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

ROAD

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER

7.0 MI W OF TACOMA PASS, King, WA

Built 1963 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 14

ROAD

Good

Over: TOUCHET RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Columbia, WA

Built 2005 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 60

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: POTHOLES EAST CANAL

0.77W SAGEMOOR 908, Franklin, WA

Built 1953 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 313

HEMMI RD W

Good

Over: TEN MILE CR

00.3 E. ALDRICH RD., Whatcom, WA

Built 1986 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 441

AGATE RD

Good

Over: CAMPBELL CREEK

3.13 S JCT SR3, Mason, WA

Built 1993 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 3,036

STEIACOOM ROAD

Good

Over: HARTMAN CREEK

1 MILE E DUTERROW INT, Thurston, WA

Built 2001 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 1,001

188th Ave SW

Good

Over: OVERFLOW

1st Bridge E of Casino, Thurston, WA

Built 2002 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 1,114

S 277TH ST

Good

Over: BNSF RR

0.5 MI EAST OF SR-167, King, WA

Built 2003 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 26,000

S 156TH WAY

Good

Over: MILLER CREEK

0.5 MI S OF SR-518, King, WA

Built 2005 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 10,150

COUGAR SMITH ROAD

Good

Over: MIDDLE FORK SATSOP RIVER

0.2 NW JCT 7365, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2006 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 307

DEKAY ROAD

Good

Over: POLSON CREEK

1.4 W JCT US 101, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2006 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 192

DEKAY ROAD

Good

Over: POLSON CREEK

0.8 W JCT US 101, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2006 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 209

128TH AV SW

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

0.08 MILE W LITTLEROCK RD, Thurston, WA

Built 2007 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 3,047

WYNOOCHE VALLEY RD

Good

Over: SAVE CREEK

28.4 MILES N. SR12, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2002 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 329

N ForkTeanaway Rd

Good

Over: JACK CREEK

05.36 N. W.F. TEAN.RD., Kittitas, WA

Built 2009 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 313

OCR 3683

Good

Over: NESPELEM RIVER

5.1 mi N. SR 155, Okanogan, WA

Built 2022 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 51

MAIN ST

Good

Over: PEPIN CREEK

100 WEST OF DAHLIA ST, Whatcom, WA

Built 2022 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 6,100

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: TRIB. TO MATHENY CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Jefferson, WA

Built 2004 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 15

US 395

Good

Over: BNSF RR

4.6 N JCT I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 2015 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 5,500

I-5 NB

Good

Over: SR 16 EB/SB E/S-N RAMP

5.0 N JCT SR 512, Pierce, WA

Built 2017 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 65,515

FROST RD

Good

Over: SAAR CREEK

0.5 N SOUTH PASS ROAD, Whatcom, WA

Built 2004 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 118

310TH AVE SE

Good

Over: PATTERSON CREEK

0.8 MI N OF SR-202, King, WA

Built 2008 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 338

308TH AVE SE

Good

Over: PATTERSON CREEK

0.2 MI NO OF SR-202, King, WA

Built 2008 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 300

McDONALD RD

Good

Over: BURLINGAME DITCH

0.200 N of FROG HOLLOW RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2009 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 370

TOUCHET GARDENA RD

Good

Over: WALLA WALLA RIVER

0.147 N of SANDPIT RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2012 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 990

195TH AVE. NE

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY

1.5 MI N OF SR 202, King, WA

Built 2012 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 7,945

WOODBRIDGE ST NW

Good

Over: WETLANDS

0.17 SE SILVERDALE WAY NW, Kitsap, WA

Built 2017 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 387

SINLAHEKIN RD

Good

Over: BLUE LAKE OUTLET

9.5 MI S. OF LOOMIS, Okanogan, WA

Built 2018 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 36

135TH AVE NE

Good

Over: Woodin Creek

135TH AVE NE&NE 171ST ST., King, WA

Built 2018 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 2,570

SW LAKE FLORA ROAD

Good

Over: COUTLER CREEK

2.6 MI SE OF SR 3, Kitsap, WA

Built 2020 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 4,545

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: NO DATA ENTERED

NO DATA ENTERED, Lewis, WA

Built 1999 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 20

FOSTER RD

Good

Over: RUSSELL CREEK

0.15S RUSSELL CR RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1998 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 270

BELFAIR TAHUYA RD

Good

Over: TAHUYA RIVER

3.73 NW N. SHORE RD, Mason, WA

Built 2009 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 2,558

Old Highway-Arden

Good

Over: Little Pend Oreille Riv

00.05 N. Jct 3618 Hall Rd, Stevens, WA

Built 2013 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 401

NE 31ST STREET

Good

Over: MAY CREEK

0.3 MI E OF I-405, King, WA

Built 2014 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 50

NW DAVID ROAD

Good

Over: DICKERSON CREEK

0.1 W NORTHLAKE WAY, Kitsap, WA

Built 2015 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 257

SR 8

Good

Over: US 101

10.1 E GRAYS HBR CO, Thurston, WA

Built 1958 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 9,758

SR 8

Good

Over: US 101

10.1 E GRAYS HBR CO, Thurston, WA

Built 1958 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 9,758

I-405 S-W RAMP

Good

Over: NORTHUP WAY

0.1 N JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 1966 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 9,741

SR 522

Good

Over: NORTH CR & GILLMAN TRAIL

5.9 E JCT SR 104, King, WA

Built 1967 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 12,224

SR 510

Good

Over: BNSF RAILROAD

4.1 E JCT I-5, Thurston, WA

Built 1970 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 12,915

SR 167

Good

Over: PUYALLUP RIVER

6.4 N JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 1971 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 17,755

SR 271

Good

Over: US 195

8.4 N JCT SR 27, Whitman, WA

Built 1975 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 1,098

SR 18

Good

Over: SR 516

7.2 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1979 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 14,411

SR 14 W-N RAMP

Good

Over: I-5 N-W RAMP

0.1 E JCT I-5, Clark, WA

Built 1983 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 14,711

SR 14 W-N RAMP

Good

Over: I-5 N-W RAMP

0.1 E JCT I-5, Clark, WA

Built 1982 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 14,711

US 101

Good

Over: SLOUGH

1.6 S JCT SR 106, Mason, WA

Built 1985 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 7,382

US 12

Good

Over: SLOUGH

17.4 E JCT SR 8, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1986 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 7,443

SR 167

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE AVE

0.5 N JCT SR 161, Pierce, WA

Built 1993 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 21,895

SR 508

Good

Over: TILTON RIVER

28.5 E JCT I-5, Lewis, WA

Built 1994 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 1,171

Showing 7,001-7,050 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.