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 I

Good

Over: IH 39 NB

0.5M N JCT CTH V, Dane, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 2,000

CTH OLD CTH PB

Good

Over: BADGER MILL CREEK

0.2M S JCT USH 18, Dane, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 6,200

LRD FEMRITE DRIVE

Good

Over: DOOR CREEK

0.8 MI NORTH OF JUNCTION, Dane, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 435

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: LRD DROTNING ROAD

3.4M E JCT CTH N TO W, Dane, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 28,325

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: LRD DROTNING ROAD

5.6M N JCT USH 51, Dane, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 28,900

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: DOOR CREEK

3.0M E JCT USH 12, Dane, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 29,600

IH I-39 NB / I-90

Good

Over: USH RAMP TO USH 12/18 WB

T. OF BLOOMING GROVE, Dane, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 60,400

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

2.7M W JCT STH 73 TO N, Dane, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 21,200

CTH Y

Good

Over: ROCK RIVER

1.2M S JCT CTH TW, Dodge, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,100

CTH T

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

1.2M N JCT CTH I, Dodge, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 940

LRD SLEEPY VALLEY

Good

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

0.5 MI N JCT STH 13, Douglas, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 99

LRD OLD ROAD 11

Good

Over: MIDDLE RIVER

0.6M S JCT USH 53, Douglas, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 100

STH 85

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

5.2M E JCT CTH O, Dunn, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 2,900

CTH K

Good

Over: FALL CREEK

0.3 MI N OF USH 12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,500

LRD LAKE MARIA RD

Good

Over: BR ROCK RIVER

2.1M W OF STH 49, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 2009 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 382

LRD OLD HWY 139 RD

Good

Over: LITTLE POPPLE RIVER

0.4M N JCT STH 139, Forest, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 60

LRD AIRPORT RD

Good

Over: PLATTE RIVER

3.3 MI E OF JCT USH 61, Grant, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 75

LRD SHEMACK RD

Good

Over: TRIB TO BLUE RIVER

0.9 MI S JCT CTH Q, Grant, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 100

LRD PRAIRIE VIEW R

Good

Over: DOUGHERTY CREEK

2.6M W JCT CTH C, Green, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 165

LRD CTH HK

Good

Over: E BRANCH PECATONICA RVR

1.6 M E JCT CTH K, Iowa, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 55

USH 18 EB / USH 15

Good

Over: LRD RIDGEVUE RD

PLEASE UPDATE LOCATION., Iowa, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 7,650

CTH G

Good

Over: LONG LAKE OUTLET

0.5M N JCT CTH H, Iron, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 100

STH 26 SB

Good

Over: STH 106

1.65 MI. S OF USH 12, Jefferson, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 14,000

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

1.2 MILES EAST JCT. STH 8, Jefferson, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 18,850

CTH BB

Good

Over: E TWIN RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH B, Kewaunee, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 660

CTH O SEYMOUR RD

Good

Over: SHULLSBURG BRANCH

0.4M N JCT STH 11, Lafayette, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 900

LRD NEWTON RD

Good

Over: POINT CREEK

0.40 EAST OF STH 42, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2009 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 133

LRD COUNTY LINE RD

Good

Over: PIGEON RIVER

1.0M E JCT CTH M, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 230

CTH M

Good

Over: LITTLE EAU PLEINE R

2.6M S JCT CTH C, Marathon, WI

Built 2012 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,700

USH B51-GRAND AVE

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.5M N JCT USH 51, Marathon, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 9,600

LRD FRENCH ST

Good

Over: PESHTIGO RIVER

0.2M N JCT CTH B TO W, Marinette, WI

Built 2012 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 6,500

LRD TOWER HILL RD

Good

Over: LITTLE PESHTIGO RIVER

2.7M W JCT CTH W, Marinette, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 30

STH 181-N 76TH ST

Good

Over: LRD W SILVER SPRING DRIV

0.3 MI N JCT STH 145, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 28,900

IH RAMP IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD RAMP STH 100 - IH 9

0.2 MI E JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 36,100

IH RAMP STH 59-IH

Good

Over: LRD SCHLINGER AVE

0.5 MI N JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 5,200

IH 43 SB

Good

Over: LRD W HAMPTON AVE

1.1 MI N JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 82,300

IH 43 SB

Good

Over: LRD GLENDALE AVE

0.9 MI N JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 63,000

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: LRD EMPIRE AVENUE

2.8M W JCT STH 21 (E), Monroe, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 12,400

LRD OSPREY LANE

Good

Over: APPLE CREEK

0.2 MI EAST OF BALLARD RD, Outagamie, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 50

CTH W/PORT WASHING

Good

Over: IH 43/STH 32

1.7M S JCT STH 67, Ozaukee, WI

Built 2023 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 3,150

IH 41 SB/94 EB

Good

Over: LRD 7 MILE RD

3.25 MI S JCT STH 100, Racine, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 49,150

IH 41 NB/IH 94 WB

Good

Over: LRD 7 MILE RD

7.8 MI W JCT STH 20, Racine, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 49,150

STH 20

Good

Over: E BR ROOT RIVER CANAL

3.7 MI E JCT USH 45, Racine, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 9,600

LRD INMAN PARKWAY

Good

Over: TURTLE CREEK

0.3 MI W JCT SHOPIERE RD, Rock, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 5,100

STH 11 / E. RACINE

Good

Over: IH 39 SB

3.1 MI. S OF USH 14, Rock, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 10,900

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: STH 26-MILTON AVE

8.2M E JCT STH 59 TO E, Rock, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 29,500

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: STH 26-MILTON AVE

0.9M W JCT USH 14 TO E, Rock, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 29,500

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: CTH M

3.5M E JCT STH 59 TO E, Rock, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 29,625

LRD S SMITH RD

Good

Over: TURTLE CREEK

0.3M N JCT CTH J, Rock, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 140

LRD 50TH AVE

Good

Over: RUSH R

0.5 MILES WEST OF US HWY, St. Croix, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 287

Showing 9,951-10,000 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.