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 83/6

Fair

Over: I-77NB&SB & WV TURNPIKE

0.01 MILE WEST OF CR 83, Kanawha, WV

Built 1982 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 10

CR 79/3

Fair

Over: TENMILE FK OF CABIN CK

2.54 MILE S OF CR 76, Kanawha, WV

Built 1940 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 600

I-64 EBL &WBL

Fair

Over: CR 25/3

1.00 MILE EAST OF WV 25, Kanawha, WV

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 56,000

CR 79/4

Fair

Over: CABIN CREEK

0.02 MI N OF CR 79/3, Kanawha, WV

Built 2013 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROUTE 8 SLS

Fair

Over: WEST FORK RIVER

0.01 MI E CO 1, Lewis, WV

Built 1993 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,100

CR 16/24

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.10 MI EAST OF CR 16, Logan, WV

Built 1975 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROUTE 5/1

Fair

Over: TRACE FORK

0.89 MILES WEST OF CR 5, Logan, WV

Built 2009 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 150

CR 12/6

Fair

Over: CUCUMBER CREEK

0.11 MI E OF WV 16, McDowell, WV

Built 1915 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 200

CR 80/3

Fair

Over: DRY FORK

0.01 MI. OF WV. 80, McDowell, WV

Built 1980 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 50

CR 23

Fair

Over: COOPER FK OF TENMILE CK

0.10 MI N OF CR 23/5, Mason, WV

Built 1988 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 700

US 35

Fair

Over: OHIO RIVER

0.40 MI W OF WV 2, Mason, WV

Built 1969 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 24,200

US 35 NB

Fair

Over: TWO MILE CREEK

0.2 MILE N. OF CR 817, Mason, WV

Built 2010 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 12,900

US 35 SB

Fair

Over: TWO MILE CREEK

0.2 MILE NORTH OF CR 817, Mason, WV

Built 2010 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,750

US 220 (T)

Fair

Over: WV 46 CSX RR Potomac R

0.14 mile north of WV 46, Mineral, WV

Built 2012 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 13,600

US 119 SB

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK

0.11 MI WEST OF WV 65, Mingo, WV

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 4,800

INTERSTATE 68 EB

Fair

Over: WV 7 Deckers Creek

2.84 MI EAST US RT 119, Monongalia, WV

Built 1973 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 16,250

INTERSTATE 79

Fair

Over: Monongahela River

0.55 MILE NORTH OF I-68, Monongalia, WV

Built 1971 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 38,200

County Route 39/2

Fair

Over: Middle Wheeling Creek

0.01 mi. East jct CR 39/6, Ohio, WV

Built 1971 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 700

WV 28

Fair

Over: BIG RUN

0.55 MI. S. JCT 28/10, Pendleton, WV

Built 1997 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 450

CR 15

Fair

Over: STONEY CREEK

0.11 MI E US 219, Pocahontas, WV

Built 1977 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,000

I-64 EB

Fair

Over: CR 40

2.39 MI E OF CR 19, Putnam, WV

Built 1959 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 25,300

I-64 WB

Fair

Over: CR 40

2.39 MI E OF CR 19, Putnam, WV

Built 1959 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 28,900

US 35 NB

Fair

Over: 5&20 MILE CREEK & CR 15

1.17 M. N. OF CR 19, Putnam, WV

Built 2008 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 17,400

US 35 SB

Fair

Over: 5&20 MILE CREEK & CR 15

1.17 MI. N. OF CR 19, Putnam, WV

Built 2008 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 17,400

WV 34

Fair

Over: WV 817

0.09 MI N OF WV 817, Putnam, WV

Built 2010 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 7,100

U.S. 219

Fair

Over: LEADING CREEK

3.48 MI. E. JCT. US33, Randolph, WV

Built 2001 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,450

U.S.219

Fair

Over: LEADING CREEK

3.48 MI. E. JCT. US 33, Randolph, WV

Built 2002 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,450

WV 20

Fair

Over: NEW RIVER & CSX RAILROAD

0.01 Miles N. of CR 3/21, Summers, WV

Built 1975 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,238

COUNTY ROUTE 14

Fair

Over: KATE HOLLOW

0.03 Miles W. of CR 14/3, Summers, WV

Built 1992 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 194

TUCKER CR 45

Fair

Over: DRY FORK RIVER

0.04 MI.S.JCT.CR.35/16, Tucker, WV

Built 1937 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 10

US 33 E

Fair

Over: Middle Fk Rv. & CR 10/10

0.11 MI EAST OF CO 10/19, Upshur, WV

Built 1994 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 4,500

US 33 W

Fair

Over: Middle Fk Rv. & CR 10/10

0.11 MI EAST OF CO 10/19, Upshur, WV

Built 1994 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 4,500

US 52

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

0.09 MI EAST OF CR 44, Wayne, WV

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,000

CR 41

Fair

Over: SWEETWATER BRANCH

0.08 MI SOUTH OF CR 35, Wayne, WV

Built 1910 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 250

CR 3/18

Fair

Over: TWELVEPOLE CREEK

0.01 MILE NORTH OF CR 3, Wayne, WV

Built 2001 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,000

CO 3/4 (SLS)

Fair

Over: LEFT FORK OF HOLLY RIVER

0.01 MI S JCT CO 3, Webster, WV

Built 1979 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 20

WV 07

Fair

Over: CSX RR OHIO RIVER

0.56 MI WEST JCT WV 2, Wetzel, WV

Built 1959 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 8,576

WV 54

Fair

Over: SLAB FORK

0.02 MI N OF CR 54/1, Wyoming, WV

Built 1965 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,400

COUNTY ROUTE 17

Fair

Over: SPRUCE FK LTL COAL RV

0.53 MI N CR 28, Boone, WV

Built 1980 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 1,400

COUNTY ROUTE 40

Fair

Over: ELK RIVER

0.01 MI E OF WV 4 SLS, Braxton, WV

Built 1951 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 450

I-79 SBL

Fair

Over: Elk Rvr Elk Rvr RR WV 4

6.04 MI S US 19, Braxton, WV

Built 1972 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 5,750

I-79

Fair

Over: I-79

0.58 MI N CO 5/11 SLS, Braxton, WV

Built 1973 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 9,600

US Route 22

Fair

Over: OHIO RIVER & OHIO RT 7

At Ohio State Line, Brooke, WV

Built 1990 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 33,960

I64 EB

Fair

Over: CSX RR & MUD RIVER

2.02 MI. W. OF CR 13 EXIT, Cabell, WV

Built 1961 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 13,550

I64 WB

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD & MUD RIVER

2.02 MI. W. OF CR 13 ENTR, Cabell, WV

Built 1961 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 13,550

COUNTY ROUTE 9/1

Fair

Over: U.T. of Medley Fork

0.10 MI WEST OF CR 9, Cabell, WV

Built 2013 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 50

WV RT. 5

Fair

Over: LITTLE KANAWHA RIVER

0.20 MI. E. OF C.R. 35/5, Calhoun, WV

Built 2012 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 800

COUNTY ROUTE 38

Fair

Over: US 19

0.10 Miles S. of CR 38/4, Fayette, WV

Built 1964 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 2,000

COUTY ROUTE 60/25

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.10 Miles W. of CR 5/2, Fayette, WV

Built 1987 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 726

WV 61

Fair

Over: LOOP CREEK

0.31 Miles N. of CR 61/17, Fayette, WV

Built 1966 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 1,082

Showing 1,051-1,100 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.