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)

Counties (55)

Barbour 93 Berkeley 119 Boone 131 Braxton 148 Brooke 57 Cabell 207 Calhoun 49 Clay 87 Doddridge 99 Fayette 211 Gilmer 106 Grant 97 Greenbrier 207 Hampshire 92 Hancock 29 Hardy 131 Harrison 256 Jackson 191 Jefferson 45 Kanawha 554 Lewis 159 Lincoln 118 Logan 236 Marion 193 Marshall 85 Mason 137 McDowell 225 Mercer 174 Mineral 63 Mingo 165 Monongalia 203 Monroe 63 Morgan 55 Nicholas 97 Ohio 115 Pendleton 114 Pleasants 25 Pocahontas 118 Preston 182 Putnam 135 Raleigh 224 Randolph 190 Ritchie 127 Roane 130 Summers 66 Taylor 65 Tucker 69 Tyler 73 Upshur 99 Wayne 163 Webster 82 Wetzel 107 Wirt 42 Wood 180 Wyoming 160

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.

COUNTY ROUTE 40/15

Poor

Over: LITTLE BIRCH RIVER

0.03 MI S OF CO 40, Braxton, WV

Built 1905 Load: 0.0 t

WV ROUTE 2 SPUR

Poor

Over: Ohio River OH-7 R.R.

