36% Poor share (#3 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 16.4% 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 51 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

5,887

Public highway bridges in South Dakota

Good Condition

33.8%

1,992 bridges rated 7-9

-16.2pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

16.4%

963 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

8.8pp vs national avg 7.5%

South Dakota vs national bridge condition

South Dakota - Good condition share 33.8%
National avg

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

South Dakota - Poor-condition share 54.5%
National avg

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

South Dakota 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 Dakota has 5,887 bridges and a 16.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #51 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 (%) SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%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%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%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 Dakota has 5,887 bridges and a 16.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #51 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 Dakota 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

5,887 33rd of 54 higher than 21 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 Dakota

The highlighted point is South Dakota: 5,887 bridges and 16.36% in Poor condition, rank #51 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below South Dakota on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Rhode Island: 783 bridges · 15.20% Poor
  • Maine: 2,518 bridges · 15.41% Poor
  • South Dakota: 5,887 bridges · 16.36% Poor
  • West Virginia: 7,348 bridges · 18.64% Poor
  • Iowa: 23,719 bridges · 19.16% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in South Dakota

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 5,887 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains South Dakota’s inventory

State agency holds 31.3% of the 5,887 public highway bridges filed under South Dakota in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When South Dakota’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 18.2% of the 5,887 bridges with a recorded original year in South Dakota. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

South Dakota33.8%49.8%16.4%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - South Dakota (FHWA NBI)

Counties (66)

Aurora 61 Beadle 152 Bennett 15 Bon Homme 126 Brookings 233 Brown 170 Brule 38 Buffalo 25 Butte 143 Campbell 15 Charles Mix 103 Clark 20 Clay 94 Codington 74 Corson 49 Custer 95 Davison 123 Day 34 Deuel 72 Dewey 28 Douglas 44 Edmunds 20 Fall River 80 Faulk 46 Grant 205 Gregory 51 Haakon 69 Hamlin 62 Hand 126 Hanson 62 Harding 49 Hughes 40 Hutchinson 161 Hyde 23 Jackson 89 Jerauld 35 Jones 37 Kingsbury 35 Lake 79 Lawrence 136 Lincoln 207 Lyman 114 Marshall 39 McCook 98 McPherson 14 Meade 215 Mellette 28 Miner 64 Minnehaha 393 Moody 87 Oglala Lakota 34 Pennington 348 Perkins 60 Potter 24 Roberts 157 Sanborn 53 Spink 176 Stanley 37 Sully 31 Todd 24 Tripp 90 Turner 143 Union 170 Walworth 33 Yankton 99 Ziebach 30

South Dakota 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 Dakota on the same metric.

RI

Rhode Island

15.20% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$783

ME

Maine

15.41% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,518
Selected

SD

South Dakota

16.36% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,887

WV

West Virginia

18.64% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,348

IA

Iowa

19.16% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$23,719

Bridges Needing Most Attention in South Dakota

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

SMITHWICK ROAD

Poor

Over: WHITE RIVER

.75 KM NE OF BIA RTE 41, Oglala Lakota, SD

Built 1935 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10

395th Avenue

Poor

Over: Cain Creek

8.6S & 5W of Huron, Beadle, SD

Built 1926 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 56

216 ST

Poor

Over: SOUTH FORK PEARL CK

8.0S 1.5W CAVOUR, Beadle, SD

Built 1924 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 56

200TH ST

Poor

Over: SHUE CK

8N 0.8E CAVOUR, Beadle, SD

Built 1912 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 56

412th Avenue

Poor

Over: Middle Pearl Creek

5.1S & 3E of Cavour, Beadle, SD

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 56

41480 299th Street

Poor

Over: Emanuel Creek

4N & 1.2W of Tyndall, Bon Homme, SD

Built 1905 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

All Bridges in South Dakota

I090 E

Good

Over: SANDSTONE DR

0.7 W US 14A INTERCH, Lawrence, SD

Built 1970 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 10,490

KILLDEER RD.

Good

Over: SULPHUR CK

9 S 2 W MUD BUTTE, Meade, SD

Built 1999 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 15

264TH STREET

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2S & 3.7W VALLEY SPRINGS, Minnehaha, SD

