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 D

Fair

Over: BASSWOOD CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH A, Richland, WI

Built 1951 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 196

CTH F

Fair

Over: KNAPP CREEK

0.4M S JCT CTH U, Richland, WI

Built 1958 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 185

CTH F

Fair

Over: BEEBE HOLLOW CREEK

0.3M N JCT CTH U, Richland, WI

Built 1959 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 120

LRD NELSON RD

Fair

Over: SUGAR RIVER

2.6M S JCT STH 81, Rock, WI

Built 1958 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 117

LRD VAN HOOSEN RD

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.5M N JCT CTH U, Sauk, WI

Built 1961 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 68

CTH T

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.7M N JCT CTH U, Sauk, WI

Built 1961 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 920

LRD GILLEM RD

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.3M S JCT CTH T, Sauk, WI

Built 1960 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 113

LRD CTH PP

Fair

Over: MULLET RIVER

0.3M W JCT CTH PPP, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1936 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 1,040

CTH C

Fair

Over: IH USH 51-IH 39

0.3M E JCT CTH V, Waushara, WI

Built 1966 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 820

CTH O

Fair

Over: IH USH 51-IH 39

1.5M E JCT CTH KK, Waushara, WI

Built 1966 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 400

LRD ARCHER AVE

Fair

Over: IH USH 51-IH 39

3.7M N JCT CTH V, Waushara, WI

Built 1966 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 250

LRD 25TH AVE

Fair

Over: BRILL RIVER

2.7M W JCT STH 48, Barron, WI

Built 1976 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 94

CTH D

Fair

Over: GILMAN VALLEY CREEK

0.2M N JCT CTH B, Buffalo, WI

Built 1928 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 303

CTH I

Fair

Over: HAY CREEK

1.5M W JCT CTH M, Clark, WI

Built 1