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)

Counties (72)

Adams 41 Ashland 84 Barron 319 Bayfield 103 Brown 466 Buffalo 238 Burnett 67 Calumet 62 Chippewa 359 Clark 296 Columbia 183 Crawford 211 Dane 590 Dodge 212 Door 32 Douglas 135 Dunn 245 Eau Claire 236 Florence 20 Fond du Lac 251 Forest 53 Grant 383 Green 244 Green Lake 48 Iowa 209 Iron 48 Jackson 218 Jefferson 182 Juneau 172 Kenosha 109 Kewaunee 93 La Crosse 249 Lafayette 217 Langlade 78 Lincoln 157 Manitowoc 269 Marathon 530 Marinette 135 Marquette 81 Menominee 25 Milwaukee 893 Monroe 374 Oconto 149 Oneida 61 Outagamie 290 Ozaukee 105 Pepin 57 Pierce 248 Polk 73 Portage 182 Price 104 Racine 133 Richland 298 Rock 304 Rusk 151 Sauk 271 Sawyer 97 Shawano 160 Sheboygan 240 St. Croix 298 Taylor 176 Trempealeau 260 Vernon 333 Vilas 29 Walworth 206 Washburn 49 Washington 162 Waukesha 369 Waupaca 169 Waushara 53 Winnebago 263 Wood 239

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.

LRD CASBERG COULEE

Poor

Over: LONG COULEE CREEK

0.2M E JCT CTH V, La Crosse, WI

Built 1984 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 265

LRD IRR (ENSINGER

Poor

Over: BRUNSWEILER RIVER

0.7M E JCT STH 13, Ashland, WI

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

LRD N 50TH ST (DEA

Poor

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.2M S JCT STATE ST, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1976 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1

LRD PEDESTRIAN (WO

Poor

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.5M E JCT USH 45, Washington, WI

Built 1891 Load: 0.0 t

LRD ACCESS RD

Poor

Over: MENASHA CHANNEL

ACCESS TO PARKING LOT BY, Winnebago, WI

Built 1960 Load: 1.6 t ADT: 20

LRD MARKET RD

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK

1.2M N JCT STH 76, Outagamie, WI

Built 1958 Load: 1.6 t ADT: 1,175

All Bridges in Wisconsin

CTH O/N GREEN BAY

Good

Over: MOLE CREEK

1.2 MILES NORTH OF STH 60, Ozaukee, WI

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,800

USH 10

Good

Over: SPINDLER DRAINAGE

2.5M E JCT STH 85, Pepin, WI

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,800

CTH P

Good

Over: THOMPSON LAKE OUTLET

0.8M E JCT CTH O, Pepin, WI

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 897

USH 10

Good

Over: BR ARKANSAW CREEK

3.3M E JCT CTH ZZ, Pepin, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,800

STH 35

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

2.3M N JCT CTH C, Pepin, WI

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,200

LRD BEAVER SLIDE

Good

Over: PORCUPINE CR

1.1 M. W. OF JCT CTH D, Pepin, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 52

LRD LAMPHERE ROAD

Good

Over: DRY RUN

0.1 M N. OF JCT CTH Y, Pepin, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 114

LRD PETERS RD

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

AT UNNAMED CREEK, Pepin, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1

STH 35

Good

Over: PINE COULEE

3.8M N JCT CTH QQ TO N, Pierce, WI

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,300

CTH C

Good

Over: BR ISABELLE CREEK

0.3M N JCT CTH V, Pierce, WI

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,648

LRD 620TH ST

Good

Over: ISABELLE CREEK

0.5M S JCT CTH V, Pierce, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 92

LRD 490TH AVE

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

0.9M E JCT CTH CC, Pierce, WI

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 47

LRD 290TH AVE

Good

Over: BR ISABELLE CREEK

1.7M W JCT CTH D, Pierce, WI

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 91

LRD 690TH ST

Good

Over: RUSH RIVER

2.6M E JCT USH 63, Pierce, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,708

