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

CTH D

Good

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

0.5M W JCT CTH F--16, Rusk, WI

Built 2016 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 720

USH 12 EB

Good

Over: CTH W

1 MILE S OF STH 136, Sauk, WI

Built 2016 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 7,700

LRD TAG ALDER ROAD

Good

Over: NAMEKAGON RIVER

0.7M W JCT USH 63, Sawyer, WI

Built 2022 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 50

LRD LUELLOFF RD

Good

Over: SEVEN MILE CREEK

0.8M W JCT CTH LS, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2019 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 55

CTH M

Good

Over: S FK YELLOW RIVER

0.1M S SAILOR CREEK RD, Taylor, WI

Built 2010 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 748

CTH S

Good

Over: WEST FORK KICKAPOO RIVER

0.9M N JCT STH 82, Vernon, WI

Built 2018 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 520

LRD NORTH STREET

Good

Over: MILL RACE OF WW CREEK

.6M W JEFFERSON ST, Walworth, WI

Built 2012 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,400

LRD BELL ST.

Good

Over: CANADIAN NATIONAL RR

0.1 M E JCT USH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2011 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 21,800

NO DATA ENTERED

Good

Over: BRUNSWEILER RIVER

NO DATA ENTERED, Ashland, WI

Built 2022 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 50

STH 96

Good

Over: CTH ZZ

AT FOX RIVER, Brown, WI

Built 2015 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 9,900

LRD HANSEN ROAD

Good

Over: IH 41

HANSON ROAD OVER IH 41, Brown, WI

Built 2014 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 7,100

IH 41 NB ON-RAMP F

Good

Over: STH 172 EB

STH 172 EB, Brown, WI

Built 2014 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 2,200

IH STH 29 EB TO IH

Good

Over: IH 41 NB

IH 41/STH 32 INTERCHANGE, Brown, WI

Built 2014 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 3,900

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: USH 141/ (VELP AVE)

OVER VELP AVE, Brown, WI

Built 2016 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 26,450

STH 40

Good

Over: HAY CREEK

0.6 M EAST OF CTH B, Chippewa, WI

Built 2012 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 810

CTH PD

Good

Over: BR BADGER MILL CREEK

1.9M W JCT CTH M, Dane, WI

Built 2019 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 11,000

CTH F

Good

Over: HAY RIVER

0.2M S JCT CTH VVV, Dunn, WI

Built 2008 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 273

CTH N NB /BRIDGE

Good

Over: FRENCH CREEK WB

0.8M S JCT STH 95, Jackson, WI

Built 2015 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 520

CTH O

Good

Over: ROBINSON CREEK

0.4M N JCT USH 12, Jackson, WI

Built 2021 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 275

LRD WILL ROAD

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

0.5M N JCT STH 106, Jefferson, WI

Built 2021 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 637

IH 90 EB-IH 94 EB

Good

Over: STH 82

7.7M E JCT STH 80 TO N, Juneau, WI

Built 2022 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 18,375

IH 90 WB-IH 94 WB

Good

Over: STH 82

10.0M W JCT CTH HH TO N, Juneau, WI

Built 2022 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 18,375

LRD 13TH AVE

Good

Over: PIKE RIVER

0.1M N JCT CTH A, Kenosha, WI

Built 2020 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 1,900

LRD NORTH STAR ROA

Good

Over: USH 51

0.6M W CTH K, Lincoln, WI

Built 2013 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 1,020

LRD MAPLE RIDGE RD

Good

Over: IH 39

2.7M W JCT CTH X, Marathon, WI

Built 2012 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 6,200

CTH K

Good

Over: N BR COUNTY LINE CREEK

1.9M N JCT CTH F, Marathon, WI

Built 2022 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 3,400

IH 43 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: LRD S13TH ST

4.5 MI S JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2010 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 61,000

LRD W MEINECKE AVE

Good

Over: IH 41-ZOO FREEWAY

AT IH 41, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2021 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 2,100

LRD W BROWN ST

Good

Over: CANADIAN PACIFIC RR

0.7M W JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2018 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 1,000

IH 90/94 WB

Good

Over: LRD FUNNEL RD

3.2M W JCT CTH C TO N, Monroe, WI

Built 2010 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 31,900

LRD BRAUN RD/ 60TH

Good

Over: KILBOURN ROAD DITCH

0.7 MILES EAST OF IH 94, Racine, WI

Built 2018 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 3,900

LRD HARMONY TOWN H

Good

Over: STH 26

AT STH 26, Rock, WI

Built 2012 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 9,000

LRD SHARON RD

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

0.5M S JCT STH 11, Rock, WI

Built 2017 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 740

CTH I

Good

Over: DEER TAIL CREEK

0.3M S JCT CTH P-26, Rusk, WI

Built 2020 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 840

CTH D

Good

Over: LITTLE JUMP RIVER

0.9M E JCT CTH GG TO S, Rusk, WI

Built 2021 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 533

USH 12 WB

Good

Over: SKILLET CREEK TRIBUTARY/

11 M W JCT STH 60, Sauk, WI

Built 2016 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 7,700

USH 12 EB

Good

Over: SKILLET CREEK TRIBUTARY/

0.6 M E JCT STH 159, Sauk, WI

Built 2016 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 7,700

CTH G

Good

Over: LITTLE BARABOO RIVER

0.3M N JCT STH 58, Sauk, WI

Built 2011 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 300

STH 56

Good

Over: BISHOPS BRANCH

2.7M E JCT STH 82 TO E, Vernon, WI

Built 2022 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 1,750

LRD W.WISCONSIN AV

Good

Over: OCONOMOWOC RIVER

4.2M E JCT CTH F, Waukesha, WI

Built 2010 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 9,000

USH 18 WB

Good

Over: PEBBLE CREEK

1.25 MI N JCT STH 59, Waukesha, WI

Built 2019 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 8,250

CTH GG

Good

Over: IH 41

AT USH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2014 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 650

USH 441NB/USH 10 E

Good

Over: CTH P INTERCHANGE

1.1 MI E JCT IH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2016 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 28,000

USH 10 EB/STH 441

Good

Over: CTH AP (MIDWAY RD)

2 MI EAST OF IH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2018 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 24,300

STH 80

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.7M N JCT CTH EE, Wood, WI

Built 2013 Load: 33.4 t ADT: 3,400

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: CTH G

2.3M S JCT STH 172, Brown, WI

Built 2013 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 34,100

CTH U

Good

Over: WAUMANDEE CREEK

1.0M N. OF INT. CTH C, Buffalo, WI

Built 2009 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 453

LRD BUELLS VALLEY

Good

Over: BR WAUMANDEE CREEK

1.8M N JCT CTH X, Buffalo, WI

Built 2010 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 103

CTH M

Good

Over: SCOTT CREEK

1.5 MI N OF I, Clark, WI

Built 2012 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 290

STH 98

Good

Over: YELLOW RIVER

TOWN OF SHERMAN, Clark, WI

Built 2015 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 2,600

Showing 8,151-8,200 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.