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 28TH RD

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

0.8M N JCT STH 21, Waushara, WI

Built 1986 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 127

CTH-I

Good

Over: WEYHURST CREEK

2.1M N JCT CTH Z, Winnebago, WI

Built 1969 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 2,000

LRD MAIN STREET

Good

Over: WISCONSIN CENTRAL LTD

CITY OF NEENAH, Winnebago, WI

Built 2001 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 13,400

LRD PENDLETON RD

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

0.5M N JCT CTH G, Winnebago, WI

Built 2004 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 20

LRD KLONDIKE RD

Good

Over: BR BEAVER CREEK

0.6M E JCT USH 10, Wood, WI

Built 1982 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 110

LRD TENPAS RD

Good

Over: E FK HEMLOCK CREEK

0.3M E JCT CTH HH, Wood, WI

Built 1984 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 60

LRD HAY CREEK RD

Good

Over: E FK BLACK RIVER

0.2M W JCT CTH V, Wood, WI

Built 1989 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 40

STH 13 SB

Good

Over: LRD PEACH AVE

0.45M S JCT STH 97, Wood, WI

Built 2003 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 10,300

LRD PLEASANT HILL

Good

Over: TRIB. LITTLE EAU PLEINE

0.22 W JCT POPLAR RD, Wood, WI

Built 2003 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 106

LRD 17TH ST

Good

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

1.3M S JCT CTH V, Barron, WI

Built 1950 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 129

LRD 4 1/2 AVE

Good

Over: S FK HAY RIVER

0.6M W JCT CTH K, Barron, WI

Built 1981 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 47

LRD ABERG AVE

Good

Over: STARKWEATHER CREEK

0.2M W JCT USH 151, Dane, WI

Built 1965 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 37,300

LRD LOWER WYOMING

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

1.0M N JCT STH 23, Iowa, WI

Built 1980 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 208

LRD MORRILL RD

Good

Over: BLACK EARTH CREEK

0.2M N JCT USH 14, Iowa, WI

Built 1980 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 52

LRD MONROE ST (DEA

Good

Over: LEMONWEIR RIVER

0.2M W JCT HY 58, Juneau, WI

Built 1969 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 950

LRD 23RD ST

Good

Over: LITTLE YELLOW RIVER

4.3M W JCT STH 80, Juneau, WI

Built 1971 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 86

LRD W GLENDALE AVE

Good

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

1.0M N JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 945

LRD ISLAND ST

Good

Over: FOX RIVER

0.3M N JCT CTH Z, Outagamie, WI

Built 1974 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 8,500

LRD 30TH AVE

Good

Over: CADY CREEK

0.7M E JCT STH 128, St. Croix, WI

Built 1983 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 116

LRD CROSS RD

Good

Over: N BR HONEY CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH C, Sauk, WI

Built 1986 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 49

LRD W FISK AVE

Good

Over: EIGHT MILE CREEK

1.3M W JCT CTH FF, Winnebago, WI

Built 1975 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 47

CTH V

Good

Over: S BR YELLOW RIVER

1.9M N JCT USH 10, Wood, WI

Built 1950 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 1,600

FR 153

Good

Over: WEST FORK HAY CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Price, WI

Built 2001 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 99

CTH PP W GOOD HOP

Good

Over: LITTLE MENOMONEE RIVER

0.9M E JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 17,600

IH RAMP IH-794 EB

Good

Over: STH 32/MILWAUKEE ST.

0.9 MI E JCT IH-43, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2014 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 21,000

Buckley Court

Good

Over: La Crosse River

Buckley Crt over LaCrosse, Monroe, WI

Built 1994 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 1,000

LRD 13TH DR

Good

Over: CARTER CREEK

2.0M S JCT STH 21, Adams, WI

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 205

LRD F R 180

Good

Over: BAD RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH X, Ashland, WI

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 109

LRD 15TH AVE

Good

Over: USH 53

1.4M W JCT CTH SS, Barron, WI

Built 1977 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 3,200

CTH D

Good

Over: HAY RIVER

1.8M E JCT CTH P, Barron, WI

Built 1983 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 654

LRD 24TH ST (DEAD

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.4M S JCT CTH C, Barron, WI

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 75

LRD 25TH ST

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.1M S JCT STH 48, Barron, WI

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 11

CTH D

Good

Over: POKEGAMA FLOWAGE

0.8M E JCT CTH M, Barron, WI

Built 1989 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,649

LRD CHURCH CORNER

Good

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

0.4M N JCT CTH C, Bayfield, WI

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 82

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: APPLE CREEK

3.4M N JCT CTH JJ, Brown, WI

Built 1963 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 26,700

STH 172 EB

Good

Over: EAST RIVER

1.7M E JCT STH 57, Brown, WI

Built 1982 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 42,350

LRD FAIRVIEW RD

Good

Over: DEVILS RIVER

2.3M S JCT STH 96, Brown, WI

Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 115

CTH F

Good

Over: N BR LITTLE BEAR CREEK

1.4M S JCT CTH JJ, Buffalo, WI

Built 1977 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 238

CTH F

Good

Over: BUFFALO RIVER

0.4M N JCT STH 37, Buffalo, WI

Built 1978 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 195

CTH B

Good

Over: HADLEY CREEK

2.0M E JCT STH 37, Buffalo, WI

Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 553

LRD NELSON RD

Good

Over: ARMOUR VALLEY CREEK

0.9M N JCT CTH H TO W, Buffalo, WI

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 46

CTH A

Good

Over: TIFFANY CREEK

0.7M E JCT CTH B, Buffalo, WI

Built 1990 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 141

LRD SIEBENALER ROA

Good

Over: BR EAGLE CREEK

2.8M N JCT CTH G, Buffalo, WI

Built 1991 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 33

LRD KILLSNAKE RD

Good

Over: KILLSNAKE RIVER

0.6M W JCT STH 57, Calumet, WI

Built 1982 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 143

LRD 110TH STREET

Good

Over: TILDEN CREEK

0.2 M N 100TH AVENUE, Chippewa, WI

Built 1993 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 155

USH 53SB

Good

Over: UP RR & BIKE PATH

AT UP RR & BIKE PATH, Chippewa, WI

Built 2004 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 11,100

LRD RIPLINGER RD

Good

Over: BLACK RIVER

0.7M W JCT STH 73, Clark, WI

Built 1983 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 133

LRD MAPLE CENTER R

Good

Over: NELSON CREEK

0.7M W JCT CTH K, Clark, WI

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 220

LRD SPRING ST

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.1M E JCT STH 98, Clark, WI

Built 1988 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 454

CTH D - FISH HATCH

Good

Over: USH 12/14/18/151

1.4M N JCT CTH PD, Dane, WI

Built 1959 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 39,200

Showing 6,901-6,950 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.