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 D

Poor

Over: BARK RIVER

3.3M N JCT STH 59, Jefferson, WI

Built 1950 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,500

STH 19-MAIN ST

Poor

Over: ROCK RIVER

0.1M E JCT STH 26, Jefferson, WI

Built 1931 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 15,136

CTH M CUTLER ST

Poor

Over: LITTLE LEMONWEIR RIVER

0.4M N JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1957 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 327

LRD LOWELL ROAD

Poor

Over: NO-NAME CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH K, Kewaunee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 50

STH 55

Poor

Over: NINE MILE CREEK

5.7M N JCT STH 64, Langlade, WI

Built 1978 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 620

STH 17

Poor

Over: BARNES CREEK

3.4M N JCT STH 64, Lincoln, WI

Built 1973 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,600

CTH A

Poor

Over: BIG RIB RIVER

0.4M W JCT CTH S TO N, Marathon, WI

Built 1956 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,031

CTH H

Poor

Over: ROCKY RUN

1.4M N JCT STH 153, Marathon, WI

Built 1960 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 667

CTH L

Poor

Over: GRASS CREEK

1.7M E JCT CTH S, Marathon, WI

Built 1961 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 477

CTH F

Poor

Over: E BR BIG EAU PLEINE RIVE

0.6M N JCT CTH A, Marathon, WI

Built 1962 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 665

CTH S

Poor

Over: LITTLE EAU PLEINE RIVER

1.3M S JCT CTH C, Marathon, WI

Built 1964 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 590

CTH W

Poor

Over: LITTLE PESHTIGO RIVER

1.3M N JCT STH 64, Marinette, WI

Built 1920 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,700

LRD W HOWARD AVE

Poor

Over: MINER CREEK

0.3M W JCT STH "241", Milwaukee, WI

Built 1984 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 8,100

CTH L

Poor

Over: BEARSKIN CREEK

6.8M N JCT USH 8 TO W, Oneida, WI

Built 1932 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 3,640

CTH I

Poor

Over: CLAM RIVER

1.8M W JCT CTH O, Polk, WI

Built 1948 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 857

STH 243

Poor

Over: ST CROIX RIVER 06

AT MINNESOTA STATE LINE, Polk, WI

Built 1953 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 5,686

STH 130-STH 133

Poor

Over: LONG LAKE

0.6M N JCT STH 133 TO S, Richland, WI

Built 1932 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,900

LRD CALEDONIA RD

Poor

Over: YAHARA RIVER

1.2M W JCT STH 184, Rock, WI

Built 1966 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 215

USH 8

Poor

Over: LITTLE SOFT MAPLE CREEK

1.7M E JCT CTH F TO S, Rusk, WI

Built 1938 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 3,400

STH 73

Poor

Over: CRAZY HORSE CREEK

4.0M N JCT STH 194, Rusk, WI

Built 1989 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 460

CTH X

Poor

Over: BARABOO RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 33, Sauk, WI

Built 1956 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 790

CTH D

Poor

Over: ELK CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH E, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1958 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 542

STH 162

Poor

Over: COON CREEK

0.6M N JCT STH 35, Vernon, WI

Built 1969 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,100

STH 162

Poor

Over: BR COON CREEK

0.6M N JCT USH 14 TO E, Vernon, WI

Built 1927 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 650

LRD RICHMOND RD

Poor

Over: SWAN CREEK

0.1M N JCT STH 11, Walworth, WI

Built 1982 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,100

CTH EF (HARTLING R

Poor

Over: BARK RIVER

0.5M E JCT CTH E, Waukesha, WI

Built 1984 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,400

CTH I (BELOIT ROAD

Poor

Over: CALHOUN CREEK

0.2M W OF JCT CTH O, Waukesha, WI

Built 1976 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 9,000

CTH A

Poor

Over: BR YELLOW RIVER

0.1M S JCT CTH C, Wood, WI

Built 1936 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,700

LRD 15TH AVE

Poor

Over: BARKER CREEK

0.9M E OF 17TH STREET, Barron, WI

Built 1930 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 47

CTH Z

Poor

Over: BRANCH RIVER

0.1M E JCT CTH G, Brown, WI

Built 1900 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 840

LRD NORWAY CT (DEA

Poor

Over: BR SUAMICO RIVER

1.2M W JCT CTH B, Brown, WI

Built 1976 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 20

LRD GRAND ST

Poor

Over: S BR MANITOWOC RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 57, Calumet, WI

Built 1927 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,997

CTH H

Poor

Over: S BR MANITOWOC RIVER

2.6M E JCT CTH C, Calumet, WI

Built 1968 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 880

LRD LAKE SHORE DR

Poor

Over: MUD CREEK

0.5 NORTH OF MUD CREEK RD, Calumet, WI

Built 1959 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 30

LRD GLENVIEW AVE

Poor

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.5M N JCT CTH PP, Calumet, WI

Built 1974 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,900

LRD 83RD STREET/OL

Poor

Over: DUNCAN CREEK

0.3 M N CTH SS, Chippewa, WI

Built 2000 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 200

LRD 25TH AVENUE

Poor

Over: SWAN CREEK

0.35 M E 350TH STREET, Chippewa, WI

Built 2002 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 65

LRD 205TH AVENUE

Poor

Over: MCCANN CREEK

0.3 M E STH 40, Chippewa, WI

Built 1925 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 75

LRD 290TH STREET

Poor

Over: LOTZ CREEK

0.7 M N 70TH AVENUE, Chippewa, WI

Built 1970 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 115

LRD PINE RD

Poor

Over: S FK EAU CLAIRE RIVER

1.3M W JCT CTH O, Clark, WI

Built 1921 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 58

LRD ROMADKA AVE

Poor

Over: MID BR ONEILL CREEK

1.3M S JCT CTH H, Clark, WI

Built 1966 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 185

LRD BARBER DR

Poor

Over: UNNAMED WATERWAY

0.1 MI N JCT LAKE KEGONSA, Dane, WI

Built 1930 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 600

CTH N

Poor

Over: GREEN BAY TRIBUTARY

0.8M N JCT STH 57, Door, WI

Built 1965 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 235

LRD DEDHAM RD

Poor

Over: BALSAM CREEK

2.0M N JCT CTH B, Douglas, WI

Built 1917 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 75

LRD OLIPHANT RD

Poor

Over: AMNICON RIVER

3.7M S JCT CTH B, Douglas, WI

Built 1967 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 21

CTH J

Poor

Over: COON CREEK

2.9M N JCT STH 25, Dunn, WI

Built 1944 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 639

CTH P

Poor

Over: IRVING CREEK

1.4M W JCT CTH K, Dunn, WI

Built 1938 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 324

LRD WALNUT RD

Poor

Over: SHEBOYGAN RIVER

0.1M W JCT CTH W, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 1961 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 48

LRD SPRING DR/MAIN

Poor

Over: W BR MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.7M E JCT CTH W, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 1940 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 47

LRD PROMEN DR

Poor

Over: LAKESIDE CREEK

0.4M N JCT USH 151, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 1927 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 3,900

Showing 13,751-13,800 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.