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

W. KNEELAND BLVD

Good

Over: US 101

1.7 S JCT SR 102, Mason, WA

Built 1993 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 6,636

US 97

Good

Over: SWAUK CREEK

3.1 N JCT SR 970, Kittitas, WA

Built 1993 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 6,032

URQUHART RD

Good

Over: US 395

10.9 N JCT SR 21, Adams, WA

Built 1995 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 18

SR 509 RAMP

Good

Over: RAILROAD

0.7 N JCT I-705, Pierce, WA

Built 1996 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 3,696

SR 27

Good

Over: MCCOY CREEK

20.2 N JCT SR 272, Whitman, WA

Built 1996 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 783

SR 112

Good

Over: SUSIE CREEK

22.9 E JCT SR 113, Clallam, WA

Built 1996 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 825

SR 823

Good

Over: YAKIMA RIVER

0.5 N JCT US 12, Yakima, WA

Built 1999 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 5,230

SR 9

Good

Over: STILLAGUAMISH R HALLER

0.2 N JCT SR 530, Snohomish, WA

Built 1999 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 8,312

US 12 MOON RD

Good

Over: SLOUGH

1.0 E GRAYS HBR CO, Thurston, WA

Built 1999 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 9,817

PORT OF TACOMA RD

Good

Over: SR 509

1.7 N JCT I-705, Pierce, WA

Built 2001 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 11,919

HIGHLANDS DR NE

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN TUNNEL

2.1 E JCT SR 900, King, WA

Built 2003 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 19,258

SB SR 16

Good

Over: TACOMA NARROWS

1.5 N JCT SR 163, Pierce, WA

Built 2007 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 43,285

S 317TH ST

Good

Over: SB I-5 RAMP

2.0 N JCT SR 18, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 6,850

NB US 395

Good

Over: PARKSMITH DR & RR

7.3 N JCT I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 2009 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 5,804

US 2

Good

Over: BLEWETT CUTOFF RD

19.4 E JCT SR 207, Chelan, WA

Built 2008 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 14,169

I-5

Good

Over: SR 121 & RAILROAD

6.9 N JCT US 12, Thurston, WA

Built 2010 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 66,693

US 101

Good

Over: PURDY CREEK

4.1 S JCT SR 106, Mason, WA

Built 2009 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 7,382

I-405-SR 520 NBCD

Good

Over: I-405 N-E & N-W RAMPS

3.1 N JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 2011 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 9,644

SR 105

Good

Over: NORTH RIVER

10.5 N JCT US 101, Pacific, WA

Built 2014 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,095

I-5

Good

Over: BLAKESLEE JCT RR

1.6 N JCT SR 507, Lewis, WA

Built 2015 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 34,801

SR 97

Good

Over: SATUS CREEK

17.6 N JCT SR142, Klickitat, WA

Built 2021 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 3,862

SR 169

Good

Over: RAVENSDALE CREEK

10.0 N JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 2022 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 14,091

US 2

Good

Over: SOUTH COULEE DAM

27.4 E JCT SR 172, Grant, WA

Built 1984 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,935

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: SKATE CREEK

9 MILES NE OF JCT HWY 12, Lewis, WA

Built 1990 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 371

ROAD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Kittitas, WA

Built 2012 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 50

RICKMAN GULCH RD

Good

Over: PATAHA CREEK

0.1 S JCT SR 12, Garfield, WA

Built 1988 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 49

QUINAULT S SHORE

Good

Over: EWELL CREEK

5.0 NE JCT US 101, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1983 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 377

133 ST S

Good

Over: CLOVER CREEK

.06 E JCT SR7, Pierce, WA

Built 1970 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 1,000

WHITEMAN RD

Good

Over: WALLACE RIVER

0.5 NE JCT SR2, Snohomish, WA

Built 1988 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 306

PLEASANT VALLEY RD

Good

Over: STEARNS CREEK

0.07 S JCT 41013, Lewis, WA

Built 1987 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 496

OSO LOOP RD

Good

Over: N.F. STILLAGUAMISH RIVER

0.3 S JCT SR 530, Snohomish, WA

Built 1990 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 410

LEBOR DEVORE RD E

Good

Over: SOUTH CREEK

1.74 E JCT SR7, Pierce, WA

Built 1996 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 425

WITTE ROAD

Good

Over: PARK TRAIL

0.5 MI E OF SR-168, King, WA

Built 1996 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 8,100

3 RD NW

Good

Over: WEST CANAL

3 NW 1 West of SR 281, Grant, WA

Built 2002 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 96

FIRST STREET

Good

Over: MICA CREEK

0.1 N RR GRADE XNG, Spokane, WA

Built 2003 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 71

OLD HWY 99

Good

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

1. S JCT I-5, Thurston, WA

Built 2010 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 11,240

NOSCHKA ROAD

Good

Over: NOSKI CREEK

0.65 MI. W. OF WADDELL RD, Thurston, WA

Built 2011 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 51

JACKSON HWY

Good

Over: NEWAUKUM RIVER

4.5 MILES SE CHEHALIS, Lewis, WA

Built 2011 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 3,565

Point Lawrence Rd

Good

Over: Buck Bay

Orcas Island, San Juan, WA

Built 2011 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 939

240TH AVE SE

Good

Over: 15 MILE CREEK

0.2 MI N TIGER MT. RD, King, WA

Built 2013 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 110

LITTLEROCK ROAD

Good

Over: SALMON CREEK

3.0 NW JCT SR 121, Thurston, WA

Built 2014 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 6,458

WARREN STREET

Good

Over: MUCK CREEK

0.1 N JCT SR 507, Pierce, WA

Built 2013 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 200

BEAVER CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.88 m from Hwy 121, Thurston, WA

Built 2017 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 430

CENTRALIA ALPHA RD

Good

Over: MID FK NEWAUKUM RIVER

2.5 MILES NW JCT SR 508, Lewis, WA

Built 2022 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 498

MARSHALL ROAD

Good

Over: MARSHALL CREEK

0.1 W CHENEY-SPOKANE, Spokane, WA

Built 2023 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 52

SAMISH WAY

Good

Over: I-5

1.4 N JCT SR 11, Whatcom, WA

Built 2000 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 3,500

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: PUNY CREEK

2 MILES SE OF FS BOUNDARY, Skamania, WA

Built 2000 Load: 40.9 t ADT: 207

ROAD

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER

5.3 MI W OF TACOMA PASS, King, WA

Built 1995 Load: 40.9 t ADT: 17

ROAD

Good

Over: S FK SNOQUALMIE RIVER

2 MI NE OF 58/9035 JCT, King, WA

Built 2004 Load: 40.9 t ADT: 232

DONKEY CR ROAD

Good

Over: OBRIEN CREEK

OFF HWY 101 3.7 MI FSR 22, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2010 Load: 40.9 t ADT: 150

Showing 6,501-6,550 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.