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

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO CANYON RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Mason, WA

Built 2004 Load: 54.9 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 1000

Fair

Over: Cottonwood Creek

2.25 E. Cougar Cr. Rd., Asotin, WA

Built 2021 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 78

SR 20

Fair

Over: OKANOGAN RIVER

0.2 E JCT SR 215, Okanogan, WA

Built 1959 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 2,393

OLD HWY 99 SW

Fair

Over: SCATTER CREEK

3. NE JCT I5, Thurston, WA

Built 1923 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 7,789

SR 92

Fair

Over: CENTENNIAL TRAIL

2.4 E JCT SR 9, Snohomish, WA

Built 1996 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 12,468

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

5.7 MILES NORTH OF MT. ST, Skamania, WA

Built 1989 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: MARBLE CREEK

8 MILES EAST OF CNTY LINE, Skamania, WA

Built 1998 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 650

ROAD

Fair

Over: MOROVITZ CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Whatcom, WA

Built 2009 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 50

ROAD

Fair

Over: ANDERSON CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Whatcom, WA

Built 2007 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: CONN CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Snohomish, WA

Built 2010 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 50

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: BLACK CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Snohomish, WA

Built 2010 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 50

SPRAGUE AVENUE

Fair

Over: ERIE STREET

00.70 EAST SR 395, Spokane, WA

Built 1954 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 11,079

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: QUARTZ CREEK 2

NO DATA ENTERED, Skamania, WA

Built 1998 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 2

I-5

Fair

Over: LAKEWAY DRIVE

2.2 N JCT SR 11, Whatcom, WA

Built 1958 Load: 56.1 t ADT: 31,011

SR 509

Fair

Over: N-N RAMP

4.0 N JCT SR 518, King, WA

Built 1968 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 10,009

S-W RAMP

Fair

Over: W VALLEY HWY S MILL CR

2.8 N PIERCE CO, King, WA

Built 1973 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 19,030

SR 99 W-S RAMP

Fair

Over: BNRR CITY STREET

0.4 N JCT SR 509, King, WA

Built 1996 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 16,753

US 2

Fair

Over: CREEK

13.3 E SNOHOMISH CO, King, WA

Built 1998 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 4,915

OLD HWY 99

Fair

Over: OVERFLOW CHANNEL

1.0 N JCT COOK RD., Skagit, WA

Built 2006 Load: 56.2 t ADT: 4,372

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: BOCKMAN CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Clallam, WA

Built 1987 Load: 56.3 t ADT: 35

I-5

Fair

Over: LAKEWAY DRIVE

2.2 N JCT SR 11, Whatcom, WA

Built 1958 Load: 56.4 t ADT: 31,011

PARK ST

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

PARK AT MILL CR, Walla Walla, WA

Built 2007 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 4,169

TAUSCHER ROAD

Fair

Over: MID FK NEWAUKUM RIVER

2.0 E FOREST, Lewis, WA

Built 1951 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 39

I-90 W-S RAMP

Fair

Over: I-90 MAINLINE

JCT I-405, King, WA

Built 1969 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 14,011

I-90

Fair

Over: US 395 SB

13.6 E JCT SR 21, Adams, WA

Built 1996 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 5,686

NE 4TH ST

Fair

Over: I-405

2.4 N JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 2003 Load: 57.1 t ADT: 29,600

I-90

Fair

Over: W SNOQUALMIE IC

1.7 E JCT SR 18, King, WA

Built 1976 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 25,826

SR 18

Fair

Over: BNSF RR SPUR

0.8 E JCT SR 164, King, WA

Built 1986 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 30,974

US 101

Fair

Over: JORGENSON SLOUGH

5.5 N JCT SR 4, Pacific, WA

Built 1939 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 2,728

SR 105

Fair

Over: STAFFORD CR

12.1 N JCT SR 105 SP, Grays Harbor, WA

Built 1945 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 6,067

US 101

Fair

Over: MORSE CREEK

5.9 E JCT SR 117, Clallam, WA

Built 1968 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 25,134

TROSPER RD

Fair

Over: I-5

3.5 N JCT SR 121, Thurston, WA

Built 1991 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 21,420

I-705 N-N RAMP

Fair

Over: TERRAIN

JCT SR 509, Pierce, WA

Built 1996 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 10,881

CONRAD ROAD

Fair

Over: SWIFT CREEK

0.2 E JCT SR 20, Skagit, WA

Built 1981 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 23

MCFARLANE ROAD

Fair

Over: N FORK DEEP CREEK

0.3 E S. COULEE-HITE RD, Spokane, WA

Built 1961 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 2

NORTH FORK ROAD

Fair

Over: N FORK NEWAUKUM R

0.7 NE JCT 94000, Lewis, WA

Built 2000 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 1,259

US 101

Fair

Over: TIDE SLOUGH

6.7 N JCT SR 4, Pacific, WA

Built 1939 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 2,728

US 395 NB

Fair

Over: LEWIS ST

0.4 N BENTON CO, Franklin, WA

Built 1953 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 25,872

OAK STREET

Fair

Over: I-5

9.6 N JCT SR 503, Cowlitz, WA

Built 1968 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 2,051

SPRAGUE WAY S/B

Fair

Over: ERIE STREET

00.70 E SR 395, Spokane, WA

Built 1953 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 1,098

RAYMD/SOUTHBEND RD

Fair

Over: SKIDMORE SLOUGH

0.5 SE SR101 INTERSECTION, Pacific, WA

Built 2010 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 218

COMMERCIAL/YOUNG

Fair

Over: WHATCOM CREEK

COMMERCIAL/WHATCOM, Whatcom, WA

Built 1957 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 3,900

LAKEMONT BLVD

Fair

Over: RAVINE

0.7 MI S OF JCT I-90, King, WA

Built 1998 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 16,261

SR 165

Fair

Over: WILKESON CREEK

16.4 N RAINIER PARK, Pierce, WA

Built 1918 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 1,941

PIONEER HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: THOMSEN SLOUGH

8.0 E JCT SR 532, Snohomish, WA

Built 1919 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 4,110

436TH AVE SE

Fair

Over: I-90

2.3 E JCT SR 202, King, WA

Built 1976 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 7,288

SR 500

Fair

Over: NE GHER RD & NE 112 AVE

0.6 E JCT I-205, Clark, WA

Built 2004 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 63,881

NO DATA ENTERED

Fair

Over: LITTLE WHITE SALMON 2

NO DATA ENTERED, Skamania, WA

Built 1985 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 5

RIALTO BEACH ROAD

Fair

Over: DICKEY RIVER

FROM HWY. 101 7.8 MI. WE, Clallam, WA

Built 1979 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 454

ROAD

Fair

Over: MANASTASH CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Kittitas, WA

Built 1974 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 100

Showing 3,601-3,650 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.