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

NB I-5

Good

Over: NE 117TH SALMON CK PATH

4.1 N JCT SR 500, Clark, WA

Built 2005 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 39,603

SR 16

Good

Over: 6TH AVE

3.5 N JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 2006 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 36,070

SUMMIT LAKE ROAD

Good

Over: KENNEDY CREEK

0.2 m East of SR8, Thurston, WA

Built 1985 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 671

MCKNIGHT ROAD

Good

Over: WILDCAT CREEK

00.1 SE JCT SR8, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1991 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 29

MILL CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

10.8 SE JCT 6 & 101, Pacific, WA

Built 1995 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 84

ORTING KAPOWSIN HW

Good

Over: PUYALLUP RIVER

0.7 S JCT SR 162, Pierce, WA

Built 1997 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 9,200

Everett Avenue

Good

Over: BNSF RR

Inter Terminal & Everett, Snohomish, WA

Built 2003 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 967

Grapeview Loop Rd

Good

Over: MCLANE COVE

2.45 E JCT SR 3, Mason, WA

Built 2008 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 835

39TH AVE SE

Good

Over: WILLOWS POND OVERFLOW

.05 MI W JCT 5TH AVE, Pierce, WA

Built 2005 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 17,100

STEHEKIN VALLEY RO

Good

Over: BOULDER CREEK

1.75 Miles NW of Stehekin, Chelan, WA

Built 1994 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 50

SR 14

Good

Over: SECOND STREET

0.4 E JCT SR 500, Clark, WA

Built 2012 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 22,123

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: PANTHER CREEK

5.8 MILES N OF HWY 14 (MP, Skamania, WA

Built 1988 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 10

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: TRIB TO LAKE CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Clallam, WA

Built 2008 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 50

LA CENTER ROAD

Good

Over: EAST FORK LEWIS RIVER

O.1 S CITY OF LA CENTER, Clark, WA

Built 2001 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 10,980

SE MAY VALLEY RD

Good

Over: ISSAQUAH CREEK

0.4 MI W OF ISS-HOBART RD, King, WA

Built 2009 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 4,279

OCR 3586

Good

Over: LITTLE NESPELEM RIVER

2.4 E. INDIAN AGCY., Okanogan, WA

Built 2017 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 42

SR 522

Good

Over: W MAIN ST (164TH ST SE)

9.1 E JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 2012 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 15,235

SR 530

Good

Over: SCHOOLYARD CREEK

4.8 E JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 2019 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 5,784

COUNTY ROAD 2090

Good

Over: JOSEPH CREEK

3.5 MILES N ORE LN, Asotin, WA

Built 1983 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 32

DEEP CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: DEEP CREEK

0.6 S. EUCLID ROAD, Spokane, WA

Built 2007 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 15

LAKESIDE BLVD E

Good

Over: KENT LAKES

23900 LAKESIDE BLVD E, King, WA

Built 1985 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 570

LEISLE ROAD

Good

Over: EAST LOW CANAL

01.06 MI E FOX RD., Adams, WA

Built 2015 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 206

NE ORSETH ROAD

Good

Over: GROVERS CREEK

0.1 W JCT MILLER BAY RD, Kitsap, WA

Built 2015 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 57

SR 112

Good

Over: OLSEN CREEK

7.3 E MAKAH RES, Clallam, WA

Built 2018 Load: 52.5 t ADT: 865

COUNTY ROAD 1100

Good

Over: ASOTIN CREEK

JCT LICK CREEK ROAD, Asotin, WA

Built 1992 Load: 52.5 t ADT: 12

ENDICOTT/4000

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

1.89 MI E ADAMS CNTY LINE, Whitman, WA

Built 2000 Load: 52.5 t ADT: 554

BRIDGEOVER RD

Good

Over: US 12

5.0 E JCT SR 7, Lewis, WA

Built 1966 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 647

NE 50TH AVE

Good

Over: I-205

3.9 N JCT SR 500, Clark, WA

Built 1971 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 7,397

ELDORADO BLVD

Good

Over: SR 3

7.2 N JCT SR 304, Kitsap, WA

Built 1972 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 1,208

US 2

Good

Over: 87TH AVE SE

1.9 E JCT SR 204, Snohomish, WA

Built 1982 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 26,056

SR 516

Good

Over: MULLEN SLOUGH & DIRT RD.

1.8 E JCT I-5, King, WA

Built 1983 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 23,306

I-705 RAMP

Good

Over: FLAT TERRAIN

1.2 N JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 1987 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 6,123

SR 290

Good

Over: SPOKANE RIVER

0.2 E JCT SR 27, Spokane, WA

Built 1987 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 10,736

SR 3

Good

Over: SR 305

4.3 N JCT SR 308, Kitsap, WA

Built 1993 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 15,955

SR 3

Good

Over: SR 305

4.3 N JCT SR 308, Kitsap, WA

Built 1993 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 15,955

SR 516

Good

Over: BIG SOOS CREEK

3.7 E JCT SR 515, King, WA

Built 1994 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 28,754

SR 270

Good

Over: BN & UPRR SE Spring Str

0.3 E SR 270 COPULLMN, Whitman, WA

Built 1996 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 11,051

SR 18

Good

Over: JENKINS CREEK

2.1 E JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 2002 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 19,491

SR 18

Good

Over: SE 240TH ST

3.5 E JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 2002 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 19,491

S-S RAMP

Good

Over: SR 167 RAMP

1.3 N JCT SR 181, King, WA

Built 2002 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 27,736

I-405

Good

Over: SPRINGBROOK/OAKESDALE

0.6 N JCT SR 181, King, WA

Built 2009 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 166,259

S-W RAMP

Good

Over: CAMPUS WAY NE

0.6 W JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 2008 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 8,549

US 12

Good

Over: MYRA RD

27.7 E JCT US 730 SPUR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2009 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 2,287

US 12

Good

Over: MYRA RD

27.7 E JCT US 730 SPUR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2009 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 2,287

SR 27

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

4.1 N JCT SR 271, Whitman, WA

Built 2010 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 387

JAMES ROAD

Good

Over: OVERFLOW CHANNEL

1. S JCT SR12, Thurston, WA

Built 1985 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 1,265

JAMES ROAD SW

Good

Over: SCATTER CREEK

0.46 m W of Denmark Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 1982 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 1,265

DUNLAP ROAD

Good

Over: SLOUGH

00.9 S JCT SR12, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1985 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 30

143RD AVE S W

Good

Over: SCATTER CREEK

0.25 m N jct. SR 507, Thurston, WA

Built 1987 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 1,256

ALDER CUTOFF RD E

Good

Over: TACOMA RAIL MNT. DIV.

3.3 E JCT SR 161, Pierce, WA

Built 1946 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 2,725

Showing 7,301-7,350 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.