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

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: EAST CANYON CREEK

25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF JCT, Skamania, WA

Built 2010 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 5

POWERS ROAD

Good

Over: TUCANNON RIVER

0.1 SW JCT SR 261, Columbia, WA

Built 1973 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 75

CLODFELTER ROAD

Good

Over: KID CANAL

0.29 mi S of LESLIE ROAD, Benton, WA

Built 1981 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 2,016

LINDSAY RD

Good

Over: SUMAS RIVER

00.5 E FRICK RD, Whatcom, WA

Built 1993 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 263

LeClerc Creek Rd

Good

Over: East Branch LeClerc Crk

1 mile n/o LeClerc N, Pend Oreille, WA

Built 1999 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 121

VAN BELLE RD.

Good

Over: SNIPES CANAL

00.01 E. OF NICHOLS RD., Yakima, WA

Built 2002 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,760

Q - NW

Good

Over: IRRIGATION CANAL

Q NW .1 N of 11, Grant, WA

Built 2003 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 392

ARGONNE ROAD

Good

Over: SPOKANE RIVER

0.6 N TRENT ROAD, Spokane, WA

Built 2004 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 32,264

NE 165TH STREET

Good

Over: COTTAGE LAKE CREEK

0.5 MI W OF AVONDALE, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 2,854

TERMINAL DRIVE NB

Good

Over: S 170TH ST

1 MI S OF SR 518, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 35,000

N. Front Street

Good

Over: W. MLK Jr. Blvd

.09 mi W of First, Yakima, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 80

Pioneer Way

Good

Over: Cowiche Creek

.04 South of Cowiche Mill, Yakima, WA

Built 2014 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 180

OLD OLYMPIC HWY

Good

Over: MCDONALD CREEK

4.0 NE JCT SR101, Clallam, WA

Built 2018 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 7,837

SAND CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

2.2 W JCT MOX CHEHALIS RD, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2018 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 104

Gate Rd

Good

Over: Baker Creek

0.52 S. of Mima Creek, Thurston, WA

Built 2021 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 508

68TH AVE NE

Good

Over: SAMMAMISH RIVER

0.2 MI S OF SR-522, King, WA

Built 2022 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1

MID. FORK MILL CR.

Good

Over: MIDDLE FORK MILL CREEK

2.8 NE SOUTH FORK MILL CR, Stevens, WA

Built 2022 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 8

204TH DR SE

Good

Over: STREAM

1.6 NE SR2, Snohomish, WA

Built 2023 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 100

BLACKTAIL MTN ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE PEND OREILLE RVR

SEC 32 T35N R41E, Stevens, WA

Built 2004 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 25

I-5

Good

Over: SR 548 (D ST)

JCT SR 548, Whatcom, WA

Built 1963 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,143

I-5

Good

Over: SR 104 / NE 205TH ST

3.1 N JCT SR 523, King, WA

Built 1963 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 77,874

SR 9

Good

Over: 72ND STREET SE

3.7 N JCT SR 96, Snohomish, WA

Built 1963 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 21,748

NE117TH ST

Good

Over: I-5

2.4 N JCT SR 522, King, WA

Built 1964 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 20,000

I-5

Good

Over: W-S W-W S-E RAMPS

1.3 N JCT SR 529, Snohomish, WA

Built 1967 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 61,062

SR 167

Good

Over: JAMES ST

0.6 N JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 1967 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 59,986

I-405

Good

Over: 9TH AVE SE

0.4 N JCT SR 527, Snohomish, WA

Built 1968 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 45,734

SR 500

Good

Over: BN SF RY

14.2 E JCT SR 503, Clark, WA

Built 1968 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 3,680

SR 20

Good

Over: HORSETAIL CREEK

16.7 E SKAGIT CO, Whatcom, WA

Built 1968 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,380

SR 16

Good

Over: ROSEDALE ST

3.6 N JCT SR 16 AR, Pierce, WA

Built 1970 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 39,840

BROADWAY

Good

Over: SR 526 E-S RAMP

JCT I-5 & SR 527, Snohomish, WA

Built 1970 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 17,375

SR 167

Good

Over: S-E RAMP

1.5 N JCT SR 161, Pierce, WA

Built 1973 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 52,668

HANSEN CR RD

Good

Over: I-90

17.1 E JCT SR 202, King, WA

Built 1971 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 83

US 195

Good

Over: BN RY

0.2 N JCT SR 271, Whitman, WA

Built 1975 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 3,874

SR 202

Good

Over: S FK SNOQUALMIE RIVER

8.3 E JCT SR 203, King, WA

Built 1976 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 11,976

SR 3

Good

Over: SR 308 (LUOTO RD)

2.6 N JCT SR 303, Kitsap, WA

Built 1981 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 19,008

SR 3

Good

Over: SR 308 (LUOTO RD)

2.6 N JCT SR 303, Kitsap, WA

Built 1981 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 19,008

US 395

Good

Over: LITTLE PEND OREILLE R

20.9 N JCT SR 231, Stevens, WA

Built 1980 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 6,684

I-90

Good

Over: SILICA RD

6.1 E JCT SR 26, Grant, WA

Built 1981 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 7,785

I-90

Good

Over: SILICA RD

6.1 E JCT SR 26, Grant, WA

Built 1982 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 7,785

SR 21

Good

Over: ROOSEVELT LAKE

13.7 N JCT SR 174, Lincoln, WA

Built 1982 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 132

SR 21

Good

Over: ROOSEVELT LAKE

14.9 N JCT SR 174, Ferry, WA

Built 1982 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 132

SR 500

Good

Over: BURNT BRIDGE CREEK

1.2 E JCT I-5, Clark, WA

Built 1982 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 43,050

I-82

Good

Over: DALLAS RD

2.0 E JCT I-182, Benton, WA

Built 1985 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 5,014

SR 161

Good

Over: LITTLE MASHEL RIVER

1.8 N JCT SR 7, Pierce, WA

Built 1986 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 394

SR 167

Good

Over: S-E RAMP

1.5 N JCT SR 161, Pierce, WA

Built 1987 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 52,668

EASTSIDE STREET

Good

Over: I-5

1.2 N JCT US 101, Thurston, WA

Built 1988 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 4,000

HOME ACRES ROAD

Good

Over: DEADWATER SLOUGH

0.1 S US 2, Snohomish, WA

Built 1994 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,201

SR 18

Good

Over: BNRR AUBURN-BLK DIAMOND

2.3 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1995 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 26,676

ACCESS (AVONDALE)

Good

Over: RAMP & NE 76TH

0.1 E JCT SR 202, King, WA

Built 1996 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 33,156

SR 18

Good

Over: CAREY CREEK

4.0 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 1995 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 15,143

Showing 6,251-6,300 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.