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

US 12

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

9.2 E JCT SR 125 SPUR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2003 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 4,414

SR 18

Good

Over: SR 169 MAXWELL TAYLOR CR

JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 2005 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 16,302

US 12

Good

Over: COPPEI CREEK

21.3 E JCT SR 125 SPUR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2005 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 3,450

LABREE ROAD

Good

Over: I-5

3.7 N JCT SR 508, Lewis, WA

Built 2008 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 1,605

SR 520 N-E RAMP

Good

Over: W L SAMMAMISH PKWY/RIVER

4.9 E JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 4,606

WILKENSEN ROAD

Good

Over: CENTRALIA CANAL

.3 m N of NorPacif Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 1986 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 5,357

KOPACHUCK DR NW

Good

Over: HENDERSON BAY INLET

5.5 W JCT SR 16, Pierce, WA

Built 2000 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 2,275

Bolling Road

Good

Over: Gosnell Creek

0.23 S JCT Cloquallum rd, Mason, WA

Built 2003 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 36

GROWLERS GULCH RD

Good

Over: ARKANSAS CREEK

0.27 W PH 10 (MP 2.83), Cowlitz, WA

Built 1953 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 134

Havana Street

Good

Over: BNSF Rail Road

North 1000 Havana, Spokane, WA

Built 2012 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 6,335

Elliott Road

Good

Over: Elliott Creek

1.5 E JCT SR9, Snohomish, WA

Built 2013 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 2,476

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: CANYON CREEK

MP 1.1 SINCE 1990, Whatcom, WA

Built 2007 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 50

Veterans Dr.

Good

Over: GREEN RIVER

2.0 MI E OF I-5, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 5,200

288 ST S

Good

Over: LACAMAS CREEK

2.6 E JCT SR507, Pierce, WA

Built 2015 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 1,025

E WELLESLEY AVE

Good

Over: SR 290 WB

4.4 E JCT SR 27, Spokane, WA

Built 1963 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 5,807

US 101

Good

Over: STEAMBOAT CREEK

7.8 N GRAYS HBR CO, Jefferson, WA

Built 2021 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 1,165

S NE

Good

Over: Dry Coulee

S NE 1.0 S of 39 NE, Grant, WA

Built 2005 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 91

CARTER RD.

Good

Over: SWAMP CREEK

0.2 N. KING CO. LINE, Snohomish, WA

Built 2013 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 3,021

I-90

Good

Over: UPRR

4.4 E JCT US 2, Spokane, WA

Built 2001 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 50,328

SR 202

Good

Over: PATTERSON CRK EAST TRIB

12.0 E JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2020 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 12,172

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: MOUSE CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Skamania, WA

Built 2006 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 129

"39" Road NE

Good

Over: Field Runoff

39 NE .01 E of R NE, Grant, WA

Built 2010 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 49

NELSON SIDING ROAD

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

01.45 SE of I-90, Kittitas, WA

Built 2012 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 800

Vantage Hwy

Good

Over: Cascade Canal

MP 5.25 Vantage Hwy, Kittitas, WA

Built 2023 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 3,979

SR 21

Good

Over: LAKE CR

6.4 N JCT SR 28, Lincoln, WA

Built 1969 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 245

SR 500

Good

Over: ANDRESEN RD

3.1 E JCT I-5, Clark, WA

Built 1995 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 41,764

WB SR 18 TO 304TH

Good

Over: SOOSETTE CREEK

4.7 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1997 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 3,745

E-S RAMP

Good

Over: BUILDING PARKING LOT

0.2 W JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 2003 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 4,000

SR 18

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

1.4 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 16,302

SR 202

Good

Over: EVANS CREEK

1.7 E JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2007 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 29,749

SR 202

Good

Over: DETENTION VAULT

2.0 E JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2007 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 14,868

US 2

Good

Over: DRY FALLS DAM

2.1 E DOUGLAS CO, Grant, WA

Built 1984 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 1,935

SR 509

Good

Over: DES MOINES CK/MEM TRAIL

0.8 N JCT SR 516, King, WA

Built 2007 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 18,248

SNOHOMISH MNRO RD

Good

Over: PILCHUCK RIVER

0.8 S JCT SR 2, Snohomish, WA

Built 1999 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 4,458

311 TH AV SE

Good

Over: SKYKOMISH SLOUGH

0.5 S JCT SR2, Snohomish, WA

Built 2006 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 2,263

4700 ROAD

Good

Over: W. FORK WILLAME CREEK

NEAR SKATE CREEK, Lewis, WA

Built 2000 Load: 56.3 t ADT: 40

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: NINE MILE CREEK

15.3 MILES NORTH OF HWY 1, Skamania, WA

Built 1988 Load: 56.3 t ADT: 10

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: DUNGENESS RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Clallam, WA

Built 1993 Load: 56.3 t ADT: 50

US 12

Good

Over: NINE MILE HILL ROAD

10.3 E JCT US 730 SPUR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2023 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 3,889

US 12

Good

Over: NINE MILE HILL ROAD

10.3 E JCT US 730 SPUR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2023 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 3,889

ALGER CAIN LAKE RD

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.34 E JCT OLD HWY 99, Skagit, WA

Built 1992 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 4,286

WISHKAH ROAD

Good

Over: WISHKAH RIVER

08.20 N. ABERDEEN, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1994 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 1,167

SR 502

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

3.7 E JCT I-5, Clark, WA

Built 2015 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 23,865

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: LITTLE WHITE SALMON 1

NO DATA ENTERED, Skamania, WA

Built 1984 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 5

GRIST MILL RD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.5N OF CEDAR CK RD, Clark, WA

Built 1994 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 102

EAST QUILCENE ROAD

Good

Over: DONOVAN CREEK

0.77 E. JCT. CENTER RD, Jefferson, WA

Built 2006 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 513

292ND AVE SE

Good

Over: PATTERSON CREEK

.03 MI S OF SR-202, King, WA

Built 2012 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 7,269

SEABECK HIGHWAY

Good

Over: SEABECK CREEK

400 FT SW of LARSON LANE, Kitsap, WA

Built 2020 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 3,657

Maintenance Road

Good

Over: East Low Canal

Weber Branch Siphon, Grant, WA

Built 1950 Load: 56.8 t ADT: 1

East Low Canal

Good

Over: East Low Canal

Weber Coulee Siphon Outle, Grant, WA

Built 1950 Load: 56.8 t ADT: 1

Showing 7,451-7,500 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.