Built 2018 Load: 39.1 t ADT: 63

464TH AVENUE

Good

Over: MEADOW CK

0.9S Volga, Brookings, SD

Built 2021 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 720

192nd Street

Good

Over: Big Sioux River

2N & 2.3W of Estelline, Hamlin, SD

Built 2001 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 40

208 STREET

Good

Over: BREKKE DRAW

1.4 W 0.3 S CANNING, Hughes, SD

Built 1967 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 57

130th Street

Good

Over: Jorgenson River

1E & 3S of Peever, Roberts, SD

Built 1992 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 34

310th Avenue

Good

Over: Tributary to Swan Creek

0.7N of Lowry, Walworth, SD

Built 1991 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 41

FDR 345

Good

Over: IRON CREEK

T 2 S R 6 E SEC 30, Custer, SD

Built 1957 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 25

IRR BIA RTE 6

Good

Over: BEAR IN THE LODGE CREEK

1 KM N OF HISLE, Jackson, SD

Built 1999 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 100

I090 W

Good

Over: 448 AVE

2 E US 81 INTERCH, McCook, SD

Built 1964 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 6,620

I229 S

Good

Over: SE AVE BNSFRR

0.4 NE 26 ST INTERCH, Minnehaha, SD

Built 1997 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 18,295

I229 N

Good

Over: SE AVE BNSFRR

0.4 NE 26 ST INTERCH, Minnehaha, SD

Built 1998 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 18,295

264TH STREET

Good

Over: SPLIT ROCK CREEK

2.5S & 0.9W BRANDON, Minnehaha, SD

Built 1992 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 135

SD1806

Good

Over: ANTELOPE CK

11.2 SE JCT US 83, Stanley, SD

Built 1981 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 199

406TH AVENUE

Good

Over: TRIB ENEMY CK

2W 6.3S MITCHELL, Davison, SD

Built 2020 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 114

SHERIDAN LAKE ROAD

Good

Over: SPRING CK

2.IN & 2.6W ROCKERVILLE, Pennington, SD

Built 1974 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 933

SHERIDAN LAKE ROAD

Good

Over: SPRING CK

2.IN 2.6WROCKERVILLE, Pennington, SD

Built 1974 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 933

SHERIDAN LAKE ROAD

Good

Over: SPRING CK

2.1N & 2.3W ROCKERVILLE, Pennington, SD

Built 1974 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 747

SD038

Good

Over: FIRESTEEL CK

0.3 W HANSON CO LINE, Davison, SD

Built 1988 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 2,279

I090 W

Good

Over: COMMUNITY WELL RD

3.8 W SD 63 S INTERCH, Jackson, SD

Built 1968 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 3,250

RICARD RD.

Good

Over: ELK CK

12E & 12.5S OF STURGIS, Meade, SD

Built 2000 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 33

SD115

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK SIOUX RV

0.5 S OF DELL RAPIDS, Minnehaha, SD

Built 2016 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 3,668

IRR SD127

Good

Over: CK

5.2 E JCT SD 106, Roberts, SD

Built 2023 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 669

310 AVENUE

Good

Over: KEYAPAHA RV

.1E & 1N MILLBORO, Tripp, SD

Built 2017 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 50

BURLEIGH STREET

Good

Over: MARNE CREEK

BURLEIGH STREET - YANKTON, Yankton, SD

Built 1989 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 4,996

247TH STREET

Good

Over: FIRESTEEL CK

7N & 14.2 W MITCHELL, Davison, SD

Built 2011 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 149

SD015

Good

Over: CK

0.5 N JCT SD 20, Grant, SD

Built 2022 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 1,643

GRAPEVINE RD.

Good

Over: BEAVER CK

14S & 15.3W FAITH, Meade, SD

Built 2002 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 20

160TH AVE

Good

Over: RAPID CK

1.2E 1.3S FARMINGDAL, Pennington, SD

Built 1999 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 120

IRR I029 S

Good

Over: AGENCY CK

1.8 N PEEVER INTERCH, Roberts, SD

Built 1981 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 2,475

415TH AVE.

Good

Over: CK

0.5E 3.4N ARTESIAN, Sanborn, SD

Built 2020 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 56

152ND ST

Good

Over: SNAKE CREEK

2N & 4.2W NORTHVILLE, Spink, SD

Built 1995 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 55

447TH AVE

Good

Over: CK

9W & 0.3N VIBORG, Turner, SD

Built 2009 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 50

294th Street

Good

Over: Tributary to Blind Creek

3N & 4.9W of Beresford, Lincoln, SD

Built 2012 Load: 39.7 t ADT: 385

SD046

Good

Over: ASH CK

2.0 W I 29 INTERCH, Lincoln, SD

Built 2020 Load: 39.7 t ADT: 3,303

254TH ST HWY 122

Good

Over: SILVER CK

4S & 0.6E BALTIC, Minnehaha, SD

Built 2020 Load: 39.7 t ADT: 922

SD037

Good

Over: JAMES RV

4.9 S SPINK CO LINE, Beadle, SD

Built 2020 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 1,683

193RD ST

Good

Over: Shue Creek

15N 6.2W Iroquois, Beadle, SD

Built 2019 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 56

SD046

Good

Over: BEAVER CK

4.9 W JCT SD 25, Bon Homme, SD

Built 1966 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 753

215TH STREET

Good

Over: CK

3.0S & 2.5W OF BROOKINGS, Brookings, SD

Built 2000 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 92

Nowlin Road

Good

Over: HAY DRAW CK

17.9 E PHILIP, Haakon, SD

Built 2002 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 25

I090 E

Good

Over: COMMUNITY WELL RD

3.8 W SD 63 S INTERCH, Jackson, SD

Built 1968 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 3,250

US083

Good

Over: TRIB LITTLE CHEYENNE CK

10.3 S WALWORTH CO LINE, Potter, SD

Built 2003 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 939

SD044

Good

Over: THUNDER CK

4 E JCT US 18, Tripp, SD

Built 1969 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 1,236

46340 304 ST.

Good

Over: VERMILLION RV

2.0S & 8.3E WAKONDA, Clay, SD

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 35

SD471

Good

Over: COTTONWOOD CK

1.3 S OF EDGEMONT, Fall River, SD

Built 2015 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 209

I090 W

Good

Over: ELK CK

1.8 NW N PIEDMONT INTERCH, Meade, SD

Built 2017 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 11,460

W MAPLE ST

Good

Over: RAMP A-RUSSELL STR INTCH

.1 E OF RUSSELL STR INTCH, Minnehaha, SD

Built 2003 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 700

379th Avenue

Good

Over: Cain Creek

5E & 0.4N of Wessington, Beadle, SD

Built 2018 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 35

Showing 4,101-4,150 of 5,887 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 Dakota's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in South Dakota 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 Dakota 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.