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

CTH NN EB

Good

Over: USH 12

0.2 MI E JCT CTH HH, Walworth, WI

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,950

STH 60

Good

Over: CEDAR CR

0.2 MI W JCT USH 45, Washington, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 11,800

STH 83 NB

Good

Over: GLACIAL DRUMLIN TRAIL

0.2 MI S JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 8,750

LRD ELM GROVE ROAD

Good

Over: IH 94

0.5 MI S JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2017 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 3,700

LRD WOODS RD

Good

Over: MUSKEGO CREEK

0.9M E JCT CTH Y, Waukesha, WI

Built 2015 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 6,300

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS

1.2M S JCT STH 110 TO N, Winnebago, WI

Built 2012 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 39,050

LRD BLACK WOLF AVE

Good

Over: WILLOW HARBOR CREEK

AT WILLOW HARBOR CREEK, Winnebago, WI

Built 2014 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 180

CTH H

Good

Over: E BR YELLOW RIVER

1.1M W JCT CTH B, Wood, WI

Built 2008 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 3,500

SOUTH 8TH AVE

Good

Over: TARR CREEK

So 8 Ave over Tarr Creek, Monroe, WI

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,010

IRR BIA RTE 15

Good

Over: TROUT RIVER

2.3KM SE OF JCT CTH H, Vilas, WI

Built 2020 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 50

LRD GLORY RD

Good

Over: ASHWAUBENON CREEK

0.3M E JCT USH 41, Brown, WI

Built 2010 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 5,939

CTH R

Good

Over: DEVILS RIVER TRAIL

0.5 MI E OF DEPERE RD, Brown, WI

Built 2020 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 3,100

LRD HANSON BLUFF R

Good

Over: LEE VALLEY CREEK

0.1 M SW JCT CTH KK, Buffalo, WI

Built 2022 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 48

CTH J

Good

Over: TIFFANY CREEK

0.2M E JCT CTH JJ, Buffalo, WI

Built 2022 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 87

LRD BIEDERMAN HILL

Good

Over: GRAN GRAE CREEK

0.1 MI E JCT GRAN GRAE RD, Crawford, WI

Built 2018 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 100

CTH A

Good

Over: SUGAR RIVER

0.6M W JCT STH 69, Dane, WI

Built 2017 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 530

LRD EAST LAKE ST

Good

Over: ROCK RIVER

.1M W JCT STH 33, Dodge, WI

Built 2014 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 7,135

LRD SWEDISH HIGHWA

Good

Over: SPRUCE RIVER

1.3MILES NORTH OF TOWN RO, Douglas, WI

Built 2015 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 50

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: OTTER CREEK

10.7M E JCT USH 53 TO N, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1966 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 13,200

IH 94 WB

Good

Over: OTTER CREEK

0.5M W JCT CTH HH TO N, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1966 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 13,200

CTH V

Good

Over: BRANCH BEARGRASS CREAK

0.1 MI W USH 12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2020 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 260

CTH V

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.20M S JCT CTH F, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 2013 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 2,200

STH 23

Good

Over: ROCK BRANCH CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH S, Iowa, WI

Built 2022 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 2,917

CTH MB / 152ND AVE

Good

Over: ROOT RIVER

2.6 MI SOUTH OF STH 142, Kenosha, WI

Built 2022 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 790

LRD FRIENDSHIP ST

Good

Over: SHULLSBURG BRANCH

0.3M S JCT STH 11, Lafayette, WI

Built 2011 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 331

LRD PIONEER ROAD

Good

Over: MEEME RIVER

0.6M S JCT STH 42, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2010 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 292

IH 43 NB

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.7 MILES SOUTH OF STH 10, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2023 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 40,500

LRD NORDALE AVE

Good

Over: BRANCH KICKAPOO RIVER

0.3 MILES E OF STH 131, Monroe, WI

Built 2014 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 150

LRD 165TH AVE

Good

Over: FOX CREEK

0.6M E JCT CTH H, Polk, WI

Built 2021 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 10

CTH U

Good

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

1.7M N JCT STH 73, Portage, WI

Built 2011 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 669

CTH B

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

CTH B, Richland, WI

Built 2021 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 875

STH 26 NB

Good

Over: LRD E HIGH ST

0.2 M E OF CTH M, Rock, WI

Built 2013 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 13,900

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: USH 14

3.3M W JCT STH 11 TO E, Rock, WI

Built 2020 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 29,500

IH-39 SB/90 EB

Good

Over: LRD RYAN ROAD

0.2 MI S JCT STH 26, Rock, WI

Built 2021 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 29,500

CTH J

Good

Over: KINNICKINNIC RIVER

1.2M E JCT STH 65, St. Croix, WI

Built 2008 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 703

CTH W

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

CTH W, Sauk, WI

Built 2021 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 760

LRD RISSEEUW RD

Good

Over: ONION RIVER

0.9M E JCT CTH GW, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2018 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 90

STH 35

Good

Over: TREMPEALEAU RIVER EAST C

0.7M E JCT CTH P, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2022 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 6,600

CTH B

Good

Over: LADD CREEK

0.8M W JCT CTH C, Walworth, WI

Built 2020 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 320

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: KOHLSVILLE RIVER

2.3 MI S JCT CTH H, Washington, WI

Built 2017 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 16,650

LRD KETTLE VIEW DR

Good

Over: KEWASKUM CREEK

TOWN OF KEWASKUM, Washington, WI

Built 2019 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 610

STH 67 SB

Good

Over: IH 94

2.8 MI S JCT STH 16, Waukesha, WI

Built 2015 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 14,700

LRD CZECH COURT

Good

Over: LUNCH CREEK

0.4 MI E JCT STH 22, Waushara, WI

Built 2021 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 100

LRD LAKE BUTTE DES

Good

Over: IH 41

0.2 MI N OF LAKE BDM, Winnebago, WI

Built 2010 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 500

SOUTH O STREET

Good

Over: TARR CREEK

So. O St over Tarr Creek, Monroe, WI

Built 1996 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 2,000

LRD LONG LAKE RD

Good

Over: MINNOW CREEK

2.6M S JCT CTH MM, Ashland, WI

Built 1996 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 21

LRD MORSE RD

Good

Over: SPILLERBERG CR

0.3 M E. JCT STH 13, Ashland, WI

Built 2004 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 106

CTH SS

Good

Over: MEADOWS CREEK

3.3M N JCT USH 8, Barron, WI

Built 1986 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 9,701

CTH A

Good

Over: HAY RIVER

0.1M E JCT CTH F, Barron, WI

Built 1990 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 926

LRD 24TH ST

Good

Over: BRILL RIVER

0.3M N OF 23RD AVENUE, Barron, WI

Built 1994 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 111

Showing 11,651-11,700 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.