State profile · Above median Poor share

West Virginia 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 West Virginia.

7,348
Public bridges
25.2%
Good condition
18.6%
Poor condition

West Virginia holds 7,348 public highway bridges (#31 of 52 by inventory) with a 18.64% Poor share (#2 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 18.6% 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 52 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

7,348

Public highway bridges in West Virginia

Good Condition

25.2%

1,855 bridges rated 7-9

-24.8pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

18.6%

1,370 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

11.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

West Virginia vs national bridge condition

West Virginia - Good condition share 25.2%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

West Virginia - Poor-condition share 62.1%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

West Virginia 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: West Virginia has 7,348 bridges and a 18.6% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #52 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 (%) WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%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%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%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: West Virginia has 7,348 bridges and a 18.6% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #52 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.

West Virginia 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

7,348 31st of 54 higher than 23 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 West Virginia

The highlighted point is West Virginia: 7,348 bridges and 18.64% in Poor condition, rank #52 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below West Virginia on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Maine: 2,518 bridges · 15.41% Poor
  • South Dakota: 5,887 bridges · 16.36% Poor
  • West Virginia: 7,348 bridges · 18.64% Poor
  • Iowa: 23,719 bridges · 19.16% Poor
  • Virgin Islands: 24 bridges · 29.17% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in West Virginia

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 7,348 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains West Virginia’s inventory

State agency holds 97.4% of the 7,348 public highway bridges filed under West Virginia in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When West Virginia’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 16.0% of the 7,348 bridges with a recorded original year in West Virginia. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

West Virginia25.2%56.1%18.6%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - West Virginia (FHWA NBI)

West Virginia 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 West Virginia on the same metric.

ME

Maine

15.41% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,518

SD

South Dakota

16.36% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,887
Selected

WV

West Virginia

18.64% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$7,348

IA

Iowa

19.16% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$23,719

VI

Virgin Islands

29.17% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24

Bridges Needing Most Attention in West Virginia

Six lowest-condition bridges in West Virginia, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in West Virginia

