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 HS

Good

Over: LANCASTER BROOK

0.2M N JCT GLENDALE AVE, Brown, WI

Built 1990 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 9,800

STH 172 EB

Good

Over: CTH AAA ONEIDA ST

0.6M E JCT IH 41, Brown, WI

Built 2010 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 29,450

LRD ROTERING RIDGE

Good

Over: KNECHT VALLEY CREEK

0.5M S JCT CTH E, Buffalo, WI

Built 1986 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 46

STH 25

Good

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER SLOUGH

2.1M N MINN STATE LINE, Buffalo, WI

Built 2010 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 4,500

STH 35

Good

Over: ST CROIX RIVER 10

5.6M N JCT STH 77 TO E, Burnett, WI

Built 2007 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,100

CTH N

Good

Over: ELK CREEK

0.4 M SW OF 35TH ST, Chippewa, WI

Built 2006 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 740

LRD NORWEGIAN HOLL

Good

Over: BR JOHNSON VALLEY CREEK

2.7M N JCT CTH C, Crawford, WI

Built 1992 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 200

LRD GERSTNER LANE

Good

Over: BR KICKAPOO RIVER

1.8M W JCT STH 131, Crawford, WI

Built 2003 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 10

LRD W HUDSON RD

Good

Over: BLACK EARTH CREEK

0.7M N JCT USH 14, Dane, WI

Built 2006 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 288

LRD OBSERVATORY DR

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

0.3M NORTH OF CTH MS, Dane, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1

STH 60

Good

Over: ROCK RIVER

1.7M E JCT CTH E, Dodge, WI

Built 2008 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 6,200

LRD DAVIS ST.

Good

Over: BEAVER DAM RIVER

0.6M S JCT STH 33, Dodge, WI

Built 2007 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,528

LRD STOKKE PRWY.

Good

Over: IH 94

AT I94, Dunn, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,900

LRD CTH WH

Good

Over: LUCO CREEK

1.4M N JCT USH 45 TO N, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 2010 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 6,900

CTH P

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

0.9M E JCT STH 69, Green, WI

Built 2007 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 283

LRD UPPER WYOMING

Good

Over: RUSH CREEK

1.7M S JCT STH 23, Iowa, WI

Built 1996 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 62

CTH F

Good

Over: BARK RIVER

0.9M N JCT CTH P, Jefferson, WI

Built 2007 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 2,080

STH 26 NB

Good

Over: LRD BUS STH 26

2.1 MI N JUNC STH 89, Jefferson, WI

Built 2010 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 6,700

STH 26 NB

Good

Over: CTH N

2.0 MI. N OF USH 18, Jefferson, WI

Built 2010 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 6,200

LRD SPEEDWAY RD

Good

Over: SPRAGUE MATHER FLOWAGE

4.5M W JCT STH 80, Juneau, WI

Built 2005 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 105

LRD BRIGGS ROAD

Good

Over: USH 53-STH 35

0.8M N JCT CTH XX, La Crosse, WI

Built 1992 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 2,000

CTH Z

Good

Over: WOOD BRANCH

2.3M W JCT CTH F, Lafayette, WI

Built 2006 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 239

IH 39SB

Good

Over: BULL JUNIOR CREEK

7.3M S JCT STH 29 TO E, Marathon, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 29,800

USH 41 NB

Good

Over: PESHTIGO R

AT PESHTIGO RIVER, Marinette, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 5,700

LRD W MORGAN AVE

Good

Over: ROOT RIVER

0.3M W JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1995 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 2,700

STH 175 NB

Good

Over: LRD SELIG DR/PEDESTRIAN

0.6 M N JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1998 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 24,650

STH 27

Good

Over: LA CROSSE RIVER

0.5M N JCT IH 90 TO W, Monroe, WI

Built 1953 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 10,400

USH 41 SB

Good

Over: LRD MCDONALD STREET

AT OCONTO RIVER, Oconto, WI

Built 2008 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 4,950

LRD BUCHANAN ROAD

Good

Over: BR APPLE CREEK

0.8 M S JCT CTH JJ, Outagamie, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,000

CTH U

Good

Over: BRUNNER VALLEY CREEK

0.1M N JCT CTH UU, Pierce, WI

Built 1976 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 407

LRD S WASSON LA

Good

Over: S FK KINNICKINNIC RIVER

0.5M N JCT CEMETERY RD, Pierce, WI

Built 2008 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 2,884

IH USH10 EB RAMP T

Good

Over: LRD SCENIC DRIVE

3.5 MI EAST OF STH 34 TO, Portage, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,100

STH 58

Good

Over: WILLOW CREEK

1.1M N JCT STH 154, Richland, WI

Built 2002 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,800

USH 63N

Good

Over: TRIB TO RUSH R

0.6M N OF CTH YY, St. Croix, WI

Built 2009 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,000

STH 136-PINE ST EB

Good

Over: BARABOO RIVER

0.3M E JCT STH 33 (B), Sauk, WI

Built 2000 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 4,750

LRD OUR TOWN RD

Good

Over: ONION RIVER

0.1M E JCT STH 32, Sheboygan, WI

Built 2007 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 911

LRD CHIMNEY ROCK R

Good

Over: BUFFALO RIVER

0.1M E JCT STH 93, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1995 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 165

STH 47

Good

Over: MISHONAGON CREEK

AT MISHONAGON CREEK, Vilas, WI

Built 2008 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 4,800

LRD RIVER RD

Good

Over: WAUPACA RIVER

0.1M N JCT USH 10, Waupaca, WI

Built 2006 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 231

LRD N 2ND AVE

Good

Over: RUDOLPH CREEK

0.6M N OF HWY 66, Wood, WI

Built 1979 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 45

FR 2174

Good

Over: PINE RIVER

5.9 MI W OF JCT STH 55, Forest, WI

Built 1984 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 50

CTH E

Good

Over: COUDERAY RIVER

0.6M W JCT CTH N, Sawyer, WI

Built 2021 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 840

LRD SOUTH WHITNALL

Good

Over: UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

0.2 M NORTH OF E.HOLT AV, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2015 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 1,400

CTH JG

Good

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

4.670 MILES NORTH OF CTH, Dane, WI

Built 2023 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 590

CTH G

Good

Over: SHAW BROOK

0.6M N JCT CTH I, Dodge, WI

Built 2011 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 1,500

LRD 200TH STREET

Good

Over: TRADE RIVER

0.4M N JCT CTH B, Polk, WI

Built 2012 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 192

USH 12 EB RAMP

Good

Over: LRD MOON RD

0.57 MI. S OF I90/94, Sauk, WI

Built 2010 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 2,800

RANGE 2 SERVICE TR

Good

Over: TRIB. TO LA CROSSE RIVER

MIL GRID 833786, Monroe, WI

Built 2010 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 10

STH 93

Good

Over: ADAMS CREEK

0.5M N JCT CTH U, Trempealeau, WI

Built 2016 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 5,000

CTH K

Good

Over: N BR LITTLE BEAR CREEK

0.4M W JCT CTH F, Buffalo, WI

Built 1989 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 227

Showing 13,301-13,350 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.