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

STH S PINE STREET

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

4.3M N JCT CTH JB T0 E, Racine, WI

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,300

STH 38

Good

Over: HUSHER CREEK

3.2 MI S JCT STH 100, Racine, WI

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,000

STH 38

Good

Over: TRIB TO HUSHER CREEK

0.3 MI E JCT CTH H, Racine, WI

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,100

LRD OAKES RD

Good

Over: BR PIKE RIVER

0.3M S JCT STH20, Racine, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,500

LRD OLD SPRING STR

Good

Over: BR PIKE RIVER

0.37 MI E JCT STUART RD, Racine, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 210

IH 41 SB/IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD BRAUN RD

0.8 MI S JCT STH 11, Racine, WI

Built 2019 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 46,400

IH 41 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: LRD BRAUN RD

3.8 MI N JCT STH 142, Racine, WI

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 46,400

IH 41 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: LRD 58TH RD

0.25 MI N JCT STH 11, Racine, WI

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 45,800

CTH O

Good

Over: ASH CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH OO, Richland, WI

Built 1956 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 850

LRD TROUT DR

Good

Over: BR KNAPP CREEK

0.1M W JCT STH 171, Richland, WI

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22

LRD SPRY HILL DR

Good

Over: FANCY CREEK

0.2M N JCT STH 56, Richland, WI

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 28

CTH O

Good

Over: BR SPRING CREEK

0.3M S JCT USH 14, Richland, WI

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,200

STH 80

Good

Over: MELANCTHON CREEK

1.2M N JCT CTH CC TO E, Richland, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,300

STH 80

Good

Over: MELANCTHON CREEK

3.0M N JCT CTH CC TO E, Richland, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,300

CTH N

Good

Over: PUMPKIN HOLLOW CREEK

4.3M E JCT CTH T, Richland, WI

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 446

STH 80-S MAIN ST

Good

Over: DRAINAGE CHANNEL

0.9M N JCT CTH OO, Richland, WI

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,158

LRD INDUSTRIAL DRI

Good

Over: PINE RIVER WATERSHED

0.1M E JCT STH 80, Richland, WI

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,125

LRD SEMINARY ST

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

0.2M W JCT USH 14, Richland, WI

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,700

LRD CENTURY RD

Good

Over: BYRDS CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH X, Richland, WI

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 21

LRD SOUTH STREET (

Good

Over: PINE RIVER WATERSHED

CITY OF RICHLAND CENTER, Richland, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1

STH 60

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

1.4M E JCT STH 80, Richland, WI

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,400

STH 56

Good

Over: TRIB TO CAMP CREEK

3.2 MI E OF STH 131, Richland, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 490

STH 56

Good

Over: BR. OF FANCY CREEK

0.65M E OF JCT CTH Z, Richland, WI

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 490

STH 60

Good

Over: UNNAMED TRIB

2.5M E JCT CTH T, Richland, WI

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,100

CTH F

Good

Over: TAYLOR HOLLOW CR

2.2M NORTH OF STH 60, Richland, WI

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 334

STH 130

Good

Over: BRANCH OF BEAR CREEK

0.09 MI N JCT CTH T, Richland, WI

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 270

USH 51

Good

Over: BR ROCK RIVER

4.1M N JCT STH 81, Rock, WI

Built 1973 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,700

STH 67

Good

Over: BR DRY CREEK

1.1 M W JCT CTH P, Rock, WI

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,900

USH 14-STH 11

Good

Over: BR BLACKHAWK CREEK

3.3M E JCT CTH O, Rock, WI

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,600

STH 213

Good

Over: BR RACCOON CREEK

2.0M N JCT STH 81, Rock, WI

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,600

STH 81

Good

Over: BR RACCOON CREEK

2.6M E JCT CTH K, Rock, WI

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,300

LRD VICKERMAN RD

Good

Over: OTTER CREEK

1.2M N JCT STH 59, Rock, WI

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 223

LRD CREEK RD

Good

Over: BR TURTLE CREEK

0.5M N JCT CTH J, Rock, WI

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 880

LRD TURTLE TOWNHAL

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

0.3M S JCT CTH X, Rock, WI

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 622

STH 11

Good

Over: DRAINAGE

0.7M W JCT USH 51, Rock, WI

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,100

LRD WUTHERING HILL

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK CREEK

CITY OF JANESVILLE, Rock, WI

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,300

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: CTH O

0.6M E STH 11 TO E, Rock, WI

Built 2003 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 32,550

CTH M

Good

Over: BR ALLEN CREEK

0.1M N JCT STH 213, Rock, WI

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,800

CTH A

Good

Over: BR BLACKHAWK CREEK

2.5M E JCT USH 14, Rock, WI

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,900

LRD READ RD

Good

Over: BR ROCK RIVER

3.1M S JCT CTH O, Rock, WI

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 367

CTH J

Good

Over: TURTLE CREEK TRIBUTARY 2

0.9M E JCT CTH S, Rock, WI

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 625

STH 213

Good

Over: BR ALLEN CREEK

1.2M N JCT CTH A, Rock, WI

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,300

IH 39 /IH 90

Good

Over: BR ROCK RIVER

1.1M S JCT STH 11, Rock, WI

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 57,700

CTH MM

Good

Over: BR BLACKHAWK CREEK

1.9M E JCT USH 14, Rock, WI

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 600

LRD MINERAL POINT

Good

Over: FISHER CREEK

2.4M E JCT STH 184, Rock, WI

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 755

STH 40

Good

Over: ALDER CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH H TO N, Rusk, WI

Built 1977 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 880

STH 40

Good

Over: POTATO CREEK

1.3M N JCT CTH D, Rusk, WI

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 810

STH 40

Good

Over: SWIFT CREEK

9.8M N JCT CTH M, Rusk, WI

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 810

LRD BROKEN ARROW R

Good

Over: DEER TAIL CREEK

1.1M W JCT STH 27-113, Rusk, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 206

STH 27

Good

Over: FLAMBEAU RIVER

2.1M N JCT CTH P, Rusk, WI

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,500

Showing 7,701-7,750 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.