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 16

Good

Over: MULLENIX ROAD

4.5 N PIERCE CO, Kitsap, WA

Built 1993 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 24,259

SR 14

Good

Over: LITTLE WHITE SALMON R

35.4 E CLARK CO, Skamania, WA

Built 1994 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 3,587

I-5 RAMP

Good

Over: NORTHGATE WAY

2.0 N JCT SR 522, King, WA

Built 1995 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 8,939

SR 124

Good

Over: WHETSTONE CR

0.6 E JCT SR 125, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1995 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,578

SR 9

Good

Over: SR 522

JCT SR 522, Snohomish, WA

Built 1997 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 27,345

SR 530

Good

Over: S FK STILLAGUAMISH R

0.5 E JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 1997 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 13,042

CENTER DRIVE

Good

Over: I-5

2.5 N THURSTON CO, Pierce, WA

Built 1997 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 16,910

SR 542

Good

Over: NOOKSACK RIVER

9.7 E JCT I-5, Whatcom, WA

Built 1999 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 11,016

NE 8TH ST

Good

Over: I-405

2.7 N JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 2003 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 48,783

I-405

Good

Over: I-90

5.7 N JCT SR 900, King, WA

Built 2008 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 47,640

NB SR 539

Good

Over: WISER LAKE

0.9 N JCT SR 544, Whatcom, WA

Built 2009 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 8,382

HARRISON ST

Good

Over: SR 99 TUNNEL VOID SPACE

6.1 N JCT SR 509, King, WA

Built 2018 Load: 36.3 t

SR 21

Good

Over: CURLEW CREEK

10.2 N JCT SR 20, Ferry, WA

Built 2012 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,103

SR 6

Good

Over: WILLAPA RIVER

7.0 E JCT US 101, Pacific, WA

Built 2014 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 2,670

PACIFIC AVE

Good

Over: I-5

1.1 N JCT SR 16, Pierce, WA

Built 2016 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 12,916

SR 241

Good

Over: WASTEWATER CANAL NO 5

2.2 N JCT I-82, Yakima, WA

Built 1943 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 3,031

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: NORTH FORK TILTON RIVER

3.8 MILES NW OF JCT. HWY, Lewis, WA

Built 1983 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 70

CANYON CREEK #31

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK

10.8 MILES FROM SH 542, Whatcom, WA

Built 1996 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 20

ROAD

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

1.4 MI S OF I-90/9060 JCT, Kittitas, WA

Built 1973 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 60

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BROWN CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mason, WA

Built 1969 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 75

COUNTY ROAD 2090

Good

Over: COUSE CREEK

0.07 MI SO JCT 2040, Asotin, WA

Built 1972 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 281

DENNY STATION ROAD

Good

Over: CRAB CREEK

0.43 W-SR 231, Lincoln, WA

Built 1916 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 30

ROBERTSON ROAD

Good

Over: BERG SLOUGH

00.2 W JCT 9415, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1979 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 26

RESERVATION ROAD

Good

Over: RAIL ROAD

0.4 m S Old Pacific Hwy, Thurston, WA

Built 1993 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 8,901

LITTLE HANAFORD

Good

Over: S FK HANAFORD CREEK

2.0 W KOPIAH, Lewis, WA

Built 1957 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 137

JACOBSON ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

2.5 S GRAYS HAR CO, Pacific, WA

Built 1990 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 48

FLORENCE ACRES RD

Good

Over: WOODS CREEK

3.5 NE JCT SR 2, Snohomish, WA

Built 1990 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 3,232

PEPPERS BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: WALLA WALLA RIVER

00.12N STATELINE RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1994 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,260

3RD STREET

Good

Over: PATAHA CREEK

0.15 S US 12 ON 3RD, Garfield, WA

Built 1994 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 400

DARTFORD DRIVE

Good

Over: LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER

DARTFORD, Spokane, WA

Built 2001 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,908

OLD OWEN RD

Good

Over: WOODS CREEK

0.3 NE JCT SR2, Snohomish, WA

Built 2004 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 10,281

118 AV NW

Good

Over: MINTER CREEK

1.3 NO JCT SR 302, Pierce, WA

Built 2005 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 2,050

CHIWAWA LOOP ROAD

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

NO. OF PLAIN, Chelan, WA

Built 2008 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,178

COUNTRY CLUB/9040

Good

Over: BRANCH UNION FLAT CREEK

3.84 MI SW SR195, Whitman, WA

Built 2011 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 244

Naches Rd. South

Good

Over: Naches River south chan

.04 north of Klockhamer, Yakima, WA

Built 2012 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 3,800

WILDWOOD ROAD

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

2.99 NW SR 506, Lewis, WA

Built 2013 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 170

Hyland Stringer Rd

Good

Over: Stringer Creek

0.11 N JCT OXBOW RD, Pacific, WA

Built 2017 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 110

FLUMERFELT ROAD

Good

Over: OCONNER CREEK

0.24 m W of Oconner Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 2018 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 140

W. Maple St

Good

Over: China Creek

W. of Hwy 507 (Tower Ave), Lewis, WA

Built 1941 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 1,504

US 101

Good

Over: WALLICUT RIVER

1.9 N JCT SR 103, Pacific, WA

Built 1979 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 5,982

SR307

Good

Over: Dogfish Creek

0.1 N JCT SR 305, Kitsap, WA

Built 2007 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 19,256

N-W RAMP(BICKFORD)

Good

Over: US 2

1.4 E JCT SR 204, Snohomish, WA

Built 2013 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 5,944

SHELTON-MATLOCK RD

Good

Over: COFFEE CREEK

3.6 S JCT SR 102, Mason, WA

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,000

RAMP

Good

Over: RAILROAD SHARED USE PATH

JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2023 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 7,611

LeClerc Rd N

Good

Over: LeClerc Creek

16 m N of Usk Bridge, Pend Oreille, WA

Built 1960 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 460

BELFAIR STREET

Good

Over: CID CANAL

.13 S JCT SR12, Benton, WA

Built 1970 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,742

Sullivan Lake Rd

Good

Over: Sullivan Creek

1/2 m n/o Ranger Station, Pend Oreille, WA

Built 1989 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 500

Ford - Welpinit Rd

Good

Over: Chamokane Creek

00.07 W jct SR 231, Stevens, WA

Built 2001 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 653

WELLSANDT RD.

Good

Over: DRY WASH

01.25 MI E HILLS ROAD, Adams, WA

Built 2004 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 93

YEISLEY RD

Good

Over: BRANCH CANAL - EL 85

00.99 MI W FOX ROAD, Adams, WA

Built 2005 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 9

Showing 5,951-6,000 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.