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 9

Fair

Over: DRY FORK

0.33 MILE NORTH OF CO 9/2, McDowell, WV

Built 1997 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 300

CO 17

Fair

Over: WINDMILL GAP BRANCH

1.13 MI. NORTH OF CO 14, McDowell, WV

Built 1998 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 350

MARION CO RT 21

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.02 MI NORTH CR 250/32, Marion, WV

Built 1991 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 2,000

MAR CO RT 1

Fair

Over: Dents Run

0.11 W of Mar Co 5, Marion, WV

Built 2019 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 2,400

CR 11

Fair

Over: CRANE CREEK

0.82 MI N OF CR 11/9, Mercer, WV

Built 1993 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 500

CR 19/15

Fair

Over: NS RAILWAY

1.02 MI E OF CO 10/7, Mercer, WV

Built 1992 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 150

MONONGALIA CR 37

Fair

Over: DOLLS RUN

0.07 MI SOUTH WV RT 7, Monongalia, WV

Built 1989 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 450

CR 11 SLS

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK SLEEPY CREEK

0.43 MI W OF CR 08 SLS, Morgan, WV

Built 1992 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 200

CR 1

Fair

Over: Strange Creek

0.18 MI. W of CR 1/3, Nicholas, WV

Built 2019 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 550

CR 28/8

Fair

Over: TETER RUN

0.20 MI E WV 28, Pendleton, WV

Built 1989 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 20

PEND CR 19

Fair

Over: N FK S BRANCH POTOMAC R

2.62 MI S JCT CR 17, Pendleton, WV

Built 1962 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 100

PRESTON CO RT 51

Fair

Over: SALTLICK CREEK

0.16 MI NORTH CO RT 51/5, Preston, WV

Built 1988 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 250

CR 6

Fair

Over: PAINT CREEK

0.04 MI S OF CR 7, Raleigh, WV

Built 1992 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 800

CR 15/2

Fair

Over: SURVEYOR CREEK

0.21 MI N OF CR 17/11, Raleigh, WV

Built 1990 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 100

CR 05/12

Fair

Over: SHAVERS FORK CHEAT RIVER

0.11 MI. W. JCT CR 33/8, Randolph, WV

Built 1990 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 250

CR 6

Fair

Over: JOHNS RUN

1.09 MI S JCT CR 9/3, Randolph, WV

Built 1987 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 60

CR 30

Fair

Over: LT. FORK CHENOWETH CREEK

0.02 MI. S. JCT CR 25, Randolph, WV

Built 1990 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 49

Fair

Over: MUDLICK RUN

0.01 MI. W. OF CR. 62, Randolph, WV

Built 1988 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 150

TAYLOR CO RT 28

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF LAUREL RUN

0.29 MI WEST CO RT 28/3, Taylor, WV

Built 1992 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 200

C.R. 27

Fair

Over: N.FK.BLACKWATER RIVER

0.04 MI N CR 27/3, Tucker, WV

Built 1988 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 100

West Virginia 18

Fair

Over: Point Pleasant Creek

0.28 mi. South of CR18/20, Tyler, WV

Built 2001 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 3,000

CR 24/1

Fair

Over: MILLERS FORK

0.01 MI SOUTH OF CR 24, Wayne, WV

Built 1989 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 70

COUNTY ROUTE 11/2

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK OF LEE CREEK

0.11 MI. S. OF CR 11/1, Wood, WV

Built 1990 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 100

WV 97

Fair

Over: MOUSE FORK

0.82 MI W OF WV 54, Wyoming, WV

Built 1995 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 2,800

COUNTY 10/98

Fair

Over: CLEAR FORK

0.07 MI S OF WV 10, Wyoming, WV

Built 2001 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 50

County Route 7

Fair

Over: Scott Run

0.01 mi. East jct CR7/4, Brooke, WV

Built 1989 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 150

I 64 WB

Fair

Over: COUNTY RT 60/21

4.13 MI EAST OF CR 13, Cabell, WV

Built 1958 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 24,900

WV 16

Fair

Over: WEST FK LITTLE KANAWHA R

0.04 MI S OF C.R.16/31, Calhoun, WV

Built 1989 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 1,100

COUNTY ROUTE 5/1

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.69 Miles N. of CR 82, Fayette, WV

Built 1998 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROUTE 13

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.02 Miles N. of CR 18, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1994 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 157

US 219

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.43 Miles S. of CR 9, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1994 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 2,080

CR 13/1 SLS

Fair

Over: MILL BRANCH

0.58 MI E OF CR 13 SLS, Hampshire, WV

Built 1977 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 50

CR 50/17 SLS

Fair

Over: BEAR WALLOW CREEK

0.06 MI S OF WV 50 T, Hampshire, WV

Built 1972 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 50

CR 259/3 SLS

Fair

Over: HOWARDS LICK RUN

0.01 MI S OF CR 12 F, Hardy, WV

Built 1963 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 70

CR 23/6 SLS

Fair

Over: BEARS HELL RUN

0.30 MI W OF CR 55/20 SLS, Hardy, WV

Built 1999 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROUTE 46

Fair

Over: MUD RIVER

0.03 MILES E. OF C.R. 58, Lincoln, WV

Built 2003 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 150

CR 16

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1.40 MI EAST OF CR 16/4, Logan, WV

Built 1974 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 2,000

CR 1

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

0.04 MI W OF CR 1/4, McDowell, WV

Built 1993 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 1,100

CR 635/1

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK

0.02 MI E OF WV 635, McDowell, WV

Built 1989 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 40

CR. 16/9

Fair

Over: JACOBS FORK

0.01 MI. S. OF WV. 16, McDowell, WV

Built 1995 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 20

MARION CO RT 27/2

Fair

Over: BOOTHS CREEK

0.06 MI WEST CO RT 56, Marion, WV

Built 1977 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 150

CR 31

Fair

Over: POPLAR FK OF 13MI CK

0.05 MI W OF CR 28, Mason, WV

Built 1980 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROUTE 2

Fair

Over: ROCKHOUSE BRANCH

0.20 MILE EAST OF C0 4, Mercer, WV

Built 1996 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 200

CR 46/9 SLS

Fair

Over: CABIN RUN

0.02 MI E 0F WV 46 F, Mineral, WV

Built 1991 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 200

CR 65/12

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK

0.01 MI NORTH OF US 52, Mingo, WV

Built 1987 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 200

CR 6/7

Fair

Over: MATE CREEK

0.01 MI NORTH OF CR 6, Mingo, WV

Built 1990 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 60

CR 65/60

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK

0.01 NORTH OF WV 65, Mingo, WV

Built 1995 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 20

CR 2

Fair

Over: BREEDEN CREEK

1.12 MILE SOUTH OF CR 2/3, Mingo, WV

Built 1999 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 250

MON CO RT 16/3

Fair

Over: BR OF BENNEFIELD PRONG

0.05 MI WEST CO RT 16, Monongalia, WV

Built 1989 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROUTE 39/34

Fair

Over: CHERRY RIVER

0.23 Miles E. of CR 39/18, Nicholas, WV

Built 1983 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 204

Showing 3,601-3,650 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.