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

USH 10

Fair

Over: SESSION VALLEY CREEK

2.1M E JCT CTH BB, Buffalo, WI

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 2,700

STH 178

Fair

Over: ONEIL CREEK

2.8M N JCT CTH S, Chippewa, WI

Built 1956 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 4,400

LRD 50TH AVE.

Fair

Over: STH 29

0.3M W JCT CTH J, Chippewa, WI

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,400

CTH K STILLSON R

Fair

Over: STH 29

1.2M S JCT CTH X, Chippewa, WI

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 340

LRD 40TH AVE

Fair

Over: USH 53

0.6M W JCT STH 124, Chippewa, WI

Built 1969 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 400

USH 53 N

Fair

Over: CTH X-RIVER RD

2.7M N JCT STH 124 TO N, Chippewa, WI

Built 1970 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 11,100

CTH N

Fair

Over: USH 53

1.4M W JCT STH 124, Chippewa, WI

Built 1971 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,200

CTH X 3RD ST

Fair

Over: POPPLE RIVER

0.5M W JCT CTH D, Clark, WI

Built 1925 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 3,480

CTH V

Fair

Over: ROWAN CREEK @ LAKE WIS

0.5M N JCT CTH CS, Columbia, WI

Built 1970 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 990

CTH X

Fair

Over: IH USH 51-IH 39

0.1M W JCT CTH CX, Columbia, WI

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,130

LRD E BUSH RD

Fair

Over: N BR DUCK CREEK

2.1M S JCT CTH P, Columbia, WI

Built 1941 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 52

STH 82

Fair

Over: BN RR/WINNESHIEK SLOUGH

2.2M E IOWA STATE LINE, Crawford, WI

Built 1956 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 2,700

USH 61-STH 131-4TH

Fair

Over: TROUT CREEK

1.1M N JCT STH 131 TO S, Crawford, WI

Built 1955 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 2,600

CTH G

Fair

Over: PRIMROSE BRANCH

0.6M N JCT CTH A, Dane, WI

Built 1953 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,900

CTH A

Fair

Over: PLEASANT VALLEY BRANCH

0.1M E JCT CTH H, Dane, WI

Built 1954 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 580

LRD SUN VALLEY PAR

Fair

Over: WISC-CALUMET RR

0.9M E JCT CTH PB, Dane, WI

Built 1937 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 168

LRD BLIVEN RD

Fair

Over: SAUNDERS CREEK

0.2M S JCT STH 106, Dane, WI

Built 1969 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 94

LRD MIDTOWN RD

Fair

Over: BR BADGER MILL CREEK

1.7M W JCT CTH M, Dane, WI

Built 1968 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,550

LRD GREENWAY RD

Fair

Over: MAUNESHA RIVER

1.6M E JCT USH 151, Dane, WI

Built 1985 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 290

IH 39 NB OFF RAMP

Fair

Over: USH 12 WB-USH 18 WB

5.3M W JCT CTH N (A), Dane, WI

Built 1997 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 29,600

LRD HALF MILE RD

Fair

Over: BR BADGER MILL CREEK

0.2M S JCT OLD 151, Dane, WI

Built 1901 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 10

LRD GERMAN ST

Fair

Over: ROCK RIVER

0.9M E JCT STH 28, Dodge, WI

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 834

CTH M CENTER STR

Fair

Over: STH 16

0.8M N JCT CTH R, Dodge, WI

Built 1960 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,300

LRD CENTER RD

Fair

Over: USH 151

1.0 MI. N CTH D, Dodge, WI

Built 1962 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 600

CTH N

Fair

Over: S FK HAY RIVER

2.8M W JCT CTH F, Dunn, WI

Built 1955 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 192

STH 25

Fair

Over: CNW RR

0.8M N JCT IH 94 TO E, Dunn, WI

Built 1959 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 7,100

CTH EE

Fair

Over: IH 94

0.4M S JCT USH 12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1967 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,600

CTH D

Fair

Over: OTTER CREEK

0.3M E USH 53, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1968 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 358

CTH J

Fair

Over: OTTER CREEK

0.2M E USH 53, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1939 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 461

CTH D

Fair

Over: RUSH CREEK

2.0M N USH 12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1919 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,383

CTH HH

Fair

Over: PINE CREEK

0.9M E STH 93, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1926 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 871

CTH W

Fair

Over: W BR MILWAUKEE RIVER

1.4M N JCT CTH BB, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 1962 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 960

CTH B

Fair

Over: LITTLE PLATE RIVER

2.8M W JCT STH 81, Grant, WI

Built 1952 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,325

LRD SINSINIWA RD

Fair

Over: SINSINIWA RIVER

2.4M W JCT STH 80, Grant, WI

Built 1961 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 91

CTH N

Fair

Over: PIGEON RIVER

2.7M S JCT STH 35, Grant, WI

Built 1962 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 477

STH 92

Fair

Over: STORY CREEK

0.4M E JCT CTH X, Green, WI

Built 1959 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,800

CTH F

Fair

Over: SUGAR RIVER

0.6M W JCT STH 11, Green, WI

Built 1965 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,100

IH 94 EB

Fair

Over: LRD MCNULTY RD

8.8M E JCT STH 95 (F), Jackson, WI

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 12,450

IH 94 WB

Fair

Over: LRD MCNULTY RD

1.2M W JCT USH 12 (F), Jackson, WI

Built 1966 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 12,450

CTH N

Fair

Over: WHITE CREEK

0.2M W JCT STH 54, Jackson, WI

Built 1997 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 360

LRD ZIEBELL RD

Fair

Over: IH 94

1.2M S JCT CTH A, Jefferson, WI

Built 1964 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 474

LRD 55TH ST/CEMETE

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.6M W JCT CTH N, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 330

CTH N

Fair

Over: IH 90/94

0.6M E JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 330

LRD OLD GREEN BAY

Fair

Over: N BR PIKE RIVER

1.5M N JCT CTH E, Kenosha, WI

Built 1953 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,900

STH 50 WB-STH 83 N

Fair

Over: FOX RIVER

2.4M W JCT CTH B, Kenosha, WI

Built 1986 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 10,750

LRD COLLIGIATE RD

Fair

Over: NO-NAME CREEK

0.5M W JCT AB, Kewaunee, WI

Built 1940 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1

STH 35-GEORGE ST

Fair

Over: CMSTPP RR

1.4M N JCT STH 16 (A), La Crosse, WI

Built 1962 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 14,700

USH 8

Fair

Over: TOMAHAWK RIVER

0.4M E JCT CTH Y, Lincoln, WI

Built 1936 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 3,100

IH 43 SB

Fair

Over: LRD CARSTENS LAKE RD

3.6M S JCT USH 151, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1979 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 11,600

LRD ROCKWOOD RD

Fair

Over: IH 43

1.1M W JCT CTH R, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1977 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 300

Showing 751-800 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.