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 22/3

Fair

Over: PETERS CREEK

0.04 Miles E. of CR 22, Nicholas, WV

Built 2000 Load: 77.1 t ADT: 30

CR 36

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.30 MI EAST OF WV 37, Wayne, WV

Built 1989 Load: 77.1 t ADT: 300

County Route 12

Fair

Over: WV Fork of Fish Creek

0.01 mi. South jct US 250, Wetzel, WV

Built 2006 Load: 77.1 t ADT: 51

County Route 7

Fair

Over: Cross Creek

0.03 mi. West jct CR18/1, Brooke, WV

Built 1998 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 3,700

DODDRIDGE CO RT 12

Fair

Over: MCELROY CREEK

0.05 MI SOUTH WV RT 23, Doddridge, WV

Built 1994 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 100

HARP 917

Fair

Over: SNAKE RUN

0.08 Miles S. of CR 3/11, Greenbrier, WV

Built 2000 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 31

CR 39

Fair

Over: AARONS FK LTL SANDY CR

2.77 MI N OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1958 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 900

I-79 NB

Fair

Over: WV 114

3.30 MI N OF US 119, Kanawha, WV

Built 1978 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 17,600

US RT 52 ALT

Fair

Over: ELKHORN CREEK

0.01MI W OF US 52 SPUR, McDowell, WV

Built 1989 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 3,200

COUNTY ROUTE 9

Fair

Over: DRY FORK

0.01 MILE N. OF CO. 9/2, McDowell, WV

Built 1998 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 300

County Route 27/4

Fair

Over: Buffalo Creek

0.01 mi. East jct WV 67, Brooke, WV

Built 1996 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 300

CR 27/7 SLS

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK OF LUNICE CRK

0.60 MI S OF WV 42 T, Grant, WV

Built 1936 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 550

COUNTY ROUTE 60/57

Fair

Over: US 60

0.04 Miles E. of US 60, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1990 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 70

WV 10

Fair

Over: GUYANDOTTE RIVER AND CSX

0.01 Mile South of WV 10, Logan, WV

Built 2012 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 6,000

WV 80

Fair

Over: DRY FORK

0.02 MI. N. OF 102/35, McDowell, WV

Built 1964 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 2,100

COUNTY ROUTE 60

Fair

Over: THIRTEENMILE CREEK

0.08 MI S OF CR 31 SLS, Mason, WV

Built 1990 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 150

WV 20

Fair

Over: GAULEY RIVER

0.01 Miles N. of CR 20/9, Nicholas, WV

Built 2006 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 2,285

CR. 1/6

Fair

Over: LAUREL FORK

0.01 MI. S. OF CR. 1, Wyoming, WV

Built 1970 Load: 78.9 t ADT: 10

CR 85/19

Fair

Over: POND FORK

0.01 MI S OF WV 85, Boone, WV

Built 1992 Load: 79.8 t ADT: 40

CR 5

Fair

Over: BLUE KNOB CREEK

2.28 MI N OF WV 16, Clay, WV

Built 1952 Load: 79.8 t ADT: 150

CR 31 SLS

Fair

Over: RATTLESNAKE RUN

0.60 MI N OF CR 31/2 SLS, Jefferson, WV

Built 1975 Load: 79.8 t ADT: 1,000

I-79 SB

Fair

Over: WV 114

3.30 MI N OF US 119, Kanawha, WV

Built 1978 Load: 79.8 t ADT: 17,600

CR 26

Fair

Over: RIGHT FORK OF TWOMILE CK

0.40 miles N of CR 26/3, Kanawha, WV

Built 1949 Load: 79.8 t ADT: 600

CR 07 SLS

Fair

Over: ELK BRANCH

0.10 MI N OF CR 7/11 SLS, Berkeley, WV

Built 1994 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 1,400

COUNTY ROUTE 6/5

Fair

Over: ARMSTRONG CREEK

0.02 Miles E. of CR 6/1, Fayette, WV

Built 1994 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 10

YOUTH CAMP ROAD

Fair

Over: BUCKHANNON RIVER

0.01 MI N OF CO 11/17, Upshur, WV

Built 1905 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 25

West Virginia 20

Fair

Over: South Fork Fishing Creek

0.02 mi. North jct CR15, Wetzel, WV

Built 2003 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 2,900

COUNTY ROUTE 5

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.01 Miles N. of CR 5, Fayette, WV