CITY STREET

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD TRACK

0.07 MILE WEST OF WV 2, Pleasants, WV

Built 1980 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROUTE 12/1

Poor

Over: ALLEN CREEK

0.08 MI. N. OF CO. 12/15, Wyoming, WV

Built 1920 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROUTE 1/1

Poor

Over: STRAIGHT CREEK

0.10 MI W OF CR 1, Calhoun, WV

Built 1926 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 350

COUNTY ROUTE 7

Poor

Over: STEER CREEK

0.51 MILE EAST OF CR 7/5, Calhoun, WV

Built 1930 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 250

N0535

Poor

Over: DEMPSEY BRANCH

0.01 Miles E. of CR 8, Fayette, WV

Built 1970 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 12

COUNTY ROUTE 60/5

Poor

Over: UPTON CREEK

0.12 MI E OF CR 12/7, Kanawha, WV

Built 1917 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 600

MARMET CITY STREET

Poor

Over: LENS CREEK

0.01 MI E OF WV 94, Kanawha, WV

Built 1992 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 20

County Route 50

Poor

Over: Wolf Run

0.16 mi. West jct CR 50/1, Marshall, WV

Built 1932 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 90

PRESTON CO RT 8/4

Poor

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

0.17 MI NORTH CO RT 8, Preston, WV

Built 1884 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 10

Harp route 902/65

Poor

Over: Winding Gulf

0.27 mi. South of CO 30, Raleigh, WV

Built 1920 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 30

CR 20

Poor

Over: MIDDLE FORK RIVER

0.20 MI S OF CR 20/1, Randolph, WV

Built 1909 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 10

C.R. 72/10

Poor

Over: BULL RUN

0.15 MI N. JCT WV 72, Tucker, WV

Built 1919 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 1

COUNTY ROUTE 57/15

Poor

Over: ELK CREEK

0.01 MI S OF WV 57, Barbour, WV

Built 1886 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 44/1

Poor

Over: COPEN RUN

0.02 MI W OF CO 44, Gilmer, WV

Built 1920 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 7/11

Poor

Over: ROCKY FORK CREEK

0.09 MI E OF WV 622, Kanawha, WV

Built 1980 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 20

MARION CO RT 73/16

Poor

Over: BOOTHS CREEK

0.01 MI WEST CO RT 73/73, Marion, WV

Built 1888 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 2

Elm Avenue

Poor

Over: Parrs Run

0.12 mi. North jct US 250, Marshall, WV

Built 1952 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 1,200

CR 65/16

Poor

Over: PIGEON CREEK

0.06 MI EAST OF WV 65, Mingo, WV

Built 1930 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 40

C. R. 220/9

Poor

Over: HAMMER RUN

0.02 MI S JCT CR 10, Pendleton, WV

Built 1919 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 5

CR 250/2

Poor

Over: EAST FORK GREENBRIER R

0.02 MILES N. JCT CR 3, Pocahontas, WV

Built 1895 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 20

CR 32/4

Poor

Over: DRY FORK RIVER

0.01 MI N OF WV 32, Randolph, WV

Built 1986 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 20

C. R. 250/4

Poor

Over: SHAVERS FK CHEAT RIVER

0.49 MI W JCT U S 250, Randolph, WV

Built 1912 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 10

CR 16/34

Poor

Over: LEATHERBARK CREEK

0.08 MI S OF CR 16/19, Ritchie, WV

Built 1912 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROUTE 11/3

Poor

Over: MYERS FORK OF GOOSE CRK

0.01 MILE WEST OF CR 18/4, Ritchie, WV

Built 1979 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 10

County Route 36

Poor

Over: Elk Fork

0.01 mi. South jct CR 11, Tyler, WV

Built 1924 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 5/26

Poor

Over: MIDDLE FORK RIVER

0.01 MI E OF CO 5/21, Upshur, WV

Built 1893 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 10

CR 1/11

Poor

Over: BRYAN CREEK

1.29 MI. N. OF CR. 4/1, Cabell, WV

Built 1980 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 60

County Route 40/1

Poor

Over: Big Run

0.01 mi. North jct CR40, Tyler, WV

Built 1963 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 2

Poor

Over: SMITHERS CREEK

0.07 Miles N. of CR 2/13, Fayette, WV

Built 1976 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 1,500

STADIUM DRIVE

Poor

Over: SUGAR CREEK

0.06 Miles N. of WV 211, Fayette, WV

Built 1960 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROUTE 52/29

Poor

Over: ELKHORN CREEK

0.03 MI. E. OF US. 52, McDowell, WV

Built 1940 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROUTE 2/1

Poor

Over: NORTH FORK MT CREEK

0.02 MI N OF CR 2/5, Mercer, WV

Built 1930 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 20

Washington Avenue

Poor

Over: Wheeling Creek

0.10 mi. West jct US 40, Ohio, WV

Built 1900 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 7,500

County Route 7/5

Poor

Over: Little Fishing Creek

0.02 mi. East jct WV7, Wetzel, WV

Built 1913 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROUTE 15

Poor

Over: PAINT CREEK

2.61 Miles N. of CR 15/9, Fayette, WV

Built 1922 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 44

COUNTY ROUTE 17/8

Poor

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.06 MI S OF CO 17 SLS, Gilmer, WV

Built 1898 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 10

MILL STREET

Poor

Over: JACOBS RUN

0.01 MI WEST WV RT 23, Harrison, WV

Built 1910 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 250

CR 5/72

Poor

Over: MUD FORK

0.01 MILE WEST OF CR 5, Logan, WV

Built 1995 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 30

MARION CO RT 76

Poor

Over: LITTLE CREEK

0.15 MI SOUTH CO RT 73/6, Marion, WV

Built 1950 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 350

COUNTY ROUTE 25

Poor

Over: HANS CREEK

0.01 Miles N. of CR 25/2, Monroe, WV

Built 1978 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 190

PRESTON CO RT 33/5

Poor

Over: FIELDS CREEK

0.45 MI SOUTH CO RT 29, Preston, WV

Built 1952 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 10

CR 19/38

Poor

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.40 MI S OF CR 19/10, Raleigh, WV

Built 1940 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 30

Harp Route 902/65

Poor

Over: Winding Gulf

0.08 Mi. South of Co. 30, Raleigh, WV

Built 1965 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROUTE 6/2

Poor

Over: LITTLE CREEK

0.01 M NORTH OF CR 6, Roane, WV

Built 1961 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 10

TAYLOR CO RT 13/25

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.01 MI EAST CO RT 13, Taylor, WV

Built 1897 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 10

MARY ELLEN STREET

Poor

Over: PYLES FORK

ON MARY ELLEN ST MANN, Marion, WV

Built 1905 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 200

PRESTON CO RT 110

Poor

Over: LITTLE WOLF CREEK

0.95 MI EAST US ROUTE 50, Preston, WV

Built 1961 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 50

PRESTON CO RT 51/9

Poor

Over: WOLF RUN

0.70 MI EAST CO RT 51, Preston, WV

Built 1950 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 10

CR 3/5

Poor

Over: MARSH FORK

0.01 MI S OF WV 3, Raleigh, WV

Built 1947 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 20

TAYLOR CO RT 13/13

Poor

Over: SIMPSON CREEK

0.01 MI NORTH C R 13/23, Taylor, WV

Built 1954 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 50

Showing 6,001-6,050 of 7,348 bridges

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.

What to do with this

Use West Virginia's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in West Virginia 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. West Virginia 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.