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 4th Avenue

Good

Over: Budd Inlet W. Bay & BNRR

4th Avenue, Thurston, WA

Built 2004 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 20,060

DUNCAN RD

Good

Over: OWL CREEK

0.30 E FISHPOND (MP 1.88), Cowlitz, WA

Built 2003 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 75

Flinn Road

Good

Over: McElroy Slough

300 Ft E Blanchard Rd, Skagit, WA

Built 2006 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 20

144 ST NW

Good

Over: ROCKY CREEK

1.0 W JCT WRIGHT-BLISS RD, Pierce, WA

Built 2007 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 575

LITTLE SPOKANE DR

Good

Over: LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER

0.1MI W OF US 395, Spokane, WA

Built 2012 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 3,691

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: WAKETICKEH CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mason, WA

Built 2000 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 75

Whiskey Creek Road

Good

Over: Whiskey Creek

0.7 MI S of Lower Hogeye, Columbia, WA

Built 2017 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 110

SR 96

Good

Over: NORTH CREEK

0.5 E JCT I-5, Snohomish, WA

Built 2023 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 47,637

Channel Road

Good

Over: Cayou Valley Lagoon

ORCAS ISLAND, San Juan, WA

Built 2016 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 516

TAYLORS FERRY ROAD

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

0.03 N JCT 96412, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2017 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 70

BLACK / 2300

Good

Over: KELLY CREEK

0.15 MI W SR 27, Whitman, WA

Built 2021 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 60

SR 18

Good

Over: HOLDER CR HOBART RD

4.6 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 1961 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 11,332

FOURTH PLAIN BLVD

Good

Over: I-205

0.3 N JCT SR 500, Clark, WA

Built 1973 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 18,150

US 2

Good

Over: PILCHUCK R MACHIAS RD

1.3 E JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 1983 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 22,670

US 2

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2.0 E SNOHOMISH CO, King, WA

Built 1986 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 5,562

E YAKIMA AVE

Good

Over: FAIR AVE

2.0 E JCT US 12, Yakima, WA

Built 1996 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 23,453

US 101

Good

Over: SIMDARS RD

19.8 E JCT SR 117, Clallam, WA

Built 1999 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 15,569

US 12

Good

Over: MCNARY POOL

4.4 E JCT SR 124, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2004 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 14,240

SR 18

Good

Over: 244TH AVE SE

1.2 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 16,302

EB SR 18 ON RAMP

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

1.4 E JCT SR 169, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 471

SR 142

Good

Over: BOWMAN CREEK

20.1 E JCT SR 14, Klickitat, WA

Built 2006 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 409

NB US 395

Good

Over: MARKET STREET

6.9 N JCT I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 2007 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 5,804

SR 16 S TO SPRAGUE

Good

Over: TERRAIN

0.37 W JCT I-5, Pierce, WA

Built 2010 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 5,861

E-S RAMP

Good

Over: MARKET STREET

6.9 N JCT I-90, Spokane, WA

Built 2012 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 367

W MILL PLAIN BLVD

Good

Over: BN RR

1.1 N JCT I-5, Clark, WA

Built 1999 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 7,119

ALDERWOOD M BLVD

Good

Over: SR 524 E-S I-5 S-E

1.5 E JCT SR 99, Snohomish, WA

Built 1999 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 15,848

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: WEST FORK TILTON

NO DATA ENTERED, Lewis, WA

Built 2005 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: TACOMA CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Pend Oreille, WA

Built 1993 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 2

428TH AVE SE

Good

Over: MIDDLE FORK SNOQUALMIE R

2.1 MI E OF SR 202, King, WA

Built 1984 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 1,226

PACIFIC HWY SW

Good

Over: SOUND TRANSIT RAILROAD

00.1 MI E GRAV LK, Pierce, WA

Built 1959 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 4,612

NORTH FORK COPPEI

Good

Over: NORTH FORK COPPEI CREEK

3.872 SE COPPEI RD, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1997 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 22

175 TH S.W.

Good

Over: OVERFLOW CHANNEL

0.6 m W of Moon Rd, Thurston, WA

Built 1997 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 77

COURT STREET

Good

Over: CHEWELAH CREEK

0.08 W 2ND AVE, Stevens, WA

Built 2010 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 50

BROOKLYN ROAD

Good

Over: GARRARD CREEK

0.03 N WILDERNESS ROAD, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2011 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 167

Chiwawa River Road

Good

Over: Chikamin Creek

Chiwawa River Road MP9.22, Chelan, WA

Built 2014 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 76

NE CARN. FARM RD

Good

Over: SLOUGH

0.2 MI W OF SR-203, King, WA

Built 1998 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 1,259

DUNCAN SPRING/8020

Good

Over: REBEL FLAT CREEK

0.12 MI W ALMOTA, Whitman, WA

Built 1996 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 267

CHICO WAY NW

Good

Over: CHICO CREEK

0.8 N JCT KITSAP WAY, Kitsap, WA

Built 2009 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 5,362

NW STAVIS BAY ROAD

Good

Over: STAVIS CREEK

2.25 SW SEABECK, Kitsap, WA

Built 2011 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 711

Stratford Rd

Good

Over: Crab Creek

.25 S of Hwy 28, Grant, WA

Built 2017 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 778

SR 99

Good

Over: SR 104

JCT SR 104, Snohomish, WA

Built 1975 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 30,354

SR 509 N-N RAMP

Good

Over: TERRAIN

JCT I-705, Pierce, WA

Built 1996 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 6,673

US 97

Good

Over: TOPPENISH CREEK

23.6 N KLICKITAT CO, Yakima, WA

Built 2002 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 3,984

MOX CHEHALIS RD

Good

Over: SR 8

1.3 E JCT SR 108, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 2003 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 2,445

SR 202 WB

Good

Over: EVANS CREEK

2.4 E JCT SR 520, King, WA

Built 2006 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 14,868

NB SR 16

Good

Over: BURLEY-OLLALA RD

2.0 N PIERCE CO, Kitsap, WA

Built 2009 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 26,293

SB SR 16

Good

Over: BURLEY-OLLALA RD

2.0 N PIERCE CO, Kitsap, WA

Built 2009 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 26,293

I-90 W-N RAMP

Good

Over: 4TH AVE AND SOUND TRANS

0.4 W JCT I-5, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 11,000

SR 520 W-N RAMP

Good

Over: SAMMAMISH PKWY/RIVER

4.9 E JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 2010 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 3,902

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: JEFFERSON CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mason, WA

Built 1986 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 10

Showing 7,551-7,600 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.