Built 2007 Load: 81.6 t ADT: 100

CO 19/66

Fair

Over: LITTLE WHITESTICK CREEK

0.03 MI NORTH OF CO 16/2, Raleigh, WV

Built 2003 Load: 81.6 t ADT: 20

US 19 SBL

Fair

Over: White Oak Br. & CR 21/20

0.47 Miles N. of CR 19/19, Fayette, WV

Built 1969 Load: 82.5 t ADT: 23,546

CR 42/3 SLS

Fair

Over: DEEP RUN

0.04 MI SOUTH OF WV 46 F, Mineral, WV

Built 1997 Load: 82.5 t ADT: 150

C.R. 29

Fair

Over: DRY FORK RIVER

0.01 mi. S of JCT CR 29/3, Randolph, WV

Built 2014 Load: 82.5 t ADT: 350

US 52

Fair

Over: JENNIE CREEK

0.01 MI EAST OF CR 52/31, Wayne, WV

Built 1978 Load: 82.5 t ADT: 2,100

CR. 35

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK RIVER

0.01 MI. W. JCT. CR. 34, Randolph, WV

Built 1987 Load: 83.4 t ADT: 350

12TH STREET-VIENNA

Fair

Over: POND RUN

0.20 MILE EAST OF WV 14, Wood, WV

Built 1960 Load: 83.4 t ADT: 1,000

CR 35

Fair

Over: RUSSELL CREEK

0.08 MI SOUTH OF CR 60/1, Cabell, WV

Built 1989 Load: 84.4 t ADT: 2,800

CR 41

Fair

Over: WEST FK OF TWELVEPOLE CK

0.40 MI SOUTH OF CR 35, Wayne, WV

Built 1989 Load: 84.4 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROUTE 6/6

Fair

Over: ARMSTRONG CREEK

0.01 Miles E. of CR 6/1, Fayette, WV

Built 1995 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 11

CR 92/7

Fair

Over: HOWARDS CREEK

0.14 Miles E. of CR 92/6, Greenbrier, WV

Built 2005 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 31

CR 18

Fair

Over: COPPERAS MINE FORK

0.02 MI SOUTH OF CR 9/2, Logan, WV

Built 1977 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 1,700

WV 44

Fair

Over: COW CREEK

0.01 MI SOUTH OF CR 13, Logan, WV

Built 1996 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 1,400

County Route 14

Fair

Over: Brush Creek

0.22 mile N of Co. 14/1, Mercer, WV

Built 2015 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 2,600

CR 14

Fair

Over: RUM CREEK

0.45 MI WEST OF CR 701/98, Logan, WV

Built 1985 Load: 86.2 t ADT: 600

MARION CO RT 62

Fair

Over: TYGART VALLEY RIVER

0.01 MI EAST CO RT 62/4, Marion, WV

Built 1993 Load: 86.2 t ADT: 1,000

US 19

Fair

Over: RICH CREEK

0.12 MI S OF CR 5, Mercer, WV

Built 1996 Load: 86.2 t ADT: 400

COUNTY ROUTE 20/41

Fair

Over: ROCK CAMP RUN

0.03 Miles E. of WV 20, Nicholas, WV

Built 1970 Load: 86.2 t ADT: 51

COUNTY ROUTE 7/1

Fair

Over: MEADOW CREEK

4.13 Miles E. of CR 7, Summers, WV

Built 1989 Load: 87.1 t ADT: 50

WV 97

Fair

Over: RIGHT FORK

0.05 MI E OF CR 9/4, Wyoming, WV

Built 1984 Load: 87.1 t ADT: 1,900

CR 79/3

Fair

Over: TENMILE FK OF CABIN CK

3.97 MI S OF CR 76 SLS, Kanawha, WV

Built 1972 Load: 88.0 t ADT: 250

CR 38/5

Fair

Over: TWELVEMILE CREEK

0.03 MI W OF WV 112, Mercer, WV

Built 1992 Load: 88.0 t ADT: 40

Showing 4,001-4,050 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.