State profile · Below median Poor share

Washington 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 Washington.

8,474
Public bridges
50.1%
Good condition
5.5%
Poor condition

Washington has 8,474 public highway bridges in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, and 462 of them are rated Poor.

That is 5.5% 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 24 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

8,474

Public highway bridges in Washington

Good Condition

50.1%

4,246 bridges rated 7-9

0.1pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

5.5%

462 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-2.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

Washington vs national bridge condition

Washington - Good condition share 50.1%
National avg

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

Washington - Poor-condition share 18.2%
National avg

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

Washington 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: Washington has 8,474 bridges and a 5.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #24 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 (%) WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%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%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%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: Washington has 8,474 bridges and a 5.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #24 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.

Washington 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

8,474 29th of 54 higher than 25 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 Washington

The highlighted point is Washington: 8,474 bridges and 5.45% in Poor condition, rank #24 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Washington on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Kansas: 24,894 bridges · 5.26% Poor
  • Arkansas: 12,974 bridges · 5.43% Poor
  • Washington: 8,474 bridges · 5.45% Poor
  • California: 25,848 bridges · 5.91% Poor
  • New Jersey: 6,827 bridges · 6.01% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Washington

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 8,474 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Washington’s inventory

State agency holds 39.9% of the 8,474 public highway bridges filed under Washington in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Washington’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 12.8% of the 8,474 bridges with a recorded original year in Washington. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Washington50.1%44.4%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Washington (FHWA NBI)

Counties (39)

Adams 187 Asotin 29 Benton 167 Chelan 149 Clallam 151 Clark 218 Columbia 86 Cowlitz 160 Douglas 40 Ferry 53 Franklin 134 Garfield 54 Grant 306 Grays Harbor 363 Island 7 Jefferson 99 King 1238 Kitsap 115 Kittitas 308 Klickitat 90 Lewis 419 Lincoln 180 Mason 133 Okanogan 161 Pacific 120 Pend Oreille 71 Pierce 472 San Juan 13 Skagit 254 Skamania 120 Snohomish 500 Spokane 307 Stevens 75 Thurston 205 Wahkiakum 36 Walla Walla 195 Whatcom 354 Whitman 347 Yakima 558

Washington 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 Washington on the same metric.

KS

Kansas

5.26% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,894

AR

Arkansas

5.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,974
Selected

WA

Washington

5.45% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,474

CA

California

5.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$25,848

NJ

New Jersey

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

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Washington

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

STATE ROUTE 509

Poor

Over: PUYALLUP WATERWAY RR

2.5 N JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 1911 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2,400

I-82

Poor

Over: WASTEWATER NUMBER 3

8.4 E JCT US 97, Yakima, WA

Built 1980 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 28,146

Fish War Mem X-ing

Poor

Over: PUYALLUP RIVER

0.2 N JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 1925 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 15,255

POST STREET

Poor

Over: SPOKANE RIVER

00.6 N OF I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 1917 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,685

W Galer Street

Poor

Over: Private Road

Magnolia Seattle, King, WA

Built 1929 Load: 0.0 t

SILVER CK RD 00670

Poor

Over: NINE MILE CREEK

19.05 E SR 21, Ferry, WA

Built 1958 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 47

All Bridges in Washington

18 NE

Good

Over: EAST LOW CANAL

18 NE 1.5 W of Stratford, Grant, WA

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 103

PETTYJOHN GRADE

Good

Over: SOUTH TOUCHET RIVER

0.1 M W OF JCT 13250, Columbia, WA

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 25

96th Ave. N.

Good

Over: Relocated Creek

00.59 N WIDE HOLLOW, Yakima, WA

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,800

NE LK WASH. BLVD

Good

Over: MEYDENBAUER BEACH PARK

NE LAKE WASHINGTON BLVD, King, WA

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,267

SOUTH BANK ROAD

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1.9 NW JCT SR 12, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,119

NW 8TH ST

Good

Over: RIBARY CREEK

0.2 MI W OF SR-202, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 700

208th ST NE

Good

Over: Vos Creek

4.8 E JCT SR 530, Snohomish, WA

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 145

AIRPORT NB-SB LOOP

Good

Over: AIRPORT EXPRESSWAY

0.25 MI S OF SR518, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 40,000

UPPER HOH ROAD

Good

Over: ALDER CREEK TRIBUTARY

Upper Hoh Rd. MP 2.15, Jefferson, WA

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 950

JOHNS RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: BALLON CREEK

5.1 MI E JCT SR105, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 40

PEOLA RD

Good

Over: PATAHA CREEK

0.25 N. SR 128, Garfield, WA

Built 2012 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 300

64Th St. N.E.