LRD 950TH ST

Good

Over: BR BIG RIVER

3.5M N JCT USH 10, Pierce, WI

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 56

LRD 530TH ST

Good

Over: BR LOST CREEK

1.1M S JCT STH 72, Pierce, WI

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 93

USH 10-USH 63

Good

Over: ISABELLE CREEK

1.5M E JCT STH 65 TO N, Pierce, WI

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,700

STH 35

Good

Over: WARRENTOWN COULEE CREEK

1.5M N JCT CTH A, Pierce, WI

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,900

STH 35-STATE RD

Good

Over: BAY CITY CREEK

0.4M N JCT CTH EE, Pierce, WI

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,600

STH 65

Good

Over: BR S FK KINNICKINNIC R

1.0M N JCT CTH O, Pierce, WI

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,800

CTH EE

Good

Over: BR ISABELLE CREEK

2.1M W JCT CTH D, Pierce, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 267

STH 35

Good

Over: BR COULEE CREEK

2.3M N JCT CTH QQ TO N, Pierce, WI

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,600

CTH EE

Good

Over: BR ISABELLE CREEK

1.9M W JCT CTH D, Pierce, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 302

LRD 870TH AVE

Good

Over: BR RUSH RIVER

0.1M W JCT CTH Y, Pierce, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 397

STH 29 EASTBOUND

Good

Over: BURKHART CR

AT BURKHART CREEK, Pierce, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,400

LRD 510TH ST

Good

Over: CADY CREEK

0.1M E OF 20TH ST, Pierce, WI

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 397

CTH K

Good

Over: LITTLE TRIMBELLE CREEK

0.6M W JCT USH 63, Pierce, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 504

LRD 650TH AVE

Good

Over: CAVE CREEK

0.7M E JCT CTH BB, Pierce, WI

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 116

LRD 570TH AVENUE

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

0.2M EAST OF 210TH ST, Pierce, WI

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 214

CTH J

Good

Over: GOOSE CR

0.1M S JCT STH 65, Pierce, WI

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 598

CTH E

Good

Over: GREENWOOD VALLEY CREEK

0.4M S JCT STH 29, Pierce, WI

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,337

LRD GREEN WOOD VAL

Good

Over: ROCKY BRANCH CREEK

1.9M N CTHQQ, Pierce, WI

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 146

CTH C

Good

Over: BAY CITY CR

1.2 M N OF JCT STH 35, Pierce, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 731

STH 29

Good

Over: UNNAMED TRIBUTARY

0.25MI NCTH FF, Pierce, WI

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,800

STH 35

Good

Over: OSCEOLA CR

3.2M N CTH CC, Polk, WI

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,500

CTH UU ELM ROAD

Good

Over: DITCH NO 6

1.3M N JCT CTH D, Portage, WI

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 176

USH 10 EB

Good

Over: TOMORROW RIVER

2.0 MI EAST CTH A, Portage, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,600

USH 10 WB

Good

Over: TOMORROW RIVER

1.7M W JCT CTH T TO S, Portage, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,300

USH 10 WB

Good

Over: CTH A (CTH B EAST)

AT CTH A, Portage, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,300

LRD MERRYLAND DRIV

Good

Over: TOMORROW RIVER

1.6 MILES EAST OF STH 66, Portage, WI

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 215

IH-39

Good

Over: SOUTH BRANCH TENMILE CRE

0.23M N CTH D, Portage, WI

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 13,000

LRD BROWN THRUSH R

Good

Over: TRIB TO MILL CREEK

0.25M W CTH G, Portage, WI

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 106

USH 8

Good

Over: SOMO CREEK

2.8M E JCT CTH D TO S, Price, WI

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,300

USH 8

Good

Over: LITTLE SOMO CREEK

2.4M E JCT CTH D TO S, Price, WI

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,300

CTH D

Good

Over: KNOX CREEK

TOWN OF KNOX 2.3 M N HYW, Price, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 182

STH 13 NB

Good

Over: HAY CREEK

3.9M N JCT USH 8, Price, WI

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,300

USH 8

Good

Over: S FORK MAIN CREEK

2.0M W JCT J, Price, WI

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,300

USH 8

Good

Over: MORGAN CREEK

1.05 M W OF JCT CTH J NO, Price, WI

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,400

STH 13

Good

Over: BR N FK JUMP RIVER

8.1M N JCT USH 8, Price, WI

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,300

LRD 90TH STREET CU

Good

Over: WAXDALE CREEK

0.5M N JCT STH 11, Racine, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,100

Showing 7,651-7,700 of 14,446 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 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.