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 PP

Good

Over: BARABOO RIVER

0.5M W JCT STH 80, Juneau, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 900

CTH J

Good

Over: SANDY BAY CREEK

0.1M W JCT STH 42 100 FT, Kewaunee, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 430

STH 64

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

4.4M E JCT USH 51 TO N, Lincoln, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,800

CTH S

Good

Over: MANITOWOC RIVER

0.3M N JCT CTH JJ, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,800

LRD NORTH UNION RO

Good

Over: BRANCH CREEK

1.4 MI W JCT CTH P, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 835

LRD ELM RD

Good

Over: DILL CREEK

3.9M S JCT CTH N, Marathon, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 100

LRD EQUITY ST

Good

Over: NOISY CREEK

1.1M W JCT STH 97, Marathon, WI

Built 2023 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 185

LRD JERSEY FALLS T

Good

Over: PINE CREEK

1.1M N JCT CTH U, Marathon, WI

Built 2023 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 100

STH 64

Good

Over: USH US 141

STH 64 AT 141 INTERCHANGE, Marinette, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,600

STH 241 SB/ S 27TH

Good

Over: IH 41/43/894

1.1 MI S JCT STH 36, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2009 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,200

IH RAMP NE IH 41/U

Good

Over: IH 41/USH 45

0.4 MI S JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 22,900

IH RAMP I-41/USH

Good

Over: IH RAMP USH 18 - IH41 S

0.3 MI S JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 32,700

LRD W MARQUETTE ST

Good

Over: NORTH BRANCH OAK CREEK

0.2M W JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,300

LRD S 68TH ST

Good

Over: IH41/IH43/IH 894

0.2 MI N JCT CTH Y, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 4,100

STH 173

Good

Over: E. FK. LEMONWIER

1.0M N JCT CTH G, Monroe, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,800

STH 71-STH 131-WAL

Good

Over: KICKAPOO RIVER

0.3M E JCT STH 131 TO S, Monroe, WI

Built 2022 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,800

CTH S

Good

Over: WOLF RIVER

1.1M W JCT STH 76, Outagamie, WI

Built 2012 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 2,900

HICKORY DRIVE

Good

Over: BR APPLE CREEK

500 FT W OF ROSE HILL RD, Outagamie, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 450

IH 41 SB/IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD GOLF ROAD

3.8 MI E JCT CTH G, Racine, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 48,000

IH 41 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: LRD GOLF RD

2.6 MI N JCT STH 20, Racine, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 48,000

LRD HENKE RD

Good

Over: STH 26 NB

0.9 MI S STH 59, Rock, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1

STH 26 SB

Good

Over: LRD E HIGH ST

0.2M N OF STH 59, Rock, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,900

STH 26 NB

Good

Over: WSOR RR

0.3 MI. N OF STH 59, Rock, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,900

STH 26 SB

Good

Over: WSOR RR

2 MI S CTH N, Rock, WI

Built 2013 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 13,900

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: TURTLE CREEK

5.0M E JCT STH 11 TO W, Rock, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 26,700

LRD WOODMAN RD EB

Good

Over: IH 39 / IH 90

.5M W JCT CTH J, Rock, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 115

STH 59

Good

Over: IH 39

2.2 M E JCT USH 51, Rock, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 11,700

LRD HANOVER RD

Good

Over: MARKHAM CREEK

1.9M W JCT CTH D, Rock, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 680

LRD MEADOW DAM ROA

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

5.0M E JCT CTH H-119, Rusk, WI

Built 2015 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 100

LRD S HUTCHINSON R

Good

Over: SOFT MAPLE CREEK

1.3M S JCT USH 8-104, Rusk, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 90

USH 12 EB

Good

Over: SKILLET CREEK

4.5 M E JCT STH 33, Sauk, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 7,700

USH 12 WB

Good

Over: SKILLET CREEK

0.7 M W JCT STH 159, Sauk, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 7,700

LRD CTH CH

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO NARROWS CR

.5M S JCT STH 154, Sauk, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 740

LRD WOODLAND RD

Good

Over: MULLET RIVER

0.4M E JCT CTH C, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 770

USH 53

Good

Over: BR N FK BEAVER CREEK

2.5M N JCT CTH D, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 4,750

LRD ESOFEA CO PARK

Good

Over: N FORK BAD AXE RIVER

0.05M W JCT PARK RD, Vernon, WI

Built 2010 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 100

LRD RIVER RD (DEAD

Good

Over: BR W FK KICKAPOO RIVER

0.4M S JCT CTH S, Vernon, WI

Built 2019 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 20

STH 120

Good

Over: COMO CREEK

1.0 MI N JCT USH 12, Walworth, WI

Built 2018 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 7,900

LRD MACKEY RD

Good

Over: POTATO CREEK

0.6 MI S JCT CTH E, Washburn, WI

Built 2021 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 420

STH 83 NB

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

1.2 MI S JCT STH 59, Waukesha, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 3,200

STH 190 WB

Good

Over: CTH F/ REDFORD BLVD

7.7 M W JCT USH 45, Waukesha, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 11,400

STH 190 EB

Good

Over: CTH F/ REDFORD BLVD

1.0 M E JCT STH 164, Waukesha, WI

Built 2017 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 11,400

USH 45

Good

Over: IH 41

AT IH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2011 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 11,700

LRD MUD CREEK RD.

Good

Over: ARROWHEAD RIVER

AT ARROWHEAD RIVER, Winnebago, WI

Built 2012 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 101

CTH V

Good

Over: ROCKY RUN FLOW

4.2M N STH 73, Wood, WI

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 450

CTH B

Good

Over: BR YELLOW RIVER

0.1M S JCT USH 10, Wood, WI

Built 2016 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 550

CTH V

Good

Over: ROCKY RUN FLOW

3.8M N JCT STH 73, Wood, WI

Built 2020 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 350

LRD 15TH AVE

Good

Over: WHITE CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH H, Adams, WI

Built 1988 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 77

LRD 6TH AVE

Good

Over: BUCKNER CREEK

2.3M N JCT CTH C, Adams, WI

Built 1989 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 64

LRD ELK AVE

Good

Over: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

2.4M E JCT CTH B, Adams, WI

Built 1997 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 152

Showing 10,051-10,100 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.