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

NEWHALEM PH ROAD

Poor

Over: NEWHALEM CREEK

Newhalem Powerhouse, King, WA

Built 1968 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 65

BZ Glenwood Hwy

Poor

Over: OUTLET CREEK

15.2 NE JCT SR 141, Klickitat, WA

Built 1958 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 217

US 97

Poor

Over: KUSSHI CR

19.6 N JCT SR 142, Klickitat, WA

Built 1945 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 3,968

BEVERLY BURKE RD

Poor

Over: I-90

10.8 E JCT SR 26, Grant, WA

Built 1964 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 574

I-90

Poor

Over: MERCER SL

6.6 E JCT I-5, King, WA

Built 1970 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 68,450

COUNTY ROAD 1600

Poor

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2.8 MI.N.JCT.SR20, Okanogan, WA

Built 1957 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 50

NACHES RD. S.

Poor

Over: NACHES RIVER

00.05 N LEWIS ROAD, Yakima, WA

Built 1964 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 4,150

MEADOR AVENUE

Poor

Over: WHATCOM CREEK

0.07 E JCT N STATE ST, Whatcom, WA

Built 1936 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 3,700

SR 500

Poor

Over: LACAMAS LAKE

12.6 E JCT SR 503, Clark, WA

Built 1930 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 10,894

W MEEKER STREET

Poor

Over: GREEN RIVER

0.1 MI E OF JCT SR-516, King, WA

Built 1958 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 25,000

SR 20

Poor

Over: ABANDONED RAILROAD

5.3 E OKANOGAN CO, Ferry, WA

Built 1960 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 2,698

SR 22

Poor

Over: BEAVER CRK

0.2 E JCT I-82, Yakima, WA

Built 1979 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 9,070

NO DATA ENTERED

Poor

Over: LENA CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Mason, WA

Built 1964 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 25

ROAD

Poor

Over: NORTH FORK TANEUM

TANEUM JCT, Kittitas, WA

Built 1957 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 100

4TH AVE S

Poor

Over: PARKING GARAGE

4th Ave S & Jackson St, King, WA

Built 1910 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 27,000

SR 203

Poor

Over: CHERRY CREEK

17.3 N JCT SR 202, King, WA

Built 1946 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 10,190

SR 529

Poor

Over: UNION SL

5.9 N JCT SR 529 SPUR, Snohomish, WA

Built 1954 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 16,054

SR 21

Poor

Over: BAUER COULEE

12.7 N JCT US 395, Adams, WA

Built 1946 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 293

SR 260

Poor

Over: DRY WASH

0.1 E JCT SR 21, Franklin, WA

Built 1967 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 647

S BOEING ACCESS RD

Poor

Over: AIRPORT WAY BAR RAMP

0.2 W E MARGINAL WY, King, WA

Built 1952 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 40,000

MILLERDALE AVE

Poor

Over: WEN REC IRRIG CANAL

APPLELAND DR, Chelan, WA

Built 1975 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 453

SULLIVAN RD

Poor

Over: SR 290 (TRENT AVE)

2.1 E JCT SR 27, Spokane, WA

Built 1960 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 21,500

US 12

Poor

Over: WAREHOUSE YARD

8.2 E WALLA WAL CO, Columbia, WA

Built 1933 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 2,430

SR 529

Poor

Over: SNOHOMISH RIVER

4.7 N JCT SR 529 SPUR, Snohomish, WA

Built 1954 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 15,905

NO DATA ENTERED

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK DITCH

7 MILES SW OF MT. ADAMS R, Skamania, WA

Built 1983 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 50

STEELE RD

Poor

Over: BRANCH CANAL EL68 134+51

00.01 MI N HERMAN, Adams, WA

Built 1952 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 107

I-90

Poor

Over: UMPTANUM RD

2.2 E JCT US 97, Kittitas, WA

Built 1967 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 15,014

US 12

Poor

Over: COAL CREEK

20.2 E JCT SR 131, Lewis, WA

Built 1930 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 2,401

US 2

Poor

Over: S FK SKYKOMISH RIVER

20.3 E JCT SR 203, Snohomish, WA

Built 1933 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 6,051

SR 207

Poor

Over: WENATCHEE RIVER

4.2 N JCT US 2, Chelan, WA

Built 1940 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,807

WENZEL SLOUGH ROAD

Poor

Over: VANCE CREEK

01.3 W JCT 9641, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1971 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 124

252 AVE SE ISSAQ

Poor

Over: ISSAQUAH CREEK

0.1 MI S HOBART-ISS ROAD, King, WA

Built 1951 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 330

EASTLAKE AVE NE

Poor

Over: PORTAGE BAY

3200 EASTLAKE AVE, King, WA

Built 1915 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 35,000

I-90

Poor

Over: WEST CANAL

12.3 E JCT SR 26, Grant, WA

Built 1964 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 5,419

FAS ROUTE A240

Poor

Over: TWISP RIVER

.SESES12T33NR21E, Okanogan, WA

Built 1949 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 770

SALAKANUM WY

Poor

Over: ANDERSON CREEK

00.4 SO OF GOSHEN, Whatcom, WA

Built 1954 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 50

CAMP CREEK ROAD

Poor

Over: CAMP CREEK

01.7 N JCT 7078, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1971 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 437

FIVE MILE RD

Poor

Over: MILL CREEK

02.62NW SCENIC LOOP, Walla Walla, WA

Built 1953 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 340

US 12

Poor

Over: WYNOOCHEE RIVER

8.3 E JCT US 101, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1935 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 20,963

US 101

Poor

Over: BIG QUILCENE RIVER

11.5 S JCT SR 104, Jefferson, WA

Built 1936 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 3,129

NO DATA ENTERED

Poor

Over: SWIFT CREEK

ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF COW, Skamania, WA

Built 1957 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 650

ROAD

Poor

Over: THETIS CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Kittitas, WA

Built 1952 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 20

MONTE ELMA ROAD

Poor

Over: SATSOP OVERFLOW CHANNEL

0.6 E JCT W.SATSOP, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1922 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,900

SUNRISE ROAD

Poor

Over: FRYINGPAN CREEK

4.3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JC, Pierce, WA

Built 1931 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,786

SR 153

Poor

Over: METHOW RIVER

3.7 N JCT US 97, Okanogan, WA

Built 1933 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 1,621

SR 21

Poor

Over: SAN POIL RIVER

25.1 N LINCOLN CO, Ferry, WA

Built 1931 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 195

DUCK LAKE RD 92310

Poor

Over: DUCK CREEK

18.69NE SR21 FAS302, Lincoln, WA

Built 1972 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 120

PROJECT AND PUBLIC

Poor

Over: THE DALLES DAM

NORTH ACCESS BR OVER SP&S, Klickitat, WA

Built 1956 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 22

US 12 / HERON ST

Poor

Over: WISHKAH RIVER

0.1 E JCT US 101, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1949 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 14,614

SR 529

Poor

Over: UNION SL

5.9 N JCT SR 529 SPUR, Snohomish, WA

Built 1927 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 16,054

Showing 8,251-8,300 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.