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 29 WB

Good

Over: LRD ROSEBROOK ROAD

1.3M W JCT STH 22, Shawano, WI

Built 1997 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,200

CTH A

Good

Over: RED RIVER

3.7M E JCT CTH U, Shawano, WI

Built 2021 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 800

CTH TAYLOR DR. (CT

Good

Over: SHEBOYGAN RIVER

0.1M N JCT CTH PP, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1985 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,250

CTH D

Good

Over: BR ONION RIVER

0.3M E JCT CTH KW, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2001 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,100

CTH SS

Good

Over: N BR MILWAUKEE RIVER

2.5M W JCT CTH I, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2005 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 530

STH 23 EB

Good

Over: ICE AGE TRAIL

0.13 MI EAST OF JULIE CT, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2021 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,200

LRD DIVISION RD

Good

Over: MAURER CREEK

TOWN OF HAMMEL, Taylor, WI

Built 2000 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 81

CTH D

Good

Over: BRUCE VALLEY CREEK

2.6M N JCT CTH E, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1999 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 390

CTH NN

Good

Over: BR BUFFALO RIVER

0.6M N JCT USH 10, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2003 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 636

CTH F

Good

Over: TAMARACK CREEK

0.1M N JCT STH 35, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2017 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 220

LRD NEWBURN AVE

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.1M S JCT STH 82, Vernon, WI

Built 1987 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 45

STH 131

Good

Over: KICKAPOO RIVER

0.2M N JCT CTH F, Vernon, WI

Built 2002 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 740

LRD UPPER NEWTON R

Good

Over: SPRINGVILLE BR BAD AXE R

2.1M E JCT CTH O, Vernon, WI

Built 1999 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 54

USH 12 EB

Good

Over: LRD PELL LAKE DR

4.9M E JCT STH 50 TO E, Walworth, WI

Built 1965 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,900

USH 12 WB

Good

Over: LRD PELL LAKE DR

3.9M W JCT CTH H, Walworth, WI

Built 1965 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,750

CTH K

Good

Over: NAMEKAGON RIVER

3.7M N JCT CTH E, Washburn, WI

Built 2002 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,512

CTH A

Good

Over: WALLACE CREEK

0.1 M EAST INDIAN LORE RO, Washington, WI

Built 2006 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,100

IH 41 SB

Good

Over: LRD CTH K

4.1M S JCT STH 33, Washington, WI

Built 1994 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 16,500

CTH P

Good

Over: BR CEDAR CREEK

1.2 M SOUTH CTH PV, Washington, WI

Built 2006 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,100

LRD LILAC LANE

Good

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

2.4M W JCT STH 145, Washington, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,476

LRD TOWNLINE RD

Good

Over: TRIB. TO MILWAUKEE R.

TOWN OF KEWASKUM, Washington, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 109

CTH VV (MAIN ST)

Good

Over: BARK RIVER

0.5M N JCT CTH EF, Waukesha, WI

Built 1963 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,000

LRD ROOSEVELT DR

Good

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 175, Waukesha, WI

Built 1996 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,700

CTH Y (BARKER RD)

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

0.5M N JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 11,700

LRD MILL RD

Good

Over: BARK RIVER

0.1 MI N JCT CTH DR, Waukesha, WI

Built 2005 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,200

IH 94 EB

Good

Over: LRD CALHOUN RD

2.4 MI E JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 66,500

LRD CALHOUN RD (N.

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

0.5M S JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,700

LRD CALHOUN RD (S.

Good

Over: DEER CREEK

0.5M S JCT USH 18, Waukesha, WI

Built 2008 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,700

LRD LEGACY TRAIL

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

500 E OF TOWN LINE RD, Waukesha, WI

Built 2015 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 251

LRD MARTEN RD

Good

Over: BR WOLF RIVER

1.4M S JCT USH 10, Waupaca, WI

Built 1986 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 140

LRD BRIDGE ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE WOLF RIVER

1.2M W JCT CTH D, Waupaca, WI

Built 1990 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 135

USH 10 EB

Good

Over: WAUPACA RIVER

WAUPACA R., Waupaca, WI

Built 2002 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,950

CTH D

Good

Over: TR. EMBARRASS RIVER

0.5M N JCT CTH X, Waupaca, WI

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 10,691

LRD CLEGHORN RD

Good

Over: CHAIN O"LAKES

1.15 MI. N. STH 22, Waupaca, WI

Built 2007 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,356

CTH W

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

2.0M N JCT CTH H, Waushara, WI

Built 1999 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 690

STH 49

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

0.3 MILES S COUNTY JCT M, Waushara, WI

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 3,100

USH STH 45 NB OFF

Good

Over: USH 10WB/USH45 SB RAMP

0.5M N JCT CTH II, Winnebago, WI

Built 2003 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,600

USH STH 45 NB OFF

Good

Over: USH 10 EB

0.7M N JCT CTH II, Winnebago, WI

Built 2003 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 7,600

USH 45 SB

Good

Over: CTH Y

2.4M S JCT STH 116, Winnebago, WI

Built 2002 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 9,800

USH 45 NB

Good

Over: CTH Y

0.8M N JCT USH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2002 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 9,800

LRD CECIL ST

Good

Over: NEENAH SLOUGH

0.1M E JCT USH 41, Winnebago, WI

Built 2007 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 8,900

LRD KOELPIN RD

Good

Over: WILLOW HARBOR CREEK

0.3M S JCT USH 45 S, Winnebago, WI

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 141

LRD OREGON STEET

Good

Over: GALLUPS-MERRITTS CREEK

0.8M S JCT USH 45, Winnebago, WI

Built 2022 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,700

CTH A

Good

Over: PUFF CREEK

2.0M S JCT CTH N, Wood, WI

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,700

USH 10 EB

Good

Over: MILL CR

1.5M E CTH V, Wood, WI

Built 2011 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,350

USH 10 WB

Good

Over: MILL CR

1.0M W CTH B, Wood, WI

Built 2011 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,350

LRD 9 1/2 - 10 1/2

Good

Over: DORITS CREEK

2.0M S JCT CTH D, Barron, WI

Built 1984 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 58

LRD 1/2 AVENUE

Good

Over: VANCE CREEK

2.0M S JCT CTH A, Barron, WI

Built 1960 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 94

LRD STANEK RD

Good

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

3.7M E JCT CTH Q, Grant, WI

Built 1969 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 102

LRD SUNNY VALE RD

Good

Over: ROARING CREEK

0.5M S JCT STH 54, Jackson, WI

Built 1982 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 23

Showing 12,801-12,850 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.