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

USH 53 NB

Good

Over: CTH S/SAND LAKE RD

1.1M N JCT STH 157 TO W, La Crosse, WI

Built 1990 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 16,100

LRD HERMAN COULEE

Good

Over: HERMAN COULEE CREEK

1.3M E JCT CTH DE, La Crosse, WI

Built 1989 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 68

STH 16

Good

Over: LA CROSSE RIVER

3.6M E JCT CTH OS, La Crosse, WI

Built 1990 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 13,300

STH 162

Good

Over: LITTLE BURNS CR

0.1M N JCT CTH EE, La Crosse, WI

Built 2008 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,300

CTH OA

Good

Over: GARBERS COULEE CREEK

0.1 MI W JCT CTH FO, La Crosse, WI

Built 2013 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 2,200

LRD OAK PARK RD

Good

Over: MINERAL POINT BRANCH

1.7M S JCT USH 151, Lafayette, WI

Built 1991 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 123

LRD ROWESVILLE RD

Good

Over: BR MADDEN BRANCH

0.8M N JCT CTH Q, Lafayette, WI

Built 1997 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 38

USH 51 NB

Good

Over: PRAIRIE RIVER

2.5M N JCT STH 64 TO E, Lincoln, WI

Built 1975 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 7,350

USH 51 NB

Good

Over: LITTLE PINE CREEK

5.5M N JCT CTH H, Lincoln, WI

Built 1996 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 6,100

LRD FARMINGDALE RD

Good

Over: DEVILS CREEK

0.8M S JCT CTH Z, Lincoln, WI

Built 1994 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 29

USH 51 SB

Good

Over: LITTLE PINE CREEK

5.5M N JCT CTH H, Lincoln, WI

Built 1999 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 12,600

LRD JOE SNOW RD

Good

Over: DEVIL CREEK

2.5M W JCT CTH K, Lincoln, WI

Built 1996 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 519

LRD 4TH ST

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

0.5M E JCT CTH "W" & STH, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2018 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 500

LRD HILLCREST ROAD

Good

Over: EAST TWIN RIVER

0.16 MI E JCT STH 147, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2022 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 155

CTH U

Good

Over: OTTO CREEK

2.6M E JCT CTH O, Marathon, WI

Built 2003 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 2,850

LRD 28TH AVE

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

1.7M N JCT CTH WW, Marathon, WI

Built 1990 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 60

STH 29 EB

Good

Over: RANDALL CREEK

1.0M E JCT CTH E TO N, Marathon, WI

Built 1998 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 6,000

LRD NOLAN RD

Good

Over: SPRING BROOK

1.4M N JCT STH 52, Marathon, WI

Built 1997 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 25

USH 51NB TO29WB

Good

Over: USH51

1.8M N OF RIB MOUNTAIN DR, Marathon, WI

Built 2008 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 7,200

STH 29WB

Good

Over: STH RAMP TO STEWART AVE

0.8M W XING OF USH 51, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 20,500

CTH A

Good

Over: E BR BIG EAU PLEINE RIVE

0.6M W JCT CTH F, Marathon, WI

Built 2006 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 631

CTH U

Good

Over: BR LITTLE RIB RIVER

1.9M E JCT CTH O, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 2,850

LRD KRONENWETTER D

Good

Over: BULL JUNIOR CREEK

0.25 MI. S. JCT MAPLE RID, Marathon, WI

Built 2006 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 110

CTH G

Good

Over: EAU CLAIRE RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH Y TO NORTH, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 499

CTH M

Good

Over: FENWOOD CREEK

1.1M S JCT CTH P, Marathon, WI

Built 2020 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 686

USH 141 SB

Good

Over: CEDAR SWAMP CREEK

AT CEDAR SWAMP CREEK, Marinette, WI

Built 2005 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,650

USH 41 SB

Good

Over: CN RR

1.2 MI N OF CTH B, Marinette, WI

Built 2009 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,700

CTH CH

Good

Over: TAGATZ CREEK

0.3M N OF DOVER, Marquette, WI

Built 2004 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,070

LRD S 116TH ST

Good

Over: IH 43

1.3M N JCT STH 24, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,300

IH 794

Good

Over: LRD S LINCOLN MEMORIAL D

2.9 MI E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 35,800

IH 794-LAKE FREEWA

Good

Over: LRD S LINCOLN MEMORIAL D

3.0 MI E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 35,800

LRD E PLEASANT ST

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.5M N JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1972 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 7,725

LRD CANAL ST

Good

Over: CANADIAN PACIFIC RR

0.5 M W OF RNDABT AT 2, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2006 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 10,004

LRD N HUMBOLDT AVE

Good

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.4M N JCT STH 32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2010 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 10,600

IH RAMP IH 41/USH

Good

Over: IH RAMP IH 94 WB - STH

0.8 MI N/W JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 34,400

LRD WISCONSIN AVE

Good

Over: IH 41/USH 45

0.7 MI E JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2017 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 10,900

IH 43 SB

Good

Over: IH 794

0.6M S WISCONSIN AV, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 38,000

IH RAMP IH 43 NB/

Good

Over: LRD 2ND ST

0.45 MI E JCT IH 43, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2006 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,500

IH 794 WB

Good

Over: LRD 4TH ST

1.3M W OF STH32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 40,950

IH 794 WB

Good

Over: IH E-N ENTRANCE RAMP

1.3M W OF STH32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 40,150

IH 794 WB

Good

Over: LRD 6TH ST

1.5M W OF STH32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 22,100

STH 131

Good

Over: KICKAPOO RIVER

3.6M N JCT CTH T, Monroe, WI

Built 1991 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,400

STH 21

Good

Over: BRANCH LEMONWEIR CREEK

2.6M E JCT STH 173, Monroe, WI

Built 2000 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 4,700

STH 27

Good

Over: LITTLE LACROSSE R

1.7M N JCT CTH J, Monroe, WI

Built 2005 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 6,100

CTH J

Good

Over: PLEASANT VALLEY CR

2.7 MI W STH 27, Monroe, WI

Built 2004 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 376

CTH M

Good

Over: SLEIGHTON CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH MM, Monroe, WI

Built 2007 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 182

LRD S PORCUPINE LA

Good

Over: KELLY BROOK

1.4M S JCT CTH A, Oconto, WI

Built 1992 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 50

USH 51

Good

Over: CTH N

1.9M N JCT USH 8 TO W, Oneida, WI

Built 1992 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 7,100

LRD BLUE LAKE RD

Good

Over: TOMAHAWK RIVER

4.9M W JCT USH 51, Oneida, WI

Built 1990 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 283

CTH G ONEIDA AVE

Good

Over: PELICAN RIVER

0.3M S JCT USH 8, Oneida, WI

Built 1992 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 3,000

Showing 12,351-12,400 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.