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

SR 505

Good

Over: COWLITZ RIVER

3.8 E JCT I-5, Lewis, WA

Built 1994 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 3,842

US 395

Good

Over: PAHA-PACKARD RD

5.4 N JCT SR 21, Adams, WA

Built 1995 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 4,747

N-E RAMP

Good

Over: OCCIDENTAL AVE S

0.4 N JCT SR 509, King, WA

Built 1998 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 16,470

SR 823

Good

Over: NACHES RIVER

0.3 N JCT US 12, Yakima, WA

Built 1999 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 5,230

SR 823

Good

Over: WCRR

0.4 N JCT I-82, Yakima, WA

Built 1999 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 17,558

SR 18

Good

Over: CEDAR RIVER SE BAIN RD

5.2 N JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 2005 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 16,302

SR 162

Good

Over: CARBON RIVER

10.8 E JCT SR 410, Pierce, WA

Built 1992 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 8,532

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: ALEC CREEK

16.3 MILES NE OF JCT. FS, Skamania, WA

Built 1969 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 99

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: RAINBOW CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2011 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 10

S. FK. TIETON RD.

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

TO CONRAD MEADOW, Yakima, WA

Built 1969 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 50

THORP CEMETARY RD

Good

Over: TANEUM CREEK

00.49 SE WTANEUM RD, Kittitas, WA

Built 1965 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 179

BLACK CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

03.8 NE JCT 9519, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1981 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 117

COLVILLE ST

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

COLVILLE AND MILL CR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1920 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 5,139

MARSH RD

Good

Over: MARSHLAND FLOODWAY

1.4 W JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 1994 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,049

DOYLE ROAD

Good

Over: NORTH FORK WILLAPA RIVER

0.07 N JCT SR 6, Pacific, WA

Built 1994 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 49

MEADOWS ROAD

Good

Over: OVERFLOW CHANNEL

0.1 m SW of Prather Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 1995 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 12

PARKING ACCESS

Good

Over: LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER

RIVERSIDE PARK, Spokane, WA

Built 1989 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 25

ROSE VALLEY ROAD

Good

Over: MULHOLLAND CREEK

11.87 E OLD 99S (MP1.05), Cowlitz, WA

Built 2008 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 38

SAUK PRAIRIE RD

Good

Over: SAUK RIVER

0.7 NE JCT SR 530, Snohomish, WA

Built 2008 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 801

HUNTER POINT RD NW

Good

Over: UNAMED CREEK

0.25 m W of Steamboat Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 2018 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 387

ALLEY

Good

Over: China Creek

SW alley Maple/Pearl, Lewis, WA

Built 1946 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 10

JONES ROAD

Good

Over: SALMON CREEK

0.47 m S of 93rd Ave SW, Thurston, WA

Built 2020 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 659

LOWER QUEETS VALLE

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

4.8 MI. NE OF JCT. HWY. 1, Jefferson, WA

Built 1974 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 75

NORTH SHORE ROAD

Good

Over: CANOE CREEK

4.9 MI. NE OF JCT. HWY. 1, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1990 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 436

US 101

Good

Over: BOULDER CREEK

46.3 N JCT SR 109, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1947 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 1,153

SR 506

Good

Over: I-5

JCT I-5, Lewis, WA

Built 1958 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 1,392

I-90

Good

Over: AVALANCHE RELIEF

3.3 E JCT SR 906, Kittitas, WA

Built 2016 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 17,475

I-90

Good

Over: AVALANCHE RELIEF

3.3 E JCT SR 906, Kittitas, WA

Built 2016 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 17,475

MAIN ST

Good

Over: I-405

2.2 N JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 2023 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 3,519

US 97

Good

Over: SWAUK CREEK

10.1 N JCT SR 970, Kittitas, WA

Built 2021 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 5,697

SR 116

Good

Over: KILISUT HARBOR

4.6 E JCT SR 19, Jefferson, WA

Built 2020 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 1,805

405 NE RAMP

Good

Over: NE RAMP OVER PED PATH

5.7 N JCT SR 900, King, WA

Built 2021 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 35,432

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: EAST CANYON CREEK

21.2 MILES SOUTH-EAST OF, Skamania, WA

Built 2010 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 5

ROAD

Good

Over: HUCKLEBERRY CREEK

0.1 MI SW OF 73/7305 JCT, Pierce, WA

Built 2011 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 40

FINNEY CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: FINNEY CREEK

4.6 W CONC SAUK VALLEY RD, Skagit, WA

Built 1952 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 41

BATUM RD

Good

Over: YORK COULEE

00.60 MI N ROSENOFF, Adams, WA

Built 1979 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 91

J RD SW

Good

Over: IRRIGATION LATERAL

J SW 0.7 North of 10 SW, Grant, WA

Built 1964 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 65

BRIDGE ROAD

Good

Over: CID CANAL

00.02 E HARRINGTON, Benton, WA

Built 1970 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 80

CLEARWATER ROAD

Good

Over: QUEETS RIVER

0.6N JCT SR101, Jefferson, WA

Built 1988 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 156

WINONA SOUTH/6000

Good

Over: REBEL FLAT CREEK

0.17 MI S ENDICOTT, Whitman, WA

Built 1970 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 165

SOUTH ENDICTT/6140

Good

Over: REBEL FLAT CREEK

0.21 MI SW ENDICOTT, Whitman, WA

Built 1964 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 300

12 TH STREET

Good

Over: PATAHA CREEK

0.1 S US12 ON 12TH, Garfield, WA

Built 1980 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 200

TACOMA AV E

Good

Over: WHITE RIVER

1.4 N JCT SR410, Pierce, WA

Built 1999 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 6,972

WHISKEY CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: WHISKEY CREEK

1.6 MI S JCT 91060, Columbia, WA

Built 2003 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 100

Nile Road

Good

Over: Nile Creek

1.75 SE SR-410, Yakima, WA

Built 2009 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 600

LOWDEN GARDENA RD

Good

Over: WALLA WALLA RIVER

0.32 S SR 12, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2010 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 375

Barstow Bridge Roa

Good

Over: Kettle River

00.02 W JCT PierreLk rd, Stevens, WA

Built 2011 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 708

BIG ALKALI / 7005

Good

Over: ALKALI FLAT CREEK

7.44 MI NE LITTLE GSE DAM, Whitman, WA

Built 2011 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 128

SE LAKE DOROTHY RD

Good

Over: SLIDE DEPRESSION

3.0 MI N OF I-90, King, WA

Built 2011 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 99

WISHKAH ROAD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

8.4 N Wishkah School, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2012 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 129

Showing 5,601-5,650 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.