0.34 Mi West Jct. WV 2, Brooke, WV

Built 1904 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 11,500

DODDRIDGE CO RT 56

Poor

Over: BRUSHY FORK

0.73 MI SOUTH CO RT 25, Doddridge, WV

Built 1981 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 19/31

Poor

Over: SCRABBLE CREEK

0.01 Miles N. of CR 19/8, Fayette, WV

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t

COUNTY ROUTE 13

Poor

Over: CR 13/2 Kanawha R. CSX R

0.01 Miles S. of US 60, Fayette, WV

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t

US. 50 T

Poor

Over: STONY RIVER

0.04 MI W OF CR 50/3 SLS, Grant, WV

Built 1931 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,700

All Bridges in West Virginia

CR 9

Fair

Over: LOG LICK RUN

0.03 MI N CR 9/1, Randolph, WV

Built 1950 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 350

US. 250

Fair

Over: LAUREL RUN

1.24 MI. S. CR. 56/1, Randolph, WV

Built 1947 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 850

COUNTY ROAD 7/19

Fair

Over: BONE CREEK

0.01 MI S OF WV 74, Ritchie, WV

Built 1937 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROAD 11

Fair

Over: OIL SPRING RUN

0.16 MI. S. OF CR 11/9, Ritchie, WV

Built 1930 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 40

CR 15

Fair

Over: CABIN RUN

0.01 MI WEST OF CR 15/7, Ritchie, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

CR 15

Fair

Over: SHEEP RUN

0.08 MI WEST OF CR 15/2, Ritchie, WV

Built 1925 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

CO RT 50/34

Fair

Over: GOOSE CREEK

0.56 MI W CR 50/27, Ritchie, WV

Built 1931 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROUTE 50/40

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK HUGHES RIVER

0.03 MILE WEST CR 50/24, Ritchie, WV

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 450

WEST VIRGINIA 74

Fair

Over: STRAIGHT RUN

0.11 MILE SOUTH OF CR 2, Ritchie, WV

Built 1921 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 550

COUNTY ROUTE 27

Fair

Over: DUCK RUN

0.04 M SOUTH OF CR 27/1, Roane, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROUTE 50

Fair

Over: HENRY FK W FK L KANAWHA

0.11 MI S OF CR 48, Roane, WV

Built 1923 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 30

US 119

Fair

Over: LEFT HAND CREEK

0.03 MILE SOUTH OF CR 56, Roane, WV

Built 1918 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,700

US 119

Fair

Over: RIGHT FORK OF SPRING CK

0.01 MI S OF CR 44, Roane, WV

Built 1920 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,000

US 119

Fair

Over: Missouri Fork

0.19 M SOUTH OF CR 119/1, Roane, WV

Built 1919 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,000

US 119

Fair

Over: LICK FORK

0.14 MI S OF CR 26, Roane, WV

Built 1918 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,000

TAYLOR CO RT 1/4

Fair

Over: CORBIN BRANCH

0.14 MI EAST CO RT 1, Taylor, WV

Built 1911 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 90

TAYLOR CO RT 2

Fair

Over: HUSTEAD FORK

0.03 MI WEST CO RT 250/6, Taylor, WV

Built 1911 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 90

TAYLOR CO RT 3/12

Fair

Over: SIMPSON CREEK

0.15 MI EAST CO RT 3/15, Taylor, WV

Built 1917 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 50

TAYLOR CO RT 5/1

Fair

Over: GLADY CREEK

0.17 MI SOUTH CO RT 24, Taylor, WV

Built 1917 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 50

TAYLOR CO RT 12

Fair

Over: LOST RUN

0.29 MI EAST TAY CR 12/1, Taylor, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 150

TAYLOR CO RT 14

Fair

Over: LOST RUN

0.47 MI WEST CO RT 18/2, Taylor, WV

Built 1920 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 50

TAYLOR CO RT 26

Fair

Over: WICKWIRE RUN

0.06 MI SOUTH CO RT 26/3, Taylor, WV

Built 1923 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 250

TAYLOR CO RT 38

Fair

Over: SHELBY RUN

0.17 MI SOUTH CO RT 38/2, Taylor, WV

Built 1941 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 200

TAYLOR CO RT 250/8

Fair

Over: LOST RUN

0.02 MI WEST TAY CO RT 14, Taylor, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 50

TAYLOR CO RT 13/5

Fair

Over: RIGHT FORK SIMPSON CREEK

0.07 MI SOUTH CO RT 13, Taylor, WV

Built 1916 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 100

WV 38

Fair

Over: BRUSHY FORK

0.07 MI.E. JCT CR 17, Tucker, WV

Built 1948 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 700

County Route 6

Fair

Over: Walnut Run

0.48 Mi. North Jct. CR 22, Tyler, WV

Built 1928 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 90

County Route 13/1

Fair

Over: Walnut Fork

0.34 mi. North jct CR 13, Tyler, WV

Built 1935 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 90

County Route 30

Fair

Over: Sancho Creek

0.04 mi. South of jct CR7, Tyler, WV

Built 1922 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 50

County Route 38

Fair

Over: Muddy Creek

0.82 Mi. East Jct CR18/17, Tyler, WV

Built 1935 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROUTE 1/13

Fair

Over: PECKS RUN

0.45 MI. S. OF CO 1, Upshur, WV

Built 1915 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROUTE 11/3

Fair

Over: FRENCH CREEK

0.27 MI S OF CO RT 20/11, Upshur, WV

Built 1920 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROUTE 16

Fair

Over: SAND RUN

0.13 MI S OF CO 16/6, Upshur, WV

Built 1922 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROUTE 16

Fair

Over: SAND RUN

0.02 MI S JCT CO 16/8 SLS, Upshur, WV

Built 1922 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROUTE 16

Fair

Over: SAND RUN

0.14 MI N OF CO 16/3, Upshur, WV

Built 1922 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROUTE 20/10

Fair

Over: LAUREL FORK

0.08 MI S OF CO 32/5 SLS, Upshur, WV

Built 1915 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROUTE 20/11

Fair

Over: FRENCH CREEK

0.42 MI W CO 4/15 SLS, Upshur, WV

Built 1925 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROUTE 32

Fair

Over: BIG RUN

0.16 MI W OF CO RT 11/9, Upshur, WV

Built 1913 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROUTE 40

Fair

Over: LAUREL RUN

0.54MI S OF CO 40/2 SLS, Upshur, WV

Built 1920 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 500

CR 18

Fair

Over: GRAGSTON CREEK

0.63 MI NORTH OF CR 20, Wayne, WV

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 250

CR 35

Fair

Over: MISSOURI BRANCH

0.40 MI NORTH OF CR 40, Wayne, WV

Built 1930 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,500

WV 37

Fair

Over: LAUREL CREEK

1.85 MILE WEST OF CR 28, Wayne, WV

Built 1975 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 400

WV 20 (F)

Fair

Over: RIGHT FORK HOLLY RIVER

0.03 MI S OF WV 15, Webster, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,100

COUNTY ROUTE 26

Fair

Over: MILL RACE RUN ELK RIVER

1.95 MI W OF CO 26/8, Webster, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 250

WV 82

Fair

Over: BIRCH RIVER

3.39 MI E CO 32, Webster, WV

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 550

COUNTY ROUTE 34

Fair

Over: LAUREL CREEK

0.07 MI S CO 9, Webster, WV

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROUTE 46

Fair

Over: PRICE GLADE RUN

0.01 MI W OF CO 15/7 SLS, Webster, WV

Built 1927 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 600

West Virginia 20

Fair

Over: Shenango Creek

0.33 mi. North jct C20/14, Wetzel, WV

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,900

COUNTY ROUTE 38/5

Fair

Over: BADGLEY FORK

0.16 MI W OF CR 21/17, Wood, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROUTE 50/9

Fair

Over: N FORK STILLWELL CREEK

0.02 MILE EAST OF CR 18, Wood, WV

Built 1924 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 10

Showing 351-400 of 7,348 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
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.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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.