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)

Counties (72)

Adams 41 Ashland 84 Barron 319 Bayfield 103 Brown 466 Buffalo 238 Burnett 67 Calumet 62 Chippewa 359 Clark 296 Columbia 183 Crawford 211 Dane 590 Dodge 212 Door 32 Douglas 135 Dunn 245 Eau Claire 236 Florence 20 Fond du Lac 251 Forest 53 Grant 383 Green 244 Green Lake 48 Iowa 209 Iron 48 Jackson 218 Jefferson 182 Juneau 172 Kenosha 109 Kewaunee 93 La Crosse 249 Lafayette 217 Langlade 78 Lincoln 157 Manitowoc 269 Marathon 530 Marinette 135 Marquette 81 Menominee 25 Milwaukee 893 Monroe 374 Oconto 149 Oneida 61 Outagamie 290 Ozaukee 105 Pepin 57 Pierce 248 Polk 73 Portage 182 Price 104 Racine 133 Richland 298 Rock 304 Rusk 151 Sauk 271 Sawyer 97 Shawano 160 Sheboygan 240 St. Croix 298 Taylor 176 Trempealeau 260 Vernon 333 Vilas 29 Walworth 206 Washburn 49 Washington 162 Waukesha 369 Waupaca 169 Waushara 53 Winnebago 263 Wood 239

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.

LRD CASBERG COULEE

Poor

Over: LONG COULEE CREEK

0.2M E JCT CTH V, La Crosse, WI

Built 1984 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 265

LRD IRR (ENSINGER

Poor

Over: BRUNSWEILER RIVER

0.7M E JCT STH 13, Ashland, WI

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

LRD N 50TH ST (DEA

Poor

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.2M S JCT STATE ST, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1976 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1

LRD PEDESTRIAN (WO

Poor

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.5M E JCT USH 45, Washington, WI

Built 1891 Load: 0.0 t

LRD ACCESS RD

Poor

Over: MENASHA CHANNEL

ACCESS TO PARKING LOT BY, Winnebago, WI

Built 1960 Load: 1.6 t ADT: 20

LRD MARKET RD

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK

1.2M N JCT STH 76, Outagamie, WI

Built 1958 Load: 1.6 t ADT: 1,175

All Bridges in Wisconsin

LRD RIPHENBURG RD

Good

Over: KING CREEK

0.7M W JCT CTH O, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2018 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 100

CTH D

Good

Over: S FK BEAVER CREEK

0.5M S JCT USH 53, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2020 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 1,200

CTH K

Good

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER

0.2M W JCT USH 45, Vilas, WI

Built 2021 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 1,561

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO E BRANCH RO

0.9 MI N JCT STH 33, Washington, WI

Built 2020 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 15,750

LRD PILGRIM ROAD S

Good

Over: IH 41/USH 45

0.3 MI N JCT STH 74, Waukesha, WI

Built 2015 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 7,850

LRD MADISON ST.

Good

Over: PEBBLE CREEK

0.4 MI WEST OF CTH TT, Waukesha, WI

Built 2016 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 530

USH 10 WB

Good

Over: IH 41 & WCL RR

IH 41/USH10 INTERCHANGE, Winnebago, WI

Built 2018 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 28,000

IH 41 NB OFF RAMP

Good

Over: USH 10 EB TO IH 41 NB RA

IH 41/STH 441/USH 10 INTE, Winnebago, WI

Built 2015 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 16,900

CTH K

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2.3M N XING OF E, Wood, WI

Built 2009 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 680

CTH Q

Good

Over: BRANCH ELM CREEK

1.0M EAST CTH D, Wood, WI

Built 2009 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 422

LRD S HOWELL AVE

Good

Over: UP RR

0.4M N JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1958 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 5,400

CTH N

Good

Over: E FK CHIPPEWA RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 13, Ashland, WI

