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 167 SB HOV

Good

Over: SR 18

2.8 N PIERCE CO, King, WA

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 8,410

I-5 SB

Good

Over: SR 16 EB/SB HOV RAMPS

5.0 N JCT SR 512, Pierce, WA

Built 2019 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 65,515

SR 507

Good

Over: LACAMAS CREEK

5.3 N JCT SR 702, Pierce, WA

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 10,772

SR 520

Good

Over: LAKE WASHINGTON

0.3 E JCT SR 513, King, WA

Built 2023 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 18,960

Greenwood Loop

Good

Over: COLVILLE RIVER

1.0 S JCT SR 395, Stevens, WA

Built 1963 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 527

HALVERSON CANYON

Good

Over: SHERMAN CREEK

0.12 E FAS P221, Lincoln, WA

Built 1995 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 27

NE 107TH AVENUE

Good

Over: NE PADDEN PARKWAY

AT PADDEN PARKWAY, Clark, WA

Built 1999 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 8,277

Westside Calispel

Good

Over: Middle Fork Calispel Cr

3 miles w/o Hwy 211, Pend Oreille, WA

Built 2002 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 250

240TH ST SE

Good

Over: NORTH CREEK

2.1 SE JCT I-5, Snohomish, WA

Built 2012 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 5,956

COUNTY ARTERIAL

Good

Over: POTHOLES CANAL

0.06 W LANGFORD 605, Franklin, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 972

South 12th Avenue

Good

Over: Wide Hollow Creek

00.11 S of WHATCOM, Yakima, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 70

LK DOROTHY RD SE

Good

Over: BIG BLOWOUT CREEK

9.1 MI N OF I-90, King, WA

Built 2015 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 125

BADGER RD W

Good

Over: BERTRAND CR

00.1 E AXLING RD, Whatcom, WA

Built 2019 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 2,988

SPOKANE STREET

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.5 MI SE OF MAIN STREET, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2020 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 1,300

SCHAFER BOOM ROAD

Good

Over: CAMP CREEK

0.2 S JCT 62920, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2023 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 97

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: UPPER CANYON RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Mason, WA

Built 1955 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 15

OLD PACIFIC HWY N

Good

Over: I-5

2.8 N JCT SR 504, Cowlitz, WA

Built 1968 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 721

KAISER ROAD

Good

Over: US 101

2.6 E JCT SR 8, Thurston, WA

Built 1989 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 1,000

N-W RAMP

Good

Over: I-405 N-E RAMP

7.9 N JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2015 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 7,700

SR 121

Good

Over: BLOOMS DITCH

4.0 E JCT I-5, Thurston, WA

Built 2016 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 2,711

FSDR 43

Good

Over: LAYOUT CREEK

20 MINUTES WEST OF WIND R, Skamania, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 30

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: JEFFERSON CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Lewis, WA

Built 2021 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 50

RD. NO. 25

Good

Over: SUIATTLE RIVER

M.P. 0.06 RD. NO. 25, Skagit, WA

Built 2009 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 50

WAWAWAI-PULMN/9010

Good

Over: UNION FLAT CREEK

5.19 MI S SR 194, Whitman, WA

Built 1971 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 335

SE 424TH ST

Good

Over: NEWAUKUM CREEK

1.2 MI W OF SR-169, King, WA

Built 1928 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 1,750

WASHINGTON STREET

Good

Over: MCCOY CREEK

0.1 S BARTLET ST, Whitman, WA

Built 1900 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 35

11TH AVE

Good

Over: LATAH CREEK

00.15 SE SR195-I90, Spokane, WA

Built 1927 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 82

SHERMAN ROAD

Good

Over: SHERMAN CREEK

8.47 N FAS P221, Lincoln, WA

Built 1995 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 130

DALTON ROAD

Good

Over: DRAGOON CREEK

0.8 N WILD ROSE RD, Spokane, WA

Built 1996 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 269

VAN AUSDLE LANE

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

00.059 S VALLEY GROVE RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1999 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 28

16TH ST NE

Good

Over: LITTLE PILCHUCK CREEK

1.7 S JCT SR 92, Snohomish, WA

Built 2002 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 1,285

GUMM/1190

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

0.02 MI N WARNER, Whitman, WA

Built 2002 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 41

STONEHAM/3600

Good

Over: CACHE CREEK

0.08 MI S CACHE CREEK, Whitman, WA

Built 2002 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 25

Cannawai Valley Rd

Good

Over: Cannawai Creek

2.43 E of Wilson Creek, Grant, WA

Built 2007 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 15

HILLS RD

Good

Over: COW CREEK

02.81 MI S WELLSANDT RD, Adams, WA

Built 2009 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 96

KALAMA RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: SUMMERS CREEK

14.16 E OF I-5 EXIT 32, Cowlitz, WA

Built 2010 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 57

156TH ST NE

Good

Over: INTERSTATE 5

156TH ST AT I-5, Snohomish, WA

Built 2012 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 6,000

CHRISTENSEN ROAD

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

100 FT S OF DEEP CREEK RD, Spokane, WA

Built 2015 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 470

NEWPORT KEY

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

0.31 W JCT 118 AVE SE, King, WA

Built 2018 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 287

GLACIER KEY

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

0.2 W JCT CASCADE KEY, King, WA

Built 2019 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 238

TOWNSEND ROAD

Good

Over: MILL CR.

1.1 S JCT SR 508, Lewis, WA

Built 2021 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 1

State Avenue

Good

Over: Quilceda Creek

1.2 NE JCT I-5, Snohomish, WA

Built 2022 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 16,432

NE 4TH STREET

Good

Over: I-405

2.4 N JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 1987 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 15,489

SR 542

Good

Over: SLIDE AREA

20.4 E JCT SR 547, Whatcom, WA

Built 1994 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,251

I-90

Good

Over: GOLD CREEK

0.7 E JCT SR 906, Kittitas, WA

Built 2012 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 17,475

S-S RAMP

Good

Over: NE 16TH AVE

5.3 N JCT SR 500, Clark, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 5,713

SR 106

Good

Over: TWANOH FALLS CREEK

13.5 E JCT US 101, Mason, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 2,309

SR 161

Good

Over: SOUTH CREEK

12.8 N JCY SR 7, Pierce, WA

Built 2016 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 8,101

THORNE RD

Good

Over: I-5

8.5 N THURSTON CO, Pierce, WA

Built 2020 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 11,765

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: DAVIS CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Lewis, WA

Built 2010 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 23

Showing 6,201-6,250 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.