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

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: RUSH RIVER

1.1M W JCT USH 63 TO N, St. Croix, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 19,000

LRD 90TH AVENUE

Good

Over: BRANCH OF CARR CREEK

3.3M E USH 63, St. Croix, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 170

CTH O

Good

Over: HUTTON CREEK

2.1M N JCT CTH G, St. Croix, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 190

LRD OLD HWY 33

Good

Over: USH USH 12 WB & EB

AT USH 12, Sauk, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,350

USH 12 EB

Good

Over: LRD MOON RD

0.57 MI. S OF I90/94, Sauk, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 8,150

USH 12 WB

Good

Over: LRD MOON RD

0.57 MI. S OF I90/94, Sauk, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 8,150

CTH PF EB & WB

Good

Over: EAST BRANCH HONEY CREEK

2.2 M E OF JCT CTH E, Sauk, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,000

CTH CC

Good

Over: CHIPPEWA FLOWAGE

4.7M N JCT CTH H, Sawyer, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 550

STH 22

Good

Over: WOLF RIVER

0.1M N JCT CTH CC, Shawano, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 8,200

LRD PELLA SWAMP RO

Good

Over: HYDES CREEK

1.2 MILES E JCT USH 45, Shawano, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 795

LRD HOITINK RD

Good

Over: ONION RIVER

1.1M E JCT CTH GW, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 50

LRD CENTER ROAD

Good

Over: MULLET RIVER

1.1M SE STH 23, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 95

LRD CENTER AVE

Good

Over: WASHINGTON CREEK

0.9M W JCT CTH E, Taylor, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 50

STH 64 STH 73

Good

Over: HAY CREEK

2.62 MI E JCT STH 73N, Taylor, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,600

CTH G

Good

Over: PINE CR

2.8M N JCT STH 35/54, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 473

LRD SOLFEST ROAD

Good

Over: CHIMNEY ROCK CREEK

0.15M WEST OF STH 93, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 10

LRD LYGA VALLEY RD

Good

Over: TRAVERSE VALLEY CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH X, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 180

CTH I

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH Y, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 200

CTH G

Good

Over: TAMARACK CREEK

0.25 MILES NORTH OF JUNCT, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 815

CTH JJ

Good

Over: READS CREEK

0.1M W JCT USH 14, Vernon, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 100

CTH C

Good

Over: TURTLE CREEK

1.5M S JCT STH 11, Walworth, WI

Built 2023 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 1,000

USH 53 SB

Good

Over: POTATO CREEK

2.69 MI N CTH A, Washburn, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 8,500

STH 83 SB

Good

Over: GLACIAL DRUMLIN TRAIL

0.2 MI S JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 17,500

STH 59 EB

Good

Over: GENESEE CREEK

0.1 MI E JCT STH 83, Waukesha, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 4,350

STH 59 WB

Good

Over: GENESEE CREEK

0.1M E JCT STH 83, Waukesha, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 4,350

LRD SUNNY SLOPE RD

Good

Over: IH 43

0.2 MI N JCT CTH I, Waukesha, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 8,200

CTH VV

Good

Over: STH 29

CTH VV OVER STH 29, Brown, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 7,600

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: CTH EE

2.8M S JCT STH 172, Brown, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 29,050

IH 41 NB ON RAMP F

Good

Over: STH 172 WB

STH 172 WB, Brown, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,200

STH 37

Good

Over: HUTCHINSON CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH NN, Buffalo, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 930

CTH SS

Good

Over: BR DUNCAN CREEK

0.54 MI NW JT 83RD ST, Chippewa, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,060

CTH Y

Good

Over: SOUTH BRANCH YELLOW RIVE

3.3M N JCT USH 10, Clark, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,400

STH 131

Good

Over: DELLAMATER HOLLOW CREEK

1.2M N JCT STH 171, Crawford, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,300

CTH B

Good

Over: YAHARA RIVER

0.2M W JCT CTH N, Dane, WI

Built 1952 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 5,400

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD SPRECHER RD.

0.8 MI. E OF IH 39/90, Dane, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 23,600

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD (FUTURE) MILWAUKEE S

1.5 MI E IH39/90, Dane, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 23,600

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: LAND

2.8M W JCT CTH N, Dane, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 23,600

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: CTH MN

3.2M E JCT USH 12 TO E, Dane, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 29,920

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: CTH MN

2.0M W JCT CTH N TO E, Dane, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 29,600

CTH M/ SOUTH PLEAS

Good

Over: CTH PD WB / MCKEE RD UND

150 FT NORTH OF JCT WITH, Dane, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,200

CTH E

Good

Over: GERMAN VALLEY CREEK

2.0M S JCT USH 18/151, Dane, WI

Built 2023 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 304

CTH Y

Good

Over: DUNLAP CREEK

3.3M N JCT USH 14, Dane, WI

Built 2023 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 725

LRD PELKEY RD

Good

Over: BALSAM CREEK

0.3M S JCT CTH B, Douglas, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 100

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: RED CEDAR RIVER

2.2M W JCT CTH B TO N, Dunn, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 18,200

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: RED CEDAR RIVER

1.6M E JCT STH 25 TO N, Dunn, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 18,200

STH 79

Good

Over: SLOVAK VALLEY CREEK

0.2M N OF CTH O, Dunn, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,200

CTH K

Good

Over: BIG GREEN RIVER

.6 MILES S. JCT STH 133, Grant, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 170

CTH D

Good

Over: WHITE RIVER

1.0M N JCT CTH DD, Green Lake, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 261

STH 26 SB

Good

Over: LRD BLACKHAWK ISLAND ROA

1.6M S JCT STH 106, Jefferson, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 7,000

STH 82

Good

Over: TRIB TO WI RIVER

0.3M E JCT CTH HH (S), Juneau, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 3,400

Showing 10,001-10,050 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.