Built 2011 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 357

STH 13

Good

Over: TROUT BROOK

0.3 MI N JCT SECTION FIVE, Ashland, WI

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 2,000

LRD OLD HWY 13 EB

Good

Over: FISH CREEK

1.0M E JCT STH 13, Bayfield, WI

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

LRD OLD HWY 13 EB

Good

Over: REEFER CREEK

1.8M E JCT STH 13, Bayfield, WI

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

LRD SNAKE TRAIL RO

Good

Over: HAWKINS CREEK

0.4M SOUTH OF 4 CORNERS R, Bayfield, WI

Built 2020 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 101

STH 29 WB-STH 32 N

Good

Over: DUCK CREEK

1.0M W JCT USH 41 TO N, Brown, WI

Built 2013 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 16,900

STH 29 EB-STH 32 S

Good

Over: DUCK CREEK

0.3M E JCT CTH J, Brown, WI

Built 2013 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 16,900

LRD WHITWORTH RD

Good

Over: PESSO CREEK

0.5M S JCT STH 37, Buffalo, WI

Built 2012 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 123

CTH TT

Good

Over: CHIPPEWA RIVER

0.1 M E STH 178, Chippewa, WI

Built 2023 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 280

CTH P

Good

Over: BRANCH DUCK CREEK

2.2M E JCT CTH SS, Columbia, WI

Built 2010 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 517

IH 39/90/94 NB

Good

Over: STH 60

7.2M W JCT CTH V TO E, Columbia, WI

Built 2023 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 29,000

CTH M

Good

Over: CTH S

AT CTH S, Dane, WI

Built 2014 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 23,548

LRD CTH W (MAPLE G

Good

Over: IH 39 NB/SB

1.4M W JCT STH 73, Dane, WI

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 200

STH 42

Good

Over: COFFRIN CREEK

0.97 MI N OF CTH X LT, Door, WI

Built 2015 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 1,500

LRD BARDON CREEK R

Good

Over: BARDON CREEK

0.7M W JCT CTH F, Douglas, WI

Built 2017 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: CTH E

2.8 MI E OF JCT CTH EE, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2013 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 13,850

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: CTH E

3.1 MI W. JCT STH 37, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2013 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 13,850

LRD JOHNSON RD

Good

Over: DRY RUN

0.3 MI EAST OF CTH S, Grant, WI

Built 2014 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

LRD IDEAL RD

Good

Over: GUNDERSON VALLEY CREEK

0.6 MI N JCT GOLR RD, Grant, WI

Built 2017 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

LRD SMOKEY HOLLOW

Good

Over: SMOKEY HOLLOW CR TRIB

AT SMOKEY HOLLOW CR TRIBU, Iowa, WI

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

STH BUS STH 26-MAI

Good

Over: ROCK RIVER

3.9M N JCT CTH K TO N, Jefferson, WI

Built 2023 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 8,500

CTH C

Good

Over: BONNER BRANCH

0.1M N JCT CTH G, Lafayette, WI

Built 2023 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 165

LRD MONARCH RD

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

0.8M E JCT CTH X, Langlade, WI

Built 2011 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 102

LRD MEADOW LANE

Good

Over: FRANCIS CREEK

.25 MI. EAST OF CTH "R", Manitowoc, WI

Built 2010 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 292

CTH Y NB & SB

Good

Over: BR EAU CLAIRE RIVER

0.2M S JCT CTH G, Marathon, WI

Built 2015 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 150

CTH U

Good

Over: USH 51 NB

0.5 MI W JCT B51 1.1 MI W, Marathon, WI

Built 2013 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 3,100

CTH BB

Good

Over: LITTLE RIVER

1.8M S JCT CTH B, Marinette, WI

Built 2016 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 1,400

IH RAMP WATERTOWN

Good

Over: LRD WATERTOWN PLANK RD

0.7 MI N JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2014 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 7,200

IH RAMP IH 43 SB/9

Good

Over: IH 41 SB

1.0 MI S JCT 13TH ST, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2012 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 7,000

IH RAMP ES IH 94 W

Good

Over: IH 41/IH 94

.7 M W OF STH 181, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2018 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 18,000

LRD OPAL RD (DEAD

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

0.1M S JCT STH 33, Monroe, WI

Built 2018 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

LRD APPLETON STREE

Good

Over: ENTRANCE TO JONES PARK

APPLETON WI, Outagamie, WI

Built 2019 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 3,600

LRD 30TH ST

Good

Over: WILLOW RIVER

1.7 MILES S OF JUNCTION W, Polk, WI

Built 2021 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 100

IH 41 SB/94 EB

Good

Over: STH 20

3.6 MI S JCT CTH K, Racine, WI

Built 2015 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 48,000

STH 20/STH 83/MAIN

Good

Over: FOX RIVER

1.3 MI E JCT STH 83, Racine, WI

Built 2020 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 10,700

LRD GATEWAY BOULEV

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK CREEK

0.6M W JCT CTH X, Rock, WI

Built 2011 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 1,537

LRD RUGER AVENUE

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

2.0M W JCT STH 11, Rock, WI

Built 2010 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 3,690

LRD DORNER RD

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

3.2M E JCT CTH B, Rock, WI

Built 2012 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 50

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: LRD RYAN ROAD

0.2 MI S JCT STH 26, Rock, WI

Built 2020 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 29,500

Showing 10,851-10,900 of 14,446 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
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.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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.