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 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: LRD EAST CHURCH ROAD

7 MI E JCT CTH N TO W, Dane, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 27,800

IH I-39 NB/90 WB

Good

Over: USH 12/18 EB

T. OF BLOOMING GROVE, Dane, WI

Built 2021 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 60,400

CTH JG

Good

Over: W BR SUGAR RIVER

2.8M S JCT USH 18, Dane, WI

Built 2023 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 864

CTH O

Good

Over: ASHIPPUN RIVER

0.6M E JCT CTH P, Dodge, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 820

LRD CHAFFEY FOXBOR

Good

Over: BLACK RIVER

1.2M W JCT STH 35, Douglas, WI

Built 2018 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 100

CTH AA

Good

Over: OTTER CREEK

0.7M E USH 53, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 2,900

LRD GRAND AVE

Good

Over: HALF MOON LAKE

0.5M W JCT USH B12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2017 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,800

CTH G

Good

Over: MULLET CREEK

0.8M S JCT STH 23, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 2022 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,350

CTH D

Good

Over: CANON CR

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Lafayette, WI

Built 2013 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 111

LRD CTH X/CAMP PHI

Good

Over: EAU CLAIRE RIVER

1.3M S JCT CTH N, Marathon, WI

Built 2011 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 9,738

CTH Z

Good

Over: EAU CLAIRE RIVER

0.7M W JCT CTH Y, Marathon, WI

Built 2019 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,270

CTH Y

Good

Over: PLOVER RIVER

1.0M N JCT STH 29, Marathon, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 911

LRD ROOT RIVER PAR

Good

Over: ROOT RIVER

0.5M E OF JCT W/ 76TH ST., Milwaukee, WI

Built 2010 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 980

IH RAMP STH 59 -

Good

Over: HANK AARON STATE TRAIL

1.0 MI N JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2017 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 7,000

IH RAMP STH 100 -

Good

Over: IH 94

0.1 MI W JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 3,400

LRD SOUTH 70TH STR

Good

Over: HANK AARON STATE TRAIL

1M SOUTH I-94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2023 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 18,100

CTH H

Good

Over: OCONTO RIVER

1.0M W JCT CTH V, Oconto, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 360

LRD COVERED BRIDGE

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

AT CEDAR CREEK, Ozaukee, WI

Built 2022 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 965

CTH G

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2.2M S JCT USH 10, Portage, WI

Built 2017 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 146

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: STH 81

IH-39/90 & IH 43 INTERCHA, Rock, WI

Built 2021 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 5,650

CTH E

Good

Over: MARSH CREEK

0.7M S JCT USH 14, Rock, WI

Built 2023 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 3,148

LRD HIGHLAND DRIVE

Good

Over: IH 94

0.4M N JCT CTH N, St. Croix, WI

Built 2017 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 130

CTH BB

Good

Over: IH 94 EB & WB

1.6M N JCT CTH N, St. Croix, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,200

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: CTH NN

2.2M W JCT STH 128 TO N, St. Croix, WI

Built 2022 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 17,800

CTH GG

Good

Over: BRUNET RIVER

2.4 MI N OF JCT STH 70, Sawyer, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 236

LRD DOPP RD

Good

Over: SMIKRUD COULEE CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH D, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 100

LRD SHERIDAN SPRIN

Good

Over: WHITE RIVER

2.2 M S OF JCT STH 36, Walworth, WI

Built 2015 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,400

STH 49-STH 161-MAI

Good

Over: S BR LITTLE WOLF RIVER

0.5M N JCT STH 161 TO E, Waupaca, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 4,900

CTH BB

Good

Over: LITTLE WOLF RIVER

0.1M W JCT CTH B, Waupaca, WI

Built 2022 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 940

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: SAWYER CREEK

0.6M S JCT STH 21, Winnebago, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 35,250

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: SAWYER CREEK

5.4M N JCT STH 26 TO S, Winnebago, WI

Built 2012 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 35,250

LRD GIVENS ROAD

Good

Over: USH 45

5.02 MI N JCT STH 96, Outagamie, WI

Built 2003 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 300

CTH FF

Good

Over: STH 29 EB

AT STH 29, Brown, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 6,300

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: STH 29/SHAWANO AVENUE

AT SHAWANO AVE, Brown, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 41,250

CTH P

Good

Over: BR TREMPEALEAU RIVER

4.6M N JCT STH 35, Buffalo, WI

Built 2009 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 442

CTH C

Good

Over: BR S FK SUGAR CREEK

7.1M E JCT STH 35, Crawford, WI

Built 2015 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 450

CTH O

Good

Over: BEARGRASS CREEK

0.2 MI W CTH V, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 150

USH 61/151 SB-STH

Good

Over: USH 61/151 NB ON RAMP (E

2.4M S JCT CTH H, Grant, WI

Built 2015 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 15,500

CTH E

Good

Over: PECATONICA RIVER

1.5MI WEST OF CTH J, Iowa, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 390

CTH G

Good

Over: S FK BUFFALO RIVER

0.2M N JCT CTH B, Jackson, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 130

IH 41 SB/94 EB

Good

Over: STH 50

1.8 MI S JCT STH 158, Kenosha, WI

Built 2012 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 47,450

IH 41 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: STH 50

3.0 MI N JCT STH 165, Kenosha, WI

Built 2013 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 45,300

IH 41 SB/94 EB

Good

Over: LRD 71ST ST

1.4 MI S JCT STH 158, Kenosha, WI

Built 2012 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 50,500

IH 41 NB/94 WB

Good

Over: LRD 71ST ST

0.3 MI N JCT STH 50, Kenosha, WI

Built 2013 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 45,300

CTH Y

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

0.5M W JCT USH 45, Langlade, WI

Built 2020 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 1,300

IH 41 SB/IH 894EB/

Good

Over: LRD W SCHLINGER AVE

0.8 M S JCT USH 18/BLUEMO, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 49,100

IH 41 SB/IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD OAKWOOD RD

1.0 MI S JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2019 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 51,000

CTH U / S WATER ST

Good

Over: MOORE CREEK

0.2M E JCT STH 71, Monroe, WI

Built 2023 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 114

LRD EAST FRONATAGE

Good

Over: LITTLE SUAMICO RIVER

TOWN OF LITTLE SUAMICO, Oconto, WI

Built 1999 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 582

CTH J

Good

Over: LITTLE SUAMICO RIVER

0.8M S JCT CTH S, Oconto, WI

Built 2009 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 750

Showing 11,551-11,600 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.