Good

Over: Pilchuck River

0.30 E Jct SR 92, Snohomish, WA

Built 2016 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 73

62ND WAY NE

Good

Over: WETLAND STREAM

0.75 MI N OF SR-522, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

167th Ave SE

Good

Over: Unnamed Wetland

1.0 N SR2, Snohomish, WA

Built 2019 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 100

124TH AVE NE

Good

Over: SOUND TRANSIT LIGHT RAIL

0.30 N NE 12TH ST, King, WA

Built 2019 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,597

Ranch Creek Road

Good

Over: Mill Creek

0.08 miles from US-97, Chelan, WA

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 52

COYAN RD.

Good

Over: POTHOLES CANAL

0.10 W JCT SR-17, Franklin, WA

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 135

CONC-SAUK VALLEY

Good

Over: NORTH OSTERMAN CK

13.2 MI SE OF SR 20, Skagit, WA

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 158

Fairview Ave N

Good

Over: Union Bay

1241 Fairview Ave N, King, WA

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,600

COUSINS ROAD

Good

Over: UNNAMED TRIBUTARY

3.8 S SR6, Lewis, WA

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 168

MAINTENANCE ROAD

Good

Over: DW231 WASTEWAY

DW231 WASTEWAY STATION 5, Grant, WA

Built 2015 Load: 32.6 t ADT: 10

IRR BIA RTE 26

Good

Over: NORTH FORK MOCLIPS RIVER

3.2 KM N.E. OF MOCLIPS, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1976 Load: 32.6 t ADT: 375

IRR BIA RTE 2

Good

Over: RAILROAD CREEK

16 KM NORTH OF MOCLIPS, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1984 Load: 32.6 t ADT: 160

IRR BIA RTE 94

Good

Over: TOPPENISH CREEK

7.2 KM SOUTH OF TOPPENISH, Yakima, WA

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

IRR BIA RTE 94

Good

Over: TOPPENISH CREEK

7.2 KM SOUTH OF TOPPENISH, Yakima, WA

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

HATCHERY ENTRANCE

Good

Over: FOGHORN IRRIGATION CANAL

453 TWIN LAKES ROAD, Okanogan, WA

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

REFUGE ROAD

Good

Over: TOPPENISH CREEK

1/4 MI N OF REFUGE OFFICE, Yakima, WA

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5

IRR BIA RTE 18

Good

Over: TRIB TO QUINAULT RIVER

3 KM S OF AMANDA PK JUNCT, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,021

SR 203

Good

Over: SLOUGH

16.6 N JCT SR 202, King, WA

Built 1945 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10,190

US 97

Good

Over: SIWASH CREEK

0.6 N JCT SR 20, Okanogan, WA

Built 1948 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,117

SR 20

Good

Over: SWIFT CREEK

2.0 E JCT SR 530, Skagit, WA

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,432

US 12

Good

Over: COWLITZ R OVERFLOW

8.1 E JCT SR 131, Lewis, WA

Built 1958 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,648

I-5

Good

Over: HYLEBOS CREEK

1.3 N JCT SR 99, Pierce, WA

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 94,829

I-5

Good

Over: HYLEBOS CREEK

1.3 N JCT SR 99, Pierce, WA

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 94,829

US 12

Good

Over: COWLITZ RIVER

1.8 E JCT SR 122, Lewis, WA

Built 1961 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,630

LAKEVIEW BLVD

Good

Over: I-5

2.5 N JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,000

DELMAR DRIVE

Good

Over: SR 520

0.1 E JCT I-5, King, WA

Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,000

US 97

Good

Over: LATERAL 3 IRR. CANAL

3.1 N JCT SR 22, Yakima, WA

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,095

SR 20

Good

Over: LITTLE PEND OREILLE R

16.2 E JCT US 395, Stevens, WA

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 759

US 12

Good

Over: NEWMAN CREEK

6.3 E JCT SR 107, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,863

US 12

Good

Over: NEWMAN CREEK

6.3 E JCT SR 107, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,863

SR 3

Good

Over: ERLAND POINT RD

5.6 N JCT SR 304, Kitsap, WA

Built 1966 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 28,888

S-W RAMP

Good

Over: LUCILE ST & RR

4.1 N JCT SR 900, King, WA

Built 1967 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,879

EVERGREEN WAY

Good

Over: SR 526

3.5 N JCT SR 525, Snohomish, WA

Built 1969 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 56,198

SR 518

Good

Over: W-S RAMP

1.9 E JCT SR 509, King, WA

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 51,803

SR 512

Good

Over: MERIDIAN ST

1.3 E JCT SR 161, Pierce, WA

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 43,016

SR 520

Good

Over: 140TH AVE NE

1.6 E JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 1972 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 43,146

148TH ST-W RAMP

Good

Over: I-90 WBCD RAMP

1.7 E JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,050

C ST

Good

Over: US 101

2.8 S JCT SR 102, Mason, WA

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,270

HEADQUARTERS RD

Good

Over: I-5

6.3 N JCT SR 4, Cowlitz, WA

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 936

Showing 5,351-5,400 of 8,474 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 Washington's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Washington 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. Washington 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.