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

CTH XX

Poor

Over: COE HOLLOW CREEK

3.7M S JCT STH 56, Vernon, WI

Built 1941 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 195

LRD KOWALD RD

Poor

Over: FOX RIVER

1.1M E JCT CTH H, Columbia, WI

Built 1930 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 31

LRD PINE LAKE RD

Poor

Over: WOLF RIVER

2.9M S JCT STH 32, Forest, WI

Built 1930 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 64

LRD TWIN GROVE RD

Poor

Over: BR RICHLAND CREEK

0.6M S JCT CTH K, Green, WI

Built 1930 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 189

LRD RAND RD (DEAD

Poor

Over: DOUGLAS CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH N, Jackson, WI

Built 1930 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 15

LRD HAGEDORN RD

Poor

Over: DUCK CREEK

0.6M E JCT CTH D, Jefferson, WI

Built 1940 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 58

LRD GLENDALE RD (D

Poor

Over: WAUSAUKEE RIVER

0.3M W JCT CTH C, Marinette, WI

Built 1920 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 50

LRD PECORE RD

Poor

Over: PECORE CREEK

1.4M N JCT CTH M, Oconto, WI

Built 1955 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 60

LRD LARKIN RD

Poor

Over: HOLMES CREEK

3 MI EAST OF STH 13, Price, WI

Built 1960 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 57

LRD WOODLAND RD

Poor

Over: BR SHEBOYGAN RIVER

0.8M N JCT CTH O, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1906 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 35

LRD ELM AVE

Poor

Over: DEER CREEK

2.2M E JCT STH 13, Taylor, WI

Built 1970 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 58

LRD DODSON HOLLOW

Poor

Over: DODSON HOLLOW CREEK

2.6M W JCT CTH KK, Vernon, WI

Built 1940 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 47

LRD BUSSE RD

Poor

Over: PEWAUKEE RIVER

0.6M N JCT CTH JJ, Waukesha, WI

Built 1950 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 117

LRD BIGALKE RD

Poor

Over: S BR LITTLE WOLF RIVER

0.2M W JCT STH 22, Waupaca, WI

Built 1890 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 50

LRD STADT RD

Poor

Over: MILL CREEK

0.3M N JCT USH 10, Wood, WI

Built 1965 Load: 9.7 t ADT: 40

CTH M

Poor

Over: CHIPPEWA RIVER 19

0.5 M W STH 27, Chippewa, WI

Built 1950 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 1,070

CTH G

Poor

Over: YELLOW RIVER

0.8 M N S & G INT, Chippewa, WI

Built 1939 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 320

CTH G

Poor

Over: BR W BR SUGAR RIVER

1.3M S JCT STH 92, Dane, WI

Built 1953 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 1,200

CTH G

Poor

Over: COON CREEK

2.0M S JCT CTH H, La Crosse, WI

Built 1939 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 87

LRD SUNNYVIEW ROAD

Poor

Over: TRIBUTARY OF MUD CREEK

1/8 MILE EAST OF BLUEMOUN, Outagamie, WI

Built 1984 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 400

LRD CLOVERDALE RD

Poor

Over: BR BLACK RIVER

1.9M W JCT STH 73, Clark, WI

Built 1965 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 25

LRD W. BOUNDARY RO

Poor

Over: SANDY CREEK

0.3M N JCT STH 170, Dunn, WI

Built 1975 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 138

LRD WRIGHT RD

Poor

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

0.4M E JCT CTH Y, Jefferson, WI

Built 1963 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 155

LRD CHESAK RD

Poor

Over: SCOTCH CREEK

1.1M E JCT CTH M, Marathon, WI

Built 1962 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 20

LRD FARRELL RD

Poor

Over: BR APPLE CREEK

0.7M S JCT CTH UU, Outagamie, WI

Built 1907 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 94

LRD 2 MILE RD

Poor

Over: W BR ROOT RIVER CANAL

0.9M E JCT CTH U, Racine, WI

Built 1973 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 94

LRD SLAB CITY RD

Poor

Over: W BR SHIOC RIVER

1.1M W JCT STH 47, Shawano, WI

Built 1927 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 101

LRD SUNRISE LANE (

Poor

Over: CHAMPION VALLEY CREEK

0.1M E JCT CTH H, Vernon, WI

Built 1969 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 20

LRD ARTHUR RD

Poor

Over: SOO LINE

0.2M W JCT USH 41, Washington, WI

Built 1936 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 188

CTH G

Poor

Over: W BR SUGAR RIVER

1.6M S JCT STH 92, Dane, WI

Built 1953 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 1,200

CTH JG

Poor

Over: ELVERS CREEK

2.5M N JCT USH 18, Dane, WI

Built 1966 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 122

CTH T

Poor

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER 03

0.9M N JCT STH 133, Grant, WI

Built 1958 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 1,200

CTH D

Poor

Over: SUGAR CAMP CREEK

0.8M W JCT CTH H, Oneida, WI

Built 1960 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 849

CTH T

Poor

Over: NORTH CHANNEL WISC RIVER

0.1M S JCT STH 60, Richland, WI

Built 1958 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 1,200

CTH Q

Poor

Over: FOX HOLLOW CREEK

1.7M E JCT CTH E, Richland, WI

Built 1957 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 320

LRD ORILEY RD

Poor

Over: TURTLE CREEK

2.0M N JCT CTH X, Rock, WI

Built 1963 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 293

CTH N

Poor

Over: BR HEMLOCK CREEK

0.3M E JCT STH 186, Wood, WI

Built 1917 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 200

LRD 225TH AVENUE

Poor

Over: DUNCAN CREEK

0.1 M E 83RD STREET, Chippewa, WI

Built 1981 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 155

LRD 20TH AVENUE PI

Poor

Over: HAY CREEK

0.4 M E OF 295TH ST, Chippewa, WI

Built 1938 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 175

LRD 370TH STREET

Poor

Over: BRANCH WOLF RIVER

0.4 M N 25TH AVENUE, Chippewa, WI

Built 1928 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 100

LRD ROGERSVILLE RO

Poor

Over: W BR FOND DU LAC RIVER

0.2M W CTH VVV, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 1927 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 1

LRD BIG GREEN RD

Poor

Over: BIG GREEN RIVER

0.2M S JCT CTH K, Grant, WI

Built 1919 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 53

LRD BADGER RD

Poor

Over: SAWMILL CREEK

1.3M N JCT CTH A, Green, WI

Built 1941 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 105

LRD FRAME RD (DEAD

Poor

Over: W BR BLUE MOUNDS CREEK

0.2M E JCT CTH K, Iowa, WI

Built 1930 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 40

CTH Z

Poor

Over: HAY CREEK

5.3M N JCT STH 54, Jackson, WI

Built 1964 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 145

LRD ORANGE MILL RD

Poor

Over: LITTLE LEMONWEIR RIVER

0.1M S JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1971 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 98

CTH N

Poor

Over: BR SCOTCH CREEK

0.4M W JCT CTH H, Marathon, WI

Built 1945 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 1,590

LRD RIVER HILLS RD

Poor

Over: BIG CAIN CREEK

1.6M E JCT CTH WW, Marathon, WI

Built 1962 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 45

CTH L

Poor

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.9M W JCT CTH M, Marathon, WI

Built 1958 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 723

LRD ABE LINCOLN AV

Poor

Over: CARLSON CREEK

1.4M S JCT STH 153, Marathon, WI

Built 1929 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 88

Showing 13,551-13,600 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.