State profile · Near median Poor share

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.

14,446
Public bridges
51.0%
Good condition
6.5%
Poor condition

Wisconsin holds 14,446 public highway bridges (#19 of 52 by inventory) with a 6.52% Poor share (#23 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 6.5% 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 30 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

14,446

Public highway bridges in Wisconsin

Good Condition

51.0%

7,368 bridges rated 7-9

1.0pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

6.5%

942 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-1.0pp vs national avg 7.5%

Wisconsin vs national bridge condition

Wisconsin - Good condition share 51.0%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Wisconsin - Poor-condition share 21.7%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin has 14,446 bridges and a 6.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #30 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 (%) WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%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%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Wisconsin has 14,446 bridges and a 6.5% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #30 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.

Wisconsin 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

14,446 19th of 54 higher than 35 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 Wisconsin

The highlighted point is Wisconsin: 14,446 bridges and 6.52% in Poor condition, rank #30 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Wisconsin on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • South Carolina: 9,490 bridges · 6.17% Poor
  • Wyoming: 3,136 bridges · 6.51% Poor
  • Wisconsin: 14,446 bridges · 6.52% Poor
  • Hawaii: 1,195 bridges · 6.53% Poor
  • North Carolina: 19,210 bridges · 6.76% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Wisconsin

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 14,446 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Wisconsin’s inventory

State agency holds 37.0% of the 14,446 public highway bridges filed under Wisconsin in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Wisconsin’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 8.5% of the 14,446 bridges with a recorded original year in Wisconsin. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Wisconsin51%42.5%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Wisconsin (FHWA NBI)

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin on the same metric.

SC

South Carolina

6.17% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$9,490

WY

Wyoming

6.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,136
Selected

WI

Wisconsin

6.52% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,446

HI

Hawaii

6.53% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,195

NC

North Carolina

6.76% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,210

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Wisconsin

Six lowest-condition bridges in Wisconsin, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

All Bridges in Wisconsin

LRD SISKIWIT FALLS

Fair

Over: SISKIWIT RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH C, Bayfield, WI

