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 61/24

Good

Over: POWELLTON FORK

0.31 Miles S. of CR 6/1, Fayette, WV

Built 1989 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,045

COUTY ROUTE 82

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

2.63 Miles W. of CR 85/3, Fayette, WV

Built 2001 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 236

COUNTY ROUTE 8

Good

Over: COVE CREEK

0.32 MI S OF CO 8/1, Gilmer, WV

Built 1991 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROUTE 13

Good

Over: ELLIS CREEK

0.03 MI W OF CO 26, Gilmer, WV

Built 2018 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 500

US 50 T

Good

Over: SOUTH BR POTOMAC RIVER

0.22 MI W OF CR 08 SLS, Hampshire, WV

Built 2010 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 3,200

WV 55 X

Good

Over: Waites Run

0.15 miles E. of CR 259/1, Hardy, WV

Built 2020 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 2,500

HARRISON CR 48/2

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

0.03 MI SOUTH CO RT 48, Harrison, WV

Built 1980 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 100

WV ROUTE 20

Good

Over: Co Rt 20/2 & Tenmile Crk

0.22 MI SOUTH CO RT 4, Harrison, WV

Built 1957 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,900

HAR CO RT 19/7

Good

Over: LAMBERT RUN

0.01 mi. E. of Rt. 19/37, Harrison, WV

Built 2011 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 550

COUNTY ROUTE 15/1

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.08 M WEST OF CR 21, Jackson, WV

Built 1980 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 100

I-79 S

Good

Over: STONECOAL CREEK

0.20 MI S US 33, Lewis, WV

Built 1972 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 11,350

WV 10

Good

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

0.06 MI SOUTH OF CR 11, Lincoln, WV

Built 1975 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 2,200

MARION CO RT 73/73

Good

Over: BOOTHS CREEK

0.02 MI SOUTH MAR 29/2, Marion, WV

Built 1999 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 2,400

WV RT 273

Good

Over: I-79

0.26 MI W OF MAR CO 31/2, Marion, WV

Built 2006 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 13,200

WV ROUTE 7

Good

Over: DOLLS RUN

0.06 MI WEST MGL CO 7/27, Monongalia, WV

Built 2008 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 3,900

WV 39

Good

Over: BELLS CREEK

0.20 Miles W. of CR 16/6, Nicholas, WV

Built 2011 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 2,621

US 250 Southbound

Good

Over: CR 18/2 & CR 24/1

0.07 mi. South jct CR18/2, Ohio, WV

Built 1978 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 4,875

PRESTON CO 26/38

Good

Over: LT FORK OF LITTLE SANDY

0.74 MI SOUTH WV 26, Preston, WV

Built 2003 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 50

PRESTON CO RT 51

Good

Over: SALTLICK CREEK & CSX RR

0.01 MI NORTH CO RT 80/2, Preston, WV

Built 2004 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 250

PRESTON CO RT 68/8

Good

Over: Interstate 68

ON PRIVATE RD OVER I-68, Preston, WV

Built 2007 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 5

PRESTON CO RT 106

Good

Over: Bucklick Run

0.80 MI EAST PRE RT 51, Preston, WV

Built 2022 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 50

US 35 SB

Good

Over: Plantation Creek

0.1 MI South of CR 9, Putnam, WV

Built 2019 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 12,300

CR 19/8

Good

Over: Lewis McMannus Trail

0.07 Mile East of Co 21/3, Raleigh, WV

Built 2022 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 7,600

CR 219/86

Good

Over: LAZY RUN

0.07 Mi South Jct CR 7, Randolph, WV

Built 2014 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 2,500

C.R. 3/2

Good

Over: Springstone Run

0.01 mile E jct CR 3/1, Randolph, WV

Built 2020 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROUTE 5

Good

Over: NORTH FORK HUGHES RIVER

0.01 MILE EAST OF CR 8, Ritchie, WV

Built 2003 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 200

CR 47/11

Good

Over: Grass Run

0.03 Mi East of CR 28/8, Ritchie, WV

Built 2016 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 50

County Route 19

Good

Over: Straight Creek

0.63 MI East of C.R. 13, Roane, WV

Built 2012 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 200

Taylor Co. Rt. 9

Good

Over: CSX RR Three Fork Creek

0.03 mi E of US 119 (T), Taylor, WV

Built 2016 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,800

TUCKER CR 1

Good

Over: DRY RUN

0.05 MILES SOUTH OF CR 25, Tucker, WV

Built 2010 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROUTE 32

Good

Over: BUCKANNON RIVER

0.02 MI E CO 11/9, Upshur, WV

Built 2023 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 50

US Route 52

Good

Over: Whites Creek

0.23 mile west of CR 19, Wayne, WV

Built 2011 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 3,900

COUNTY ROUTE 48

Good

Over: GAULEY RIVER

0.02 MI E OF CO 48/2, Webster, WV

Built 2001 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROUTE 19

Good

Over: SLATECAMP RUN

0.08 MILE WEST OF CR 19/8, Wood, WV

Built 2000 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 100

N. Tennessee Ave.

Good

Over: Tuscarora Creek

0.69 mile east of CR 10/1, Berkeley, WV

Built 2015 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,000

WV 09 (T)

Good

Over: Tilhance Creek

0.30 Mi E. of CR 9/5, Berkeley, WV

Built 2020 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 8,700

CR 46

Good

Over: Elk River

0.02 Mi. E. of WV 4, Clay, WV

Built 2023 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 400

WV 612

Good

Over: Paint Creek

0.01 Miles West of CR 15, Fayette, WV

Built 2022 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,900

WV 311

Good

Over: I-64 EBL & WBL

0.35 Miles S. of I-64, Greenbrier, WV

Built 1965 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 686

US 50 (T)

Good

Over: Mill Branch

0.12 MI W OF CR 06 SLS, Hampshire, WV

Built 2019 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 6,000

HARRISON CO RT 34

Good

Over: WEST FORK RIVER

0.01 MI EAST US ROUTE 19, Harrison, WV

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,100

Har Co Rt. 17

Good

Over: Simpson Creek

0.02 N Har. Co. 77/3, Harrison, WV

Built 2014 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,000

County Route 14/1

Good

Over: Trace Fk. of Sandy Creek

0.04 Mile South of CR 14, Jackson, WV

Built 2013 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 10

WV 331

Good

Over: Little Mill Creek

1.84 MI W of CR 87/3, Jackson, WV

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 250

I-77 SB

Good

Over: CR 28 & TUPPER CREEK

2.34 MI N OF CR 29, Kanawha, WV

Built 2014 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 12,821

CR 7

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

1.95 MI SOUTH OF CR 46, Lincoln, WV

Built 1987 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 10

WV 10

Good

Over: GARRETT FORK

0.02 MI NORTH OF CR 2, Logan, WV

Built 1974 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 3,000

County Route 52/12

Good

Over: Elkhorn Creek

0.37 Miles East of US 52, McDowell, WV

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 90

MARION CO RT 11

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.15 MI SOUTH US RT 250, Marion, WV

Built 1980 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,500

MARION CO RT 1/16

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

0.01 MILES WEST CO RT 1, Marion, WV

Built 1999 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 30

Showing 4,601-4,650 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.