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 26 NB

Good

Over: LRD POPP RD

0.8 MI. N OF USH 18, Jefferson, WI

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,200

STH 26 SB

Good

Over: LRD POPP RD

6.2 MI. S OF IH 94, Jefferson, WI

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,200

STH 26 NB

Good

Over: LRD JEFFERSON ROAD & UPR

0.4 MI N OF CTH Y, Jefferson, WI

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,500

STH 26 SB

Good

Over: LRD JEFFERSON ROAD AND U

3.2 MI. S OF STH 19, Jefferson, WI

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,500

LRD 9TH ST EAST

Good

Over: YELLOW RIVER

2.7M W JCT CTH G, Juneau, WI

Built 1990 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 62

CTH G

Good

Over: BR ONE MILE CR

0.2M S JCT CTH O, Juneau, WI

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 674

STH 158 EB

Good

Over: KILBOURN DITCH

0.1M E JCT IH 94, Kenosha, WI

Built 2013 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 9,900

STH 50 EB

Good

Over: LRD SERVICE RD

0.4 MI E JCT CTH H, Kenosha, WI

Built 2021 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 18,250

LRD WILLOW DR

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.8M N JCT STH 54, Kewaunee, WI

Built 2022 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 100

USH 53 NB

Good

Over: LRD RIDERS CLUB ROAD

0.5M N JCT CTH S, La Crosse, WI

Built 1990 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 16,100

USH 53 NB

Good

Over: LRD EAST AVE. N.

0.6M N JCT CTH S, La Crosse, WI

Built 1990 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 16,100

CTH OT

Good

Over: USH 53

0.6M E JCT STH 35, La Crosse, WI

Built 1990 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 8,900

USH 14 EB/USH 61 S

Good

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER / S PE

0.8M E MN STATE LINE, La Crosse, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,550

USH 14 EB

Good

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER

0.8 MILES EAST OF MINNESO, La Crosse, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,550

USH 14 EB/USH 61 S

Good

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER

0.8 MILES EAST OF MINNESO, La Crosse, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,550

USH 151 NB

Good

Over: BONNER BR

2.6M N JCT W MOUND RD, Lafayette, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,900

USH 151 SB

Good

Over: BONNER BR

0.6M S JCT CTH G, Lafayette, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,900

USH 151 SB

Good

Over: COTTAGE INN BRANCH

4.1M S JCT CTH A, Lafayette, WI

Built 2003 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,250

STH 107

Good

Over: LITTLE PINE CREEK

4.0M N JCT CTH J, Lincoln, WI

Built 2022 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 90

CTH CCC

Good

Over: BIG HAY MEADOW CREEK

1.0M E JCT STH 17, Lincoln, WI

Built 2007 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 107

CTH CR

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

3.8M N JCT CTH C, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1994 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 3,700

LRD NACHTWEY RD

Good

Over: NESHOTA RIVER

1.1M W JCT CTH R, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1996 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 54

LRD QUARRY RD

Good

Over: MANITOWOC R

1.0M N USH 151, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 105

LRD POINT CREEK RD

Good

Over: POINT CREEK

1.0M W JCT CTH LS, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2006 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 263

STH 42

Good

Over: TRIB TO MEEME CR

1.17 MI N OF CTH XX LT, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2011 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,600

STH 42

Good

Over: TRIB TO POINT CR

1.70 MI N OF CTH F, Manitowoc, WI

Built 2011 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 3,200

STH 97

Good

Over: BIG EAU PLEINE RIVER

1.4M N JCT STH 153, Marathon, WI

Built 1995 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,000

STH 153

Good

Over: LITTLE EAU CLAIRE RIVER

7.6M E JCT CTH X, Marathon, WI

Built 1999 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,900

LRD BRUCKERVILLE R

Good

Over: BR E BR BIG EAU PLEINE R

0.8M N JCT CTH A, Marathon, WI

Built 2001 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 110

STH 29EB

Good

Over: LRD RAMP TO STEWART AVEN

1.0M E OF XNG OF STH 52, Marathon, WI

Built 2007 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,400

STH 29 RAMP

Good

Over: LRD 28TH AVE

0.5M XING OF 51, Marathon, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,400

LRD CARDINAL LANE

Good

Over: SODA CREEK

0.4M S JCT CTH N, Marathon, WI

Built 2003 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 90

LRD CTH R

Good

Over: BIG RIB RIVER

AT RIB WATER CREEK, Marathon, WI

Built 2005 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,300

LRD DAY AVE

Good

Over: SQUAW CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH T, Marathon, WI

Built 2006 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 105

CTH E

Good

Over: LITTLE EAU PLEINE RIVER

1.6M S JCT CTH C, Marathon, WI

Built 2005 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,420

CTH S

Good

Over: GRASS CREEK

0.7M S JCT CTH F, Marathon, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 470

CTH O

Good

Over: STH 29

3.33 MI E JCT STH 107, Marathon, WI

Built 2013 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 750

LRD HIGHPOINT RD

Good

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

1.7M N JCT CTH N, Marathon, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 108

LRD MATHIS RD

Good

Over: S BR PIKE RIVER

2.3M W JCT CTH V, Marinette, WI

Built 1990 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 75

USH 41 NB

Good

Over: C & N RR

0.85 MI N OF CTH Y, Marinette, WI

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,450

USH 41 SB

Good

Over: C & N RR

0.85 MI N OF CTH Y, Marinette, WI

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,100

STH 23

Good

Over: NEENAH CREEK

2.4M E JCT CTH AA, Marquette, WI

Built 2000 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,200

LRD 4TH AVE

Good

Over: WESTFIELD CREEK

0.2M S JCT CTH A, Marquette, WI

Built 2001 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 160

LRD 14TH AVE

Good

Over: CHAFFEE CREEK

2.5M S JCT CTH JJ, Marquette, WI

Built 2000 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 80

CTH JJ

Good

Over: CHAFEE CREEK

1.6 M N JCT CTH Z, Marquette, WI

Built 2007 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 260

IH 94 WB-IH 43 NB

Good

Over: RAMP WALKER ST-I94

5.0 MI W JCT IH 894, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1968 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 78,000

IH 794 WB-LAKE FRE

Good

Over: LAND

2.1 MI N JCT CARFERRY DR, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 17,900

IH 794-LAKE FREEWA

Good

Over: LRD S LINCOLN MEMORIAL D

2.7 MI E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 35,800

IH 794-LAKE FREEWA

Good

Over: LRD S LINCOLN MEMORIAL D

2.7 MI E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 35,800

IH 794

Good

Over: LAND

0.4 MI W JCT CARFERRY DR, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 30,300

Showing 12,701-12,750 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.