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

SHORELINE ROAD

Fair

Over: OLD CANAL LAGOON

1.1 MILES FROM UPPER PARK, Jefferson, WV

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1

CR 3/2 (SLS)

Fair

Over: BACK CREEK

0.76 MI N OF CR 2/3 SLS, Berkeley, WV

Built 2006 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,100

WV 09 X EB

Fair

Over: WV 115 (T)

0.18 MI N OF CR 9/17 SLS, Berkeley, WV

Built 2009 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,650

WV 09 X WB

Fair

Over: WV 115 (T)

0.18 MI N OF CR 9/17 SLS, Berkeley, WV

Built 2009 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,650

CR 32 SLS

Fair

Over: I 81 (X)

0.16 MI EAST OF CR 81/3, Berkeley, WV

Built 2011 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 850

WV 3

Fair

Over: JOES CREEK

0.03 MI E OF CR 3/3, Boone, WV

Built 1949 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 4,900

WV 3

Fair

Over: DRAWDY CREEK

2.03 MI E OF CR 119/22, Boone, WV

Built 1933 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 3,600

WV 5

Fair

Over: LITTLE KANAWHA RIVER

0.09 MI E OF CO 5/10, Braxton, WV

Built 1973 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 3,404

COUNTY ROUTE 5/11

Fair

Over: LITTLE KANAWHA RIVER

0.04 MI W CO 5/10, Braxton, WV

Built 1972 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 800

COUNTY ROUTE 5/6

Fair

Over: CO 5/6

0.09 MI S CO 19/25, Braxton, WV

Built 1970 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 100

CO RT 19/40 (SLS)

Fair

Over: ELK RIVER

0.01 MI N CO 17/1 (SLS), Braxton, WV

Built 1931 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 2,400

I-79 SBL

Fair

Over: Co. 21

3.33 MI S US 19, Braxton, WV

Built 1971 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 5,750

I-79 NBL

Fair

Over: I-79

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

Built 1973 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,600

COUNTY ROUTE 21/9

Fair

Over: UPPER MILL CREEK

0.06 MI W OF CO 21, Braxton, WV

Built 1978 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 10

Exit 2 - US22 RAMP

Fair

Over: US 22

0.06 mi. West jct WV2, Brooke, WV

Built 1993 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 22,100

DEER PARK ROAD

Fair

Over: CSX Railroad

0.20 mile N of CR 42/16, Cabell, WV

Built 2011 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 100

I-79 NBL

Fair

Over: WV 16

5.88 MI N OF WV 36 T, Clay, WV

Built 1974 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 8,600

I-79 SBL

Fair

Over: WV16

5.88 MI N OF WV 36, Clay, WV

Built 1974 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 8,600

DODDRIDGE CO RT 15

Fair

Over: BUCKEYE CREEK

0.20 MI EAST CO RT 38, Doddridge, WV

Built 1952 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 800

I-77

Fair

Over: SKITTER CK/COAL HAUL RD

3.05 MI N OF CR 15, Fayette, WV

Built 1981 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 25,835

HARP 926

Fair

Over: LOOP CREEK

0.01 Miles S. of WV 61, Fayette, WV

Built 2000 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 33

HARP ROUTE 949

Fair

Over: LOOP CREEK

0.10 Miles W. of WV 61, Fayette, WV

Built 2001 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 21

WV 16

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK & CSX RR

0.03 Miles N. of CR 19/21, Fayette, WV

Built 2011 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 2,300

I-79

Fair

Over: Co 36

4.43 MI N CO 5/11, Gilmer, WV

Built 1972 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,100

I-79 S

Fair

Over: Co 36

4.43 MI N CO 5/11, Gilmer, WV

Built 1972 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,100

COUNTY ROUTE 8

Fair

Over: BEAR FORK

0.03 MI S JCT CO 6/ (SLS), Gilmer, WV

Built 1952 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROUTE 1

Fair

Over: N. FORK BIG CLEAR CREEK

1.94 Miles N. of CR 1/1, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1973 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 62

COUNTY ROUTE 60/7

Fair

Over: I 64 EBL and WBL

0.61 Miles North of US 60, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1972 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 155

COUNTY ROUTE 5

Fair

Over: ROBBINS RUN

0.03 Miles S. of CR 5/2, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1999 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 151

CR 18/1 SLS

Fair

Over: CULLERS RUN

0.01 MI W OF CR 18 SLS, Hardy, WV

Built 1990 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 80

HARRISON CO RT 42

Fair

Over: ELK CREEK

0.03 MI EAST WV RT 20, Harrison, WV

Built 1973 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 500

HARRISON CO RT 48

Fair

Over: PEELTREE RUN

0.10 MI WEST CO RT 48/7, Harrison, WV

Built 1993 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 150

US 50 EB & WB

Fair

Over: Elk Creek City Streets

0.16 MI WEST CO RT 50/60, Harrison, WV

Built 1958 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 19,700

US ROUTE 50

Fair

Over: Elk Creek City Streets

0.81 MI WEST WV RT 20, Harrison, WV

Built 1955 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 47,600

INTERSTATE 79 SB

Fair

Over: Har. Co. 23/9

0.44 MI SOUTH WV RT 58, Harrison, WV

Built 1973 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 19,000

CR 9

Fair

Over: ROADFORK RUN

0.72 MI SOUTH OF CR 2/7, Jackson, WV

Built 1966 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 100

I-77 SBL ON RAMP

Fair

Over: POCATALICO CREEK

0.02 MI.S. OF CR. 21, Jackson, WV

Built 1958 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 10,150

WV 9 (X)

Fair

Over: 32/2 (SLS)

0.19 Mi West of CR 32, Jefferson, WV

Built 2011 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 9,100

WV 61

Fair

Over: MORRIS CK & PRIVATE RD

0.10 MI S OF CR 61/11, Kanawha, WV

Built 1969 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 3,800

WV 6 N. APCH. RAMP

Fair

Over: NO FEATURE INTERSECTED

0.07 Miles W. of US 60, Kanawha, WV

Built 1956 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 19,900

I-77

Fair

Over: CR 79/03 & Cabin Creek

1.19 MI. S. OF RT 72 I/C, Kanawha, WV

Built 1982 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 23,056

I-77

Fair

Over: CR 77/1 and Fields Creek

1.91 MI. N. RTE.72 I/C, Kanawha, WV

Built 1982 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 45,854

I-77

Fair

Over: WV 61 and CSX RR

1.40 MI N OF RT 94, Kanawha, WV

Built 1982 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 19,879

I-77 NB

Fair

Over: I-77 NB ROADWAY RAMPS

0.26 MI S OF WV 61, Kanawha, WV

Built 1983 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 33,000

I-77 SB

Fair

Over: KANAWHA RVR RR RT 60 61

0.18 MI. N OF WV 61 I/C, Kanawha, WV

Built 1954 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 39,759

US 119

Fair

Over: WV 601 JEFFERSON ROAD

1.49 MI N OF WV 214 (F), Kanawha, WV

Built 1985 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 15,350

US 60 EB

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD & Rust St

0.42 MI E OF WV 817, Kanawha, WV

Built 2005 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 14,300

US 60 WB

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD & Rust St

0.42 MI E OF WV 817, Kanawha, WV

Built 2005 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 14,300

CITY STREET N02/80

Fair

Over: AMTRAK STATION PLATFORM

0.40 MIL S OF WV 61, Kanawha, WV

Built 1999 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 13,534

CR 3/30

Fair

Over: CRAWLEY CREEK

0.01 MILE WEST OF CR 3, Logan, WV

Built 1993 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 20

Showing 1,351-1,400 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.