Built 1995 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 89

STH 137

Fair

Over: SOUTH FISH CREEK

2.5M E JCT USH 12, Bayfield, WI

Built 1987 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 730

LRD MAPLE RIDGE RD

Fair

Over: WHITE RIVER

1.2M E JCT USH 63, Bayfield, WI

Built 1990 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 114

LRD CHURCH CORNER

Fair

Over: SIOUX RIVER

1.8M S JCT CTH C, Bayfield, WI

Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 23

STH 32-STH 57

Fair

Over: EAST RIVER

0.3M N JCT CTH ZZ TO W, Brown, WI

Built 1988 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 5,000

LRD LANGES CORNER

Fair

Over: NESHOTA RIVER

0.6M E JCT CTH T, Brown, WI

Built 1970 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 211

IH RAMP ASHLAND AV

Fair

Over: IH 41

0.6M S JCT STH 32 TO S, Brown, WI

Built 1974 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 8,300

USH 141

Fair

Over: IH 43

AT JCT IH 43-USH 141(S), Brown, WI

Built 1980 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 7,800

IH 43 SB

Fair

Over: LRD DANZ AVE

7.6M S JCT USH 41 TO S, Brown, WI

Built 1979 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 16,900

CTH H BROADWAY S

Fair

Over: DUTCHMANS CREEK

0.1M S JCT CORMIER, Brown, WI

Built 2003 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 3,200

LRD SEGERSTROM ROA

Fair

Over: BUFFALO RIVER

0.3M S JCT USH 10, Buffalo, WI

Built 1983 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 46

STH 54

Fair

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER 08

MINNESOTA STATE LINE, Buffalo, WI

Built 1942 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 10,200

LRD AUSTIN LAKE RO

Fair

Over: YELLOW RIVER

2.4M E JCT STH 35, Burnett, WI

Built 1986 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 144

CTH H

Fair

Over: N FK CLAM RIVER

0.3M N JCT CTH EE TO W, Burnett, WI

Built 1990 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 644

LRD LYNCH BRIDGE R

Fair

Over: CLAM RIVER

1.9M N JCT CTH B, Burnett, WI

Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 112

STH 70

Fair

Over: CLAM LAKE NARROWS

1.8M E JCT STH 35 TO N, Burnett, WI

Built 1993 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 4,400

STH 32-STH 57

Fair

Over: KILLSNAKE RIVER

2.2M N JCT USH 151 TO S, Calumet, WI

Built 1983 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 7,200

STH 32-STH 57

Fair

Over: N BR MANITOWOC RIVER

0.4M N JCT CTH P, Calumet, WI

Built 1987 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 4,300

USH 53 N

Fair

Over: LRD 72ND ST

3.2M N JCT STH 64 TO E, Chippewa, WI

Built 1972 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 5,900

STH 124 SB

Fair

Over: LRD PRIVATE RD-DUNCAN CR

0.1M E JCT STH 124 TO N, Chippewa, WI

Built 1994 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 7,700

CTH K

Fair

Over: PAINT CREEK

100 FT N 50TH AVENUE, Chippewa, WI

Built 1938 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 620

CTH X

Fair

Over: LOTZ CREEK

0.2 M E 280TH STREET, Chippewa, WI

Built 1990 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 705

STH 124 NB - BUS 2

Fair

Over: BIKE-TRAIL DUNCAN CREEK

0.6M W JCT STH 124 FR N, Chippewa, WI

Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 7,700

CTH XX

Fair

Over: STH 29

0.4M N JCT CTH X, Chippewa, WI

Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 450

STH 33

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.9M E JCT CTH W, Columbia, WI

Built 1961 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 6,800

LRD LUEBKE ROAD

Fair

Over: ROWLEY CREEK

0.2M S JCT CTH W, Columbia, WI

Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 16

STH 113-MAIN ST

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH K, Columbia, WI

Built 1994 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 4,500

CTH C

Fair

Over: TAINTER CREEK

0.2M E JCT CTH B, Crawford, WI

Built 1979 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 208

STH 35

Fair

Over: LEITNER HOLLOW CREEK

4.0M N JCT CTH D, Crawford, WI

Built 1986 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 2,300

LRD JONES ROAD

Fair

Over: JONES VALLEY CREEK

TOWN OF UTICA, Crawford, WI

Built 1998 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 21

LRD BROWN HOLLOW R

Fair

Over: BROWN HOLLOW CREEK

0.8M N JCT STH 60, Crawford, WI

Built 1989 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 22

LRD MILL RD

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

1.2M N JCT CTH N, Crawford, WI

Built 1992 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 22

USH 14

Fair

Over: BLACK EARTH CREEK

0.1M E JCT CTH KP TO N, Dane, WI

Built 1935 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 10,900

CTH H

Fair

Over: PLEASANT VALLEY BRANCH

1.5M S JCT CTH A, Dane, WI

Built 1963 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 712

LRD JOHN NOLAN DR

Fair

Over: MURPHY CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH MC, Dane, WI

Built 1995 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 36,900

CTH PD

Fair

Over: USH 18-USH 151

2.4M W JCT CTH J TO S, Dane, WI

Built 1991 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 2,500

IH RAMP IH 90 WB-S

Fair

Over: IH 90 EB

BADGER INTERCHANGE, Dane, WI

Built 1994 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 4,300

USH 18 EB-USH 151

Fair

Over: LRD E.B. ENTRANCE RAMP

1.3M E JCT CTH PB, Dane, WI

Built 1995 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 15,600

STH 78

Fair

Over: DUNLAP CREEK

1.4M N JCT STH 19 TO E, Dane, WI

Built 1993 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 3,900

IH 39SB/90 EB

Fair

Over: CTH T

0.1M E JCT IH 94 TO E, Dane, WI

Built 1997 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 54,500

LRD AIRPORT ROAD E

Fair

Over: PHEASANT BRANCH CR.

1.3M W JCT USH 12, Dane, WI

Built 2003 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 4,750

LRD EAST BADGER RO

Fair

Over: WSOR

0.5M W JCT RIMROCK RD, Dane, WI

Built 2005 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 2,110

USH STH 73-USH B15

Fair

Over: USH 151

2.1M N JCT STH 16 TO E, Dodge, WI

Built 1976 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 2,400

STH 67-CHURCH ST

Fair

Over: SOO LINE RR

0.3M N JCT STH 175 TO N, Dodge, WI

Built 1984 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 4,783

STH 42 - STH 57

Fair

Over: STURGEON BAY

1.9M N JCT CTH S, Door, WI

Built 1978 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 12,500

STH 42 - STH 57

Fair

Over: STURGEON BAY

1.9M N JCT CTH S, Door, WI

Built 1978 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 12,500

CTH W

Fair

Over: NAMADJI RIVER

1.5M S JCT CTH C, Douglas, WI

Built 1993 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 150

STH 35

Fair

Over: BLACK RIVER

0.1M N JCT CTH B TO W, Douglas, WI

Built 1997 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 2,500

LRD MOONSHINE RD

Fair

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

0.3M W JCT CTH D, Douglas, WI

Built 2005 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 73

CTH M

Fair

Over: TROUT CREEK

2.5M S JCT STH 64, Dunn, WI

Built 1960 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 476

Showing 5,301-5,350 of 14,446 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 Wisconsin's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Wisconsin 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. Wisconsin 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.