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

STH 190 WB-CAPITOL

Good

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.3M W JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2003 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 19,500

IH 43 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: STH 59 (NATIONAL AVE)

5.1 MI N JCT IH 894, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1968 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 78,000

IH 794 EB - LAKE I

Good

Over: LAND

1.3 MI E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 39,850

IH RAMP CARFERRY

Good

Over: LRD E LINCOLN AVE

0.2 MI N JCT CARFERRY DR, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,300

LRD S 6TH ST

Good

Over: CENTRAL PACIFIC RR

0.2M S JCT CANAL ST, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 13,675

LRD N 6TH ST

Good

Over: HANK AARON STATE TRAIL/P

0.1M N JCT CANAL ST, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,300

LRD N 6TH ST

Good

Over: LRD ST PAUL AVE

0.3M N JCT CANAL ST, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 15,249

LRD GREEN TREE RD

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.3M S JCT CTH PP, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,500

STH 241-27TH ST

Good

Over: KINNICKINNIC RIVER

2.0M N JCT IH 894 TO E, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1963 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 24,900

USH 18 EB-WELLS ST

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

1.6M E JCT STH 57 TO N, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1985 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,000

CTH S 76TH ST(NB)

Good

Over: STH 36-LOOMIS RD

0.2M N JCT CTH BB, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1993 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,650

IH RAMP I43 NB-SIL

Good

Over: LRD W SILVER SPRING DR

2.1 MI N JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1992 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 7,500

LRD WEST BRADLEY R

Good

Over: LITTLE MENOMONEE RIVER

1.8M E JCT STH 145, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2006 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 10,200

CTH EE W HAMPTON

Good

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.2M E JCT USH 45 TO S, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,900

CTH EE - W HAMPTON

Good

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.1M E USH 45, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2004 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 8,900

LRD MILWAUKEE RIVE

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

VILLAGE OF GLENDALE, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2007 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,277

STH 794 SB (LAKE P

Good

Over: EDGERTON CHANNEL

1.5 MI S JCT HOWARD AVE, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2005 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 10,300

LRD HONEY CREEK PA

Good

Over: HONEY CREEK

0.4M N JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 3,762

IH RAMP WATERTOWN

Good

Over: IH 41/USH 45 NB

0.5 MI N JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2014 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,600

IH RAMP IH 41 SB T

Good

Over: LRD W NORTH AVE

AT NORTH AVE, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,417

IH RAMP STH 241 SB

Good

Over: IH 41/43/894

0.1 MI W JCT STH 241, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2011 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 520

IH94 WB

Good

Over: STH 181/84TH ST

2.4 MI W JCT USH 41, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 80,000

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: LRD 121ST ST/ CURTIS RD

0.8 M W JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2017 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 58,500

LRD N PORT WASHING

Good

Over: STH 190-CAPITOL DR

AT JCT WITH STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2019 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 11,200

IH RAMP IH 43 SB T

Good

Over: IH RAMP IH 43 NB TO STH

AT JCT IH 43-STH 57-190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,700

IH 794 EB

Good

Over: W-N RAMP IH 94 EB-IH 43

2.6 MI E JCT STH 175, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2006 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 31,900

STH 27

Good

Over: CP RR/BIKE TRAIL

0.2M N JCT IH 90 TO W, Monroe, WI

Built 1953 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 11,700

LRD FINCH AVE

Good

Over: BAILEY CREEK

0.2 MI E JCT CTH I, Monroe, WI

Built 2018 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 250

STH 27-STH 71

Good

Over: W BEAVER CREEK

2.5M N JCT CTH B, Monroe, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,600

LRD WALRATH ST

Good

Over: FARMERS VALLEY CREEK

0.2M E JCT STH 16, Monroe, WI

Built 1989 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,700

STH 131

Good

Over: KICKAPOO RIVER

2.3M N JCT CTH T, Monroe, WI

Built 1991 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,400

STH 71

Good

Over: FARMERS VALLEY CREEK

3.2M E JCT STH 16 TO E, Monroe, WI

Built 1991 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,600

LRD HAMILTON AVE

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH BC, Monroe, WI

Built 1991 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 45

CTH M

Good

Over: LEMONWEIR CREEK

2.5M S JCT STH 16, Monroe, WI

Built 2010 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 871

LRD DUMONT AVE

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.5M W JCT CTH H, Monroe, WI

Built 1997 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 54

CTH W

Good

Over: BR LITTLE LEMONWEIR RIVE

0.1M N JCT CTH A, Monroe, WI

Built 1998 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 103

LRD INCLINE RD

Good

Over: BR SILVER CREEK

2.2M S JCT CTH A, Monroe, WI

Built 1999 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 62

IH NW RAMP IH 94

Good

Over: LEMONWEIR RIVER

AT IH 94, Monroe, WI

Built 2003 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 26,100

LRD HAMMER RD

Good

Over: LA CROSSE RIVER

0.3M S JCT STH 16, Monroe, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 417

LRD NEPTUNE RD

Good

Over: BR LITTLE LA CROSSE R

1.1M E JCT STH 27, Monroe, WI

Built 2002 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 298

CTH S

Good

Over: DUSTIN CREEK

2.7M E JCT STH 27, Monroe, WI

Built 2001 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 129

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

4.8M E JCT CTH E TO E, Monroe, WI

Built 2016 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 12,400

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

3.4M W JCT STH 21 TO E, Monroe, WI

Built 2015 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 12,400

CTH PP

Good

Over: E FK LEMONWEIR RIVER

0.3M S JCT STH 21, Monroe, WI

Built 2023 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,350

CTH M

Good

Over: SLEIGHTON CREEK

1.0M N JCT STH 71, Monroe, WI

Built 2021 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 410

STH 32

Good

Over: S BR OCONTO RIVER

1.6M N JCT CTH M, Oconto, WI

Built 1975 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 4,200

STH 32-STH 64

Good

Over: WAUPEE RIVER

0.4M N JCT STH 64 TO E, Oconto, WI

Built 1983 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 3,400

LRD NICOLET RD

Good

Over: TOWNSEND FLOWAGE

0.3M W JCT STH 32, Oconto, WI

Built 1988 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 271

CTH W

Good

Over: N BR OCONTO RIVER

0.9M W JCT STH 32, Oconto, WI

Built 1991 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 391

LRD S CHASE RD

Good

Over: LITTLE SUAMICO RIVER

0.9M W JCT CTH C, Oconto, WI

Built 1994 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 552

Showing 9,351-9,400 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.