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 CENTER ROAD

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

2.5M E JCT CTH W, Lincoln, WI

Built 1986 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 411

LRD BACHELORS AVE

Good

Over: PRAIRIE RIVER

0.3M N JCT STH 17, Lincoln, WI

Built 1990 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 58

CTH H

Good

Over: LITTLE PINE CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH V, Lincoln, WI

Built 1990 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 208

LRD R AND H RD

Good

Over: PRAIRIE RIVER

0.5M E JCT STH 17, Lincoln, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 80

CTH E

Good

Over: S BR NEW WOOD RIVER

2.5M N JCT CTH M, Lincoln, WI

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 105

STH 67

Good

Over: SHEBOYGAN RIVER

0.2M N JCT STH 32, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,700

LRD COLLINS RD

Good

Over: MANITOWOC RIVER

0.3M S JCT CTH JJ, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2001 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 162

CTH A

Good

Over: BR MANITOWOC RIVER

1.2M N JCT CTH C, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2001 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,450

LRD SILVER CREEK R

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH LS, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 105

LRD MICHIGAN AVE

Good

Over: MANITOWOC RIVER

0.8M W JCT STH 42, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2006 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 930

LRD VALLEY DR

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.5M N JCT STH 42, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2009 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 157

LRD COUNTY LINE RD

Good

Over: PIGEON RIVER

0.2M W JCT STH 42, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2009 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 144

STH 42

Good

Over: UNNAMED TRIB TO LAKE MIC

0.2 MI S OF COUNTY LINE, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,300

CTH X

Good

Over: FISCHER CREEK

1.7M E OF STH 42, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2019 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 480

IH USH 51-IH 39 SB

Good

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER 26

2.6M S JCT STH 29 TO E, Marathon, WI

Built 1968 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 37,700

LRD RIVER RD

Good

Over: LITTLE EAU PLEINE RIVER

0.1M S JCT STH 153, Marathon, WI

Built 1984 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 100

LRD NAUGERT RD

Good

Over: BR LITTLE RIB RIVER

1.3M W JCT CTH O, Marathon, WI

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 25

LRD SHANTY TOWN DR

Good

Over: PLOVER RIVER

1.0M W JCT CTH Y, Marathon, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 100

LRD LINCOLN RD (DE

Good

Over: MCGINNIS CREEK

0.5M W JCT CTH S, Marathon, WI

Built 1992 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 12

LRD NAUGART RD

Good

Over: GRASS CREEK

1.7M E JCT CTH S, Marathon, WI

Built 1993 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 22

LRD MAPLE ROAD

Good

Over: STH 29 EB & WB

1.83 MI EAST JCT STH 13, Marathon, WI

Built 1998 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,800

LRD HIGHLAND RD

Good

Over: E BR BIG SANDY CREEK

0.5M N JCT CTH Z, Marathon, WI

Built 1997 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 21

CTH H

Good

Over: STH 29

5.6M E JCT STH 97, Marathon, WI

Built 1997 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 3,400

STH 153

Good

Over: FREEMAN CREEK

1.0M E JCT CTH S, Marathon, WI

Built 2001 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 3,600

STH 153

Good

Over: HOG CREEK

3.4M E JCT STH 107, Marathon, WI

Built 2001 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 3,300

STH EB STH29

Good

Over: STH 29

1.25M S JCT N, Marathon, WI

Built 2006 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 19,000

USH 51 NB-STH 29 W

Good

Over: BIG RIB RIVER

1.7M S JCT STH 29 TO W, Marathon, WI

Built 2008 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 30,550

USH 51 NB

Good

Over: LRD SHERMAN ST

0.7M S OF STH29 XING, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 34,100

USH 51SB

Good

Over: LRD SHERMAN AVE

1.2M S JCT STH 52, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 34,100

USH 51NB

Good

Over: LRD STEWART AVE

4.8M N JCT STH29 TO EAST, Marathon, WI

Built 2009 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 38,600

USH 51 SB

Good

Over: LRD STEWART AVE

0.8M S JCT STH 52, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 34,100

USH 51 NB EXIT RAM

Good

Over: LRD STEWET AVE

AT STEWART AVE, Marathon, WI

Built 2010 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,900

USH 51 SB ENTRANCE

Good

Over: LRD STEWART AVE

2.1M S CTH K, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,400

LRD BIG RIB RIVER

Good

Over: GRASS CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH S, Marathon, WI

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 36

CTH C

Good

Over: LITTLE EAU PLEIN RIVER

1.9 MI. W. OF STH 97, Marathon, WI

Built 2003 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,000

LRD PIT RD

Good

Over: BIG SANDY CR

1.2 MI N JCT STH 52, Marathon, WI

Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 75

CTH N

Good

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER 30

0.2M W JCT USH B51, Marathon, WI

Built 1951 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 16,100

LRD TWIN LAKES RD

Good

Over: N BR PIKE RIVER

1.9M S JCT USH 8, Marinette, WI

Built 1997 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 100

CTH W

Good

Over: OUTLET CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH GG, Marinette, WI

Built 1986 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,311

LRD NOQUEBAY RD

Good

Over: OUTLET CREEK

0.6M N JCT CTH GG, Marinette, WI

Built 1987 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 140

LRD OLD COUNTY A

Good

Over: N BR PIKE RIVER

1.7M S JCT USH 8, Marinette, WI

Built 1987 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 150

USH 141

Good

Over: MIDDLE INLET CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH X, Marinette, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,500

USH 141

Good

Over: UPPER MIDDLE INLET CREEK

3.5M N JCT CTH X, Marinette, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,500

LRD E BARKER RD

Good

Over: PIKE RIVER

5.4M E JCT USH 141, Marinette, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 150

LRD SWEDE JOHN RD

Good

Over: PESHTIGO RIVER

9.5M S JCT USH 8, Marinette, WI

Built 1993 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 100

LRD N 7TH RD (DEAD

Good

Over: LITTLE PESHTIGO RIVER

0.1M N JCT CTH B, Marinette, WI

Built 1999 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5

IH USH51-IH39 NB

Good

Over: LRD DOVER COURT

3.5M N JCT CTH J, Marquette, WI

Built 1987 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 13,000

CTH P

Good

Over: NEENAH CREEK

0.5M W JCT CTH O, Marquette, WI

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 160

LRD W 4TH ST/CTH E

Good

Over: WESTFIELD CREEK

0.7M W JCT USH 51, Marquette, WI

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,400

CTH CX

Good

Over: CHAPMAN CREEK

2.3M N JCT CTH P, Marquette, WI

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 800

Showing 9,301-9,350 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.