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 80

Good

Over: WEBSTER CR

5.1M N STH 82 (E), Juneau, WI

Built 2005 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,600

CTH M

Good

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

4.2 M S JCT STH 21, Juneau, WI

Built 2015 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 150

STH 31 NB

Good

Over: NORTH BR. PIKE RIVER

0.7 MI N JCT CTH A, Kenosha, WI

Built 2000 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 11,000

STH 31 SB

Good

Over: NORTH BR. PIKE RIVER

0.25 MI S JCT CTH KR, Kenosha, WI

Built 2000 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 11,000

LRD WEST FRONTAGE

Good

Over: DES PLAINES RIVER

1.2 MI S JCT STH 50 OR 0., Kenosha, WI

Built 2011 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,900

LRD E FRONTAGE RD

Good

Over: DES PLAINES RIVER

0.9M S JCT STH 50, Kenosha, WI

Built 2010 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,700

IH 41 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: CTH K

1.0 MI N JCT STH 50, Kenosha, WI

Built 2013 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 45,300

IH 41 SB/IH 94 EB

Good

Over: CTH E

3.8 MI S JCT STH 11, Kenosha, WI

Built 2019 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 45,000

LRD CHURCH RD

Good

Over: BR SCHOOL CREEK

1.6M W JCT CTH AB, Kewaunee, WI

Built 1993 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 147

CTH C CHURCH ST

Good

Over: CASCO CREEK

0.1M S JCT STH 54, Kewaunee, WI

Built 1993 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 2,720

LRD MOEDE LANE (DE

Good

Over: RIO CREEK

0.1M SE OF STATE R 54, Kewaunee, WI

Built 2007 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 85

USH 53 NB-STH 35 N

Good

Over: HALFWAY CREEK/BIKE TRAIL

2.2M N JCT CTH OT (B), La Crosse, WI

Built 1992 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 8,500

USH 53 SB-STH 35 S

Good

Over: HALFWAY CREEK/BIKE TRAIL

1.9M S JCT CTH MH (B), La Crosse, WI

Built 1992 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 8,500

USH 53 NB-STH 35 N

Good

Over: LRD OLD CTH NA

1.0M N JCT CTH MH (C), La Crosse, WI

Built 1992 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 7,100

USH 53 SB-STH 35 S

Good

Over: LRD OLD CTH NA

1.2M S JCT STH 35 (C), La Crosse, WI

Built 1992 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 7,100

LRD RUSSLAN COULEE

Good

Over: DUTCH CREEK

0.1M W JCT STH 162, La Crosse, WI

Built 1991 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 30

STH 108

Good

Over: NESHONOC CREEK

0.3M N JCT STH 108, La Crosse, WI

Built 1995 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 2,100

LRD JOHNS RD (DEAD

Good

Over: JOHNS COULEE CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH YY, La Crosse, WI

Built 1999 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 50

CTH M

Good

Over: ST JOSEPH COULEE CREEK

1.3M N JCT STH 33, La Crosse, WI

Built 2003 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,000

LRD FILTER ROAD (D

Good

Over: BOSTWICK CREEK

0.2M E CTH I, La Crosse, WI

Built 2004 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 16

LRD BAKER RD

Good

Over: FLEMING CR

1.0M E JCT CTH T, La Crosse, WI

Built 2004 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 360

STH 78

Good

Over: WHITESIDE CREEK

1.6M N JCT CTH N, Lafayette, WI

Built 1989 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 530

CTH O

Good

Over: BONNER BRANCH

1.9M N JCT CTH G, Lafayette, WI

Built 1990 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 160

CTH W

Good

Over: GALENA RIVER

1.7M W JCT CTH I TO S, Lafayette, WI

Built 1989 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 920

CTH U

Good

Over: BR AMES BRANCH

2.0M S JCT STH 81, Lafayette, WI

Built 1990 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 326

LRD BEEBE RD

Good

Over: GALENA RIVER

1.8M S JCT CTH W, Lafayette, WI

Built 1990 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 93

LRD GUNDERSON RD

Good

Over: YELLOWSTONE RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH N, Lafayette, WI

Built 1992 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 22

LRD WARDSVILLE RD

Good

Over: BR AMES BRANCH

0.3M W JCT CTH U, Lafayette, WI

Built 1993 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 55

CTH G PLATTEVILL

Good

Over: BONNER BRANCH

0.1M E JCT STH 126, Lafayette, WI

Built 1994 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 994

CTH I

Good

Over: BR MADDEN BRANCH

0.7M N JCT CTH Q, Lafayette, WI

Built 1999 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 313

USH 151 NB

Good

Over: LRD WEST MOUND RD

1.1 M N GRANT CO LN, Lafayette, WI

Built 2004 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 4,900

LRD MAPLE LANE

Good

Over: WHITESIDE BR PECATONICAR

TOWN OF BELMONT, Lafayette, WI

Built 2002 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 250

LRD WEST RIVERSIDE

Good

Over: BR OF PECACONICA RIVER

0.75M W JCT CTH K, Lafayette, WI

Built 2003 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 106

LRD NORTH AVE

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

0.65 M E JCT US 45/STH 52, Langlade, WI

Built 2001 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,064

USH 45-STH 47-STH

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

0.5M N JCT CTH Y, Langlade, WI

Built 1990 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 11,700

LRD RANGE LINE RD

Good

Over: W BR EAU CLAIRE RIVER

1.0M W JCT CTH H, Langlade, WI

Built 1991 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 94

LRD HIGHLAND RD (D

Good

Over: W BR EAU CLAIRE RIVER

0.8M S JCT STH 64, Langlade, WI

Built 1995 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 50

LRD BLUE BELL RD

Good

Over: W BR EAU CLAIRE RIVER

0.6M W JCT CTH H, Langlade, WI

Built 2001 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 81

LRD CLEAR LAKE RD

Good

Over: WOLF RIVER

0.3M S JCT CTH K, Langlade, WI

Built 2003 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 277

CTH A

Good

Over: WOLF RIVER

0.3M W JCT CTH TT, Langlade, WI

Built 2009 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,902

STH 17

Good

Over: PRAIRIE RIVER

AT CTH CCC, Lincoln, WI

Built 1997 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,800

CTH X

Good

Over: N BR PINE RIVER

0.6M S JCT CTH C, Lincoln, WI

Built 1990 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 420

CTH E

Good

Over: NEW WOOD RIVER

7.0M W JCT STH 107, Lincoln, WI

Built 1991 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 31

CTH YY

Good

Over: NORTH FORK SPIRIT RIVER

0.23M N STH 86, Lincoln, WI

Built 2022 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 366

USH 51 NB

Good

Over: CTH H

10.4M N JCT STH 64 TO E, Lincoln, WI

Built 1996 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 13,900

USH 51 SB

Good

Over: CTH H

2.0M S JCT CTH S, Lincoln, WI

Built 1996 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 13,900

LRD ZENITH TOWER R

Good

Over: SOMO RIVER

2.5M N JCT STH 86, Lincoln, WI

Built 1998 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 45

CTH C

Good

Over: PRAIRIE RIVER

O.6M E JCT CTH K, Lincoln, WI

Built 2005 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 678

LRD SNOW HILL RD

Good

Over: DEVIL CREEK

0.3M N JCT CTH Z, Lincoln, WI

Built 2005 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 217

LRD MEYER RD

Good

Over: BRANT CREEK

0.7M S JCT USH 8, Lincoln, WI

Built 2008 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 23

Showing 11,201-11,250 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.