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

E-N RAMP

Good

Over: I-5

3.8 N JCT SR 900, King, WA

Built 1966 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 12,553

SYLVESTER ST

Good

Over: US 395

0.7 N BENTON CO, Franklin, WA

Built 1966 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 9,960

I-90

Good

Over: W-S RAMP RICHARD RD

0.2 E JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 1969 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 34,317

PRIVATE ACCESS RD

Good

Over: WHIPPLE WASTEWAY

20.8 N YAKIMA CO, Kittitas, WA

Built 1969 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 27

SR 3

Good

Over: CHICO WAY NW

6.3 N JCT SR 304, Kitsap, WA

Built 1971 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 27,574

STARBIRD RD

Good

Over: I-5

0.9 N SNOHOMISH CO, Skagit, WA

Built 1972 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 1,537

SR 3

Good

Over: NEWBERRY HILL RD

8.7 N JCT SR 304, Kitsap, WA

Built 1972 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 22,372

SR 16

Good

Over: TYLER ST - SNAKE LAKE

1.6 N JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 1972 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 56,720

US 195

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

0.4 N JCT SR 271, Whitman, WA

Built 1975 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 4,476

SR 16

Good

Over: N-W RAMP

JCT SR 302, Pierce, WA

Built 1977 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 26,130

SR160

Good

Over: SR 16

JCT SR 16, Kitsap, WA

Built 1977 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 18,415

HUDSON ROAD

Good

Over: I-82

6.8 E JCT SR 22, Yakima, WA

Built 1978 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 350

SR 20

Good

Over: SWINOMISH CHANNEL

9.3 E ISLAND CO, Skagit, WA

Built 1981 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 17,952

SR 303 (WAAGA WAY)

Good

Over: SR 3

JCT SR 3, Kitsap, WA

Built 1981 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 34,905

US 395 SB

Good

Over: I-182

JCT US 395, Franklin, WA

Built 1983 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 14,886

I-182

Good

Over: N DALLAS RD

0.8 E JCT I-82, Benton, WA

Built 1984 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 13,264

I-82

Good

Over: BADGER ROAD & BN1

6.4 E JCT I-182, Benton, WA

Built 1984 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 6,986

CLODFELTER ROAD

Good

Over: I-82

7.2 E JCT I-182, Benton, WA

Built 1984 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 1,710

SR 167 ON RAMP SB

Good

Over: GARRISON CR TRIBUTARY

1.8 N JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 1986 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 8,458

SE 180TH AVE

Good

Over: SR 18

0.9 E JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 1988 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 9,610

SR 508

Good

Over: S FORK NEWAUKUM RIVER

2.6 E JCT I-5, Lewis, WA

Built 1989 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 4,269

SR 202

Good

Over: SR 522

JCT SR 522, King, WA

Built 1989 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 27,555

E-E RAMP

Good

Over: I-90 RAMPS MERCER SL

6.4 E JCT I-5, King, WA

Built 1993 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 1,375

SR 18

Good

Over: HOLDER CR HOBART RD

4.6 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 1996 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 11,332

RIVER RD

Good

Over: US 101

16.8 E JCT SR 117, Clallam, WA

Built 1999 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 9,451

7TH AVE

Good

Over: US 101

17.5 E JCT SR 117, Clallam, WA

Built 1999 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 29

SR 20

Good

Over: HIGGINS SLOUGH

0.7 E JCT SR 536, Skagit, WA

Built 2007 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 13,243

SR 397

Good

Over: CID CANAL

9.8 N JCT I-82, Benton, WA

Built 2008 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 904

W-N RAMP/STEWART R

Good

Over: SOATON CREEK

3.6 N JCT SR 410, Pierce, WA

Built 1960 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 13,000

ROAD

Good

Over: THOMPSON CREEK

MP 1.0 RD #3910, Whatcom, WA

Built 1985 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 15

RD. NO. 20

Good

Over: N FORK SAUK RIVER

M.P. 37.2 RD. # 20, Snohomish, WA

Built 1961 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 140

KLIPCHUCK ROAD

Good

Over: EARLY WINTER CREEK

ROAD TO KLIPCHUCK CG, Okanogan, WA

Built 1972 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 15

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BRANDEBERRY CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Clallam, WA

Built 1960 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 30

TOMMY CREEK

Good

Over: ENTIAT RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Chelan, WA

Built 1972 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 100

SHORT & DIRTY CRK.

Good

Over: S. FORK TIETON RD.

1ST SPUR LT. OFF 1000 RD., Yakima, WA

Built 1969 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 30

CLARK ROAD

Good

Over: HALF MOON CREEK

10.0 W LEWIS CO, Pacific, WA

Built 1992 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 64

LOST VALLEY ROAD

Good

Over: STILLMAN CREEK

0.3 W BOISTFORT, Lewis, WA

Built 1995 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 157

NORTH MILITARY RD.

Good

Over: OLEQUA CREEK

4.55 N JCT SR 505, Lewis, WA

Built 1995 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 2,252

SARGENT ROAD

Good

Over: OLEQUA CREEK

2.0 SE EVELINE, Lewis, WA

Built 1972 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 621

CONNOR ROAD

Good

Over: SKOOKUMCHUCK RIVER

.03 E JCT SR507, Thurston, WA

Built 1989 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 152

BUNKER ROAD

Good

Over: BUNKER CREEK

10.0 NW ADNA, Lewis, WA

Built 1955 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 24

TELEGRAPH ROAD

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

3.0 SW TOLEDO, Lewis, WA

Built 1965 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 122

BLACK CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

02.5 NE JCT 9519, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1976 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 156

WILSON CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: WHITCOMB CREEK

4.4 E JCT 101 105, Pacific, WA

Built 1992 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 98

264 ST E

Good

Over: KAPOWSIN CREEK

0.3 W ORVILLE ROAD, Pierce, WA

Built 1953 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 750

GREENE STREET

Good

Over: SPOKANE RIV UPRIVER DR

1.65 N OF I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 1955 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 36,057

NORTH 21ST STREET

Good

Over: BUCKLEY GULCH

N 21ST & FIFE, Pierce, WA

Built 1910 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 15,000

FOWLER ROAD

Good

Over: SO FORK WILLAPA RIVER

2.1 S JCT SR 6 AND SR 101, Pacific, WA

Built 1998 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 418

OIEH

Good

Over: KNOX CREEK

215 E of RAYHILL RD, Benton, WA

Built 1991 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 2,177

E Branch LeClerc C

Good

Over: Middle Br LeClerc Crk

4 mile e/o LeClerc Crk Rd, Pend Oreille, WA

Built 2010 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 75

Showing 5,701-5,750 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.