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

SE 244 ST

Good

Over: SOOS CREEK

2.25 MI N OF SR-516, King, WA

Built 2009 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 4,883

Washougal River Rd

Good

Over: Cougar Creek

5.2 E JCT SR 14, Clark, WA

Built 2012 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 3,400

Jordan Road

Good

Over: Jim Creek

3.5 SE JCT SR 530, Snohomish, WA

Built 2014 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 1,651

NE 119th Street

Good

Over: Curtain Creek

0.5 miles east of 87th Av, Clark, WA

Built 2015 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 15,202

11 N.W.

Good

Over: Wasteway

11 NW @ M NW, Grant, WA

Built 2017 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 232

US 12

Good

Over: SATSOP R OVERFLOW

4.8 E JCT SR 107, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1965 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 11,538

SR 153

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

29.3 N JCT US 97, Okanogan, WA

Built 2001 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 2,077

BELLEVUE WAY NE

Good

Over: SR 520

4.9 E JCT SR 513, King, WA

Built 2014 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 22,813

SR 522

Good

Over: ELLIOTT ROAD

6.3 E JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 2013 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 15,235

OMANS ROAD

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK

11.73 N FAS L220, Lincoln, WA

Built 1996 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 119

LAKE HELENA RD SW

Good

Over: MUCK FORK CREEK

W OF J.M. DICKENSON, Kitsap, WA

Built 2011 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 1,401

MANN RD

Good

Over: UN-NAMED STREAM

1.4 SE JCT SR2, Snohomish, WA

Built 2023 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 1,166

STEELE ST

Good

Over: SR 512

0.6 E JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 1975 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 13,792

I-5

Good

Over: ALLEN ST / SR 4

JCT SR 4, Cowlitz, WA

Built 1981 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 23,052

I-5

Good

Over: ALLEN ST/SR 4

JCT SR 4, Cowlitz, WA

Built 1980 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 23,052

SR 526 E-N RAMP

Good

Over: I-5 BROADWAY AVE

JCT I-5 & SR 527, Snohomish, WA

Built 1995 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 14,966

SR 18

Good

Over: CAREY CR TRIB

3.9 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 1996 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 15,143

SR 18

Good

Over: SOOS CREEK

6.7 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1996 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 25,223

SR 18 RAMP

Good

Over: SOOSETTE CREEK

4.7 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1997 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 5,784

304TH ST

Good

Over: SR 18

4.6 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1997 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 11,963

SR 18

Good

Over: JENKINS CREEK

2.1 E JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 2002 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 19,491

US 2 W-S RAMP

Good

Over: FARWELL RD

4.8 E JCT SR 291, Spokane, WA

Built 2004 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 2,888

DELIN STREET

Good

Over: I-5

1.0 N JCT SR 16, Pierce, WA

Built 2007 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 3,449

SR 202

Good

Over: DETENTION VAULT

1.9 E JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2007 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 14,392

SR 202

Good

Over: EVANS CREEK

2.4 E JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 29,736

US 12

Good

Over: RR & PRIVATE ROAD

8.7 E JCT SR 124, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2007 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 5,806

SR 20

Good

Over: HIGGINS SLOUGH

2.2 E JCT SR 536, Skagit, WA

Built 2008 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 14,246

US 395

Good

Over: N WANDERMERE & RAMP

1.3 N JCT US 2, Spokane, WA

Built 2011 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 5,507

US 395

Good

Over: GERLACH RD

5.7 N JCT I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 2012 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 6,216

SR 548

Good

Over: TERRELL CREEK

4.7 W JCT I-5, Whatcom, WA

Built 2011 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 5,048

SR 397

Good

Over: BNSF RR

10.6 N JCT I-82, Benton, WA

Built 2008 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 1,162

JOHNSON CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

.4 m N Skookumchuck Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 1985 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 324

20TH ST NE

Good

Over: CATHERINE CREEK

0.38 E JCT 124TH AV NE, Snohomish, WA

Built 1997 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 3,192

ARCHER ROAD

Good

Over: PATAHA CREEK

0.046 MI LEFT SR12, Columbia, WA

Built 1998 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 50

SAND/9060

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK PALOUSE RIVER

6.43MI NE JOHNSON, Whitman, WA

Built 2005 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 624

ROAD

Good

Over: PARK CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Whatcom, WA

Built 1981 Load: 54.5 t ADT: 382

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: PILEUP CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Kittitas, WA

Built 2012 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 120

16TH ST NE

Good

Over: CATHERINE CREEK

1.9 S JCT SR 92, Snohomish, WA

Built 1998 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 1,285

MCKAY GRADE RD

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK RUSSELL CREEK

0.02E SF RUSSELL CR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1996 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 25

NORTH FORK COPPEI

Good

Over: NORTH FORK COPPEI CREEK

3.242 SE COPPEI RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1997 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 22

172ND AVE SE

Good

Over: SOOS CREEK

1.7 MI N OF SR-18, King, WA

Built 2009 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 1,150

JOHNS RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: SWAMP CREEK

3.9 MI E JCT SR105, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2016 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 183

HANNEGAN RD

Good

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

0.2 N TEN MILE ROAD, Whatcom, WA

Built 2018 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 11,198

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: S FK SOLEDUCK RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Clallam, WA

Built 2004 Load: 54.9 t ADT: 50

I-90 WB

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

6.2 E JCT SR 906, Kittitas, WA

Built 2016 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 17,475

SE SUMMIT LANDSBUR

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

0.5 MI N OF SR169, King, WA

Built 2022 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 1,200

SR 9

Good

Over: BLACK SLOUGH

9.7 N SKAGIT CO, Whatcom, WA

Built 1952 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 3,307

US 12

Good

Over: GULCH

3.6 E JCT SR 123, Lewis, WA

Built 1997 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 1,729

MAIN STREET

Good

Over: I-5 S-S RAMP PED PATH

0.6 N JCT SR 500, Clark, WA

Built 2001 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 7,060

E-E RAMP

Good

Over: N-E RAMP FROM FRONT ST

2.1 E JCT SR 900, King, WA

Built 2003 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 11,411

Showing 7,401-7,450 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.