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

LRD KINNICKINNIC R

Good

Over: KINNICKINNIC RIVER

0.2M W JCT STH 241(27TH S, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2011 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 4,200

IH 41 NB/USH 45 NB

Good

Over: HANK AARON STATE TRAIL

0.1 MI S JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2016 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 45,900

IH 41 NB/IH 94 WB

Good

Over: OAK CREEK

AT OAK CREEK, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 51,000

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: HANK AARON STATE TRAIL

2.6 M E JCT CTH O/MOORLAN, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2016 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 67,000

CTH I

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

0.3 M E JCT STH 80, Richland, WI

Built 2016 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 340

IH 39 SB TO IH 43

Good

Over: IH 39 NB & SB / IH 90 WB

IH 43 / IH 39 / IH 90 INT, Rock, WI

Built 2021 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 1,250

LRD EMERALD GROVE

Good

Over: WSOR RAILROAD

1.3M S JCT USH 14, Rock, WI

Built 2021 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 102

CTH W

Good

Over: SEELEY CREEK

0.3M E JCT CTH I, Sauk, WI

Built 2023 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 1,130

CTH M (NORTH AVE)

Good

Over: UNDERWOOD CREEK

0.1 M W JCT LILLY ROAD, Waukesha, WI

Built 2021 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 4,550

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS

1.6M S JCT STH 110 TO N, Winnebago, WI

Built 2012 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 39,050

LRD NEKIMI AVE

Good

Over: WEYHURST CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH I, Winnebago, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 170

LRD BROOKSIDE RD

Good

Over: SUAMICO RIVER

0.5M N JCT CTH U, Brown, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 500

IH 43 NB OFF RAMP

Good

Over: LAND/MAINTENANCE RD

AT WISCONSIN CENTRAL LTD, Brown, WI

Built 2015 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 9,700

CTH J

Good

Over: ARNOLD CREEK

0.8M N JCT CTH K, Clark, WI

Built 2008 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,283

CTH B

Good

Over: CONWAY VALLEY CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH C TO W, Crawford, WI

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 470

CTH F

Good

Over: E. BR BLUE MOUND CREEK

0.2M E JCT CTH FF, Dane, WI

Built 2021 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 325

STH 105-61ST ST

Good

Over: POKEGAMA RIVER

3.4M E JCT CTH W, Douglas, WI

Built 2020 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 3,300

USH 12

Good

Over: WILSON CREEK

4.6M E JCT STH 128, Dunn, WI

Built 2022 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 2,200

CTH VV

Good

Over: E BR FOND DU LAC RIVER

0.2M W JCT STH 175 (MAIN, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 2011 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 13,800

STH 80

Good

Over: LITTLE PLATTE RIVER

8.5M N JCT STH 81 TO W, Grant, WI

Built 2012 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 3,000

CTH H

Good

Over: DOUGLAS CREEK

0.1M W JCT CTH N TO N, Jackson, WI

Built 2018 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 195

CTH X

Good

Over: TROUT RUN CREEK

0.6M W JCT CTH H TO SOUTH, Jackson, WI

Built 2020 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 265

LRD ANDREWS ROAD

Good

Over: COFFEE CREEK

.2 MI NORTH US HWY 12, Jackson, WI

Built 2020 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,700

CTH K

Good

Over: CATTAIL VALLEY CREEK

0.52 MI N JCT CTH O, Juneau, WI

Built 2020 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 750

STH 78

Good

Over: CHERRY CREEK

1.7M N JCT CTH D, Lafayette, WI

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 380

LRD HOLLAND RD

Good

Over: BR WOOD BRANCH

1.5M N JCT STH 81, Lafayette, WI

Built 2018 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 170

LRD MINERAL SPRING

Good

Over: PIGEON RIVER

2.1M S JCT CTH XX, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 70

CTH A

Good

Over: TOMORROW RIVER

0.6M S JCT USH 10, Portage, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 940

CTH D

Good

Over: FOX RIVER

.1M E JCT CTH W, Racine, WI

Built 2016 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 5,600

LRD 58TH RD

Good

Over: W BR ROOT RIVER CANAL

1.6M E JCT USH 45, Racine, WI

Built 2022 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,692

CTH I

Good

Over: GAULT HOLLOW CREEK

1.3M W JCT CTH H, Richland, WI

Built 2010 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 196

LRD SPIRAL RD

Good

Over: LITTLE WILLOW CREEK

0.1M W JCT CTH N, Richland, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 45

LRD 4TH ST

Good

Over: LENIGAN CREEK

0.5M N JCT STH 81, Rock, WI

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 4,700

LRD MEADOWLARK RD

Good

Over: FISHERS CREEK

0.3M S JCT CTH FF, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 90

CTH WW

Good

Over: SEYMOUR CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH W, Vernon, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 200

CTH J

Good

Over: LITTLE WOLF RIVER

0.2M N JCT CTH C, Waupaca, WI

Built 2016 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 229

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS

0.5M N JCT STH 21 TO E, Winnebago, WI

Built 2013 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 39,050

IH 41 NB

Good

Over: LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS

1.0M N JCT STH 21 TO E, Winnebago, WI

Built 2013 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 39,050

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: LAKE BUTTE DES MORTS

0.9M S JCT STH 110 TO N, Winnebago, WI

Built 2012 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 39,050

IH 41 NB OFF RAMP

Good

Over: IH 41

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

Built 2018 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 2,500

USH 10 EB/STH 441

Good

Over: LRD TAYCO STREET

0.21 MI WEST OF RACINE ST, Winnebago, WI

Built 2016 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 28,000

CTH ZZ EILER ROA

Good

Over: EAST RIVER

0.1M W JCT STH 57, Brown, WI

Built 2018 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 2,150

CTH J

Good

Over: SUAMICO RIVER

0.2M S JCT CTH B, Brown, WI

Built 2020 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 1,900

IH 41 SB RAMP TO 2

Good

Over: STH 29

TBD, Brown, WI

Built 2012 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 4,200

LRD HILL ROAD

Good

Over: BR CUNNINGHAM CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH W, Clark, WI

Built 2021 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 77

CTH C

Good

Over: CONWAY VALLEY CREEK

0.6M W JCT CTH B, Crawford, WI

Built 2018 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 260

IH 39 SB / IH 90 E

Good

Over: CTH B

5.8M E JCT CTH N TO W, Dane, WI

Built 2019 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 28,325

IH 39 NB / IH 90 W

Good

Over: CTH W

4.8M W JCT USH 51 TO N, Dane, WI

Built 2018 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 28,325

USH 14

Good

Over: BREWERY CREEK

0.05M N JCT CTH P, Dane, WI

Built 2015 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 12,100

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD E MALLARD RD

2.0M E CTH D, Eau Claire, WI

Built 2012 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 13,200

Showing 12,151-12,200 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.