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

COUNTY ROUTE 14/15

Poor

Over: REEDY CREEK

0.03 MILE WEST WV 14, Wirt, WV

Built 1942 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 10

WV 54

Poor

Over: SLAB FORK

0.09 MI. N. OF CR. 54/4, Wyoming, WV

Built 1965 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 2,800

WV RT 54

Poor

Over: SLABFORK

1.51 MI N OF CR 5/6, Wyoming, WV

Built 1958 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 4,200

US 119 NBL

Poor

Over: WV85 CR119/9 CSX COAL RV

0.23 MI N OF CR 85/8, Boone, WV

Built 1973 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 6,700

COUNTY ROUTE 22

Poor

Over: BENS RUN

0.03 MI N OF CO 22/11, Braxton, WV

Built 1987 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

WV ROUTE 18

Poor

Over: MIDDLE ISLAND CREEK

0.04 MI SOUTH CO RT 50/30, Doddridge, WV

Built 1990 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 4,500

US 33

Poor

Over: LITTLE KANAWHA RIVER

0.03 MI E CO 119/9, Gilmer, WV

Built 1929 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 6,200

CR 46

Poor

Over: ELK TWOMILE CREEK

0.40 MI EAST OF CR 46/2, Kanawha, WV

Built 1960 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 850

CR 61/11

Poor

Over: MORRIS CREEK

0.04 MI E OF CR 61/10, Kanawha, WV

Built 1930 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 450

COUNTY ROUTE 3/10

Poor

Over: HORSE CREEK

0.11 MILE SOUTH OF W V 3, Lincoln, WV

Built 2005 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 500

CR 80/1

Poor

Over: GUYANDOTTE RIVER

0.01 MI NORTH OF WV 80, Logan, WV

Built 1958 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,900

COUNTY ROUTE 52/8

Poor

Over: BOTTOM CREEK

0.71 MI. N. OF US 52, McDowell, WV

Built 1978 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 150

CR 635/2

Poor

Over: HITE FORK

0.01 MI S OF CR 635/1, McDowell, WV

Built 1984 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 40

CO 83/13

Poor

Over: LITTLE SLATE CREEK

1.41 MI S OF CR 83/25, McDowell, WV

Built 1995 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 350

COUNTY ROUTE 23

Poor

Over: GRAVE CREEK

0.01 MI WEST CR 25, Marshall, WV

Built 1987 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 200

6th Street

Poor

Over: US 250/WV2/CSX Railroad

0.53 mi. South jct CR 2/4, Marshall, WV

Built 1964 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROUTE 12/7

Poor

Over: RICH CREEK

0.13 MI. N. CR. 71/12, Mercer, WV

Built 1976 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROUTE 52/6

Poor

Over: BLUESTONE RIVER

0.68 MI. E. OF WV. 102, Mercer, WV

Built 1934 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROUTE 24/7

Poor

Over: ANGLINS CREEK

0.73 Miles E. of CR 13/1, Nicholas, WV

Built 1950 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 550

US Route 40

Poor

Over: Little Wheeling Creek

0.38 mi. West jct CR45, Ohio, WV

Built 1922 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 950

WV 39 & WV 92

Poor

Over: DOUTHAT CREEK

0.22 MI E JCT CR 23, Pocahontas, WV

Built 1952 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 800

US ROUTE 50

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

0.10 MI WEST CO RT 110, Preston, WV

Built 1935 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 800

CO 3/2

Poor

Over: HAZY CREEK

0.13 MI. W. OF CO 3/3, Raleigh, WV

Built 1990 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 90

WV 20

Poor

Over: FRENCH CREEK

0.04 MI N OF CO 4/15 SLS, Upshur, WV

Built 1960 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 3,500

COUNTY ROUTE 37/8

Poor

Over: GREENBRIER CREEK

1.4 MI. SOUTH of WV 37, Wayne, WV

Built 2000 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROUTE 15/4

Poor

Over: ELK RIVER

0.08 MI W WV 15, Webster, WV

Built 1952 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 200

CO 936

Poor

Over: Laurel Fork

0.01 Miles West of CR 3, Wyoming, WV

Built 2005 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 60

COUNTY ROUTE 26

Poor

Over: WEST FORK OF POND FORK

1.44 MI S OF CR 26/1, Boone, WV

Built 1978 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 450

Ramp A from US 22

Poor

Over: Railroad

0.01 mi. West jct WV 2, Brooke, WV

Built 1984 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 4,200

DODDRIDGE CR 50/30

Poor

Over: DOE RUN

0.03 MI EAST CO RT 50/74, Doddridge, WV

Built 1960 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,400

County Route 11

Poor

Over: Kings Creek

0.08 mi. East jct CR 9/9, Hancock, WV

Built 1950 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,700

US 33

Poor

Over: JOES RUN

0.12 MILE WEST OF CR 14, Jackson, WV

Built 1987 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 3,900

COUNTY ROUTE 77/1

Poor

Over: FIELDS CREEK

0.70 MI S OF WV 61(F), Kanawha, WV

Built 1977 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,700

CR 36

Poor

Over: I-77

0.18 MI E OF CR 36/1 SLS, Kanawha, WV

Built 1959 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 150

I-77 NB & SB

Poor

Over: US 60

1.35 MI N of US 60 (T), Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 47,700

COUNTY ROUTE 1/3

Poor

Over: BROWNS CREEK

0.07 MILE S OF CR 1, Kanawha, WV

Built 2003 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 250

CR 16/10

Poor

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.01 MI EAST OF CR 16, Logan, WV

Built 1973 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 20

CR 2

Poor

Over: CLEAR FORK

0.10 MI E OF CR 2/1, McDowell, WV

Built 1980 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 500

CR 52/17

Poor

Over: ELKHORN CREEK

0.01 MI S OF US 52, McDowell, WV

Built 1992 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 350

Harp 997

Poor

Over: Hite Fork

0.01 M. North of WV 635, McDowell, WV

Built 2001 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 40

WV ROUTE 310

Poor

Over: GLADY CREEK

0.01 MI NORTH CO RT 31/14, Marion, WV

Built 1926 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,200

WV. RTE. 20

Poor

Over: C104/5 & NSRR & BRUSH CR

0.28 MI. S. OF CR. 44/10, Mercer, WV

Built 1947 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 7,500

WV 93 (T)

Poor

Over: NEW CREEK

0.02 MI S OF CR 5/1 SLS, Mineral, WV

Built 1952 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,700

CR 02 SLS

Poor

Over: WARM SPRING RUN

0.04 MI N OF CR 2/3 SLS, Morgan, WV

Built 1927 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY ROUTE 20/16

Poor

Over: BRUSHY MEADOW CREEK

0.01 Miles N. OF WV 20, Nicholas, WV

Built 1950 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 50

US 33 & WV 28

Poor

Over: N FK S BR POTOMAC RIVER

0.07 MI WEST OF WV 28, Pendleton, WV

Built 1956 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,400

COUNTY ROUTE 30

Poor

Over: MCKIM CREEK

0.15 MILE S CR 30/5, Pleasants, WV

Built 1978 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 100

WV 3

Poor

Over: STEPHENS BRANCH

0.04 MI W OF CR 3/28, Raleigh, WV

Built 1993 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 4,300

WEST VIRGINIA 74

Poor

Over: NORTH FORK HUGHES RIVER

0.05 M SOUTH OF CR 7/2, Ritchie, WV

Built 1952 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 750

WEST VIRGINIA 16

Poor

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.41 M NORTH OF CR 24, Ritchie, WV

Built 1962 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,100

Showing 6,701-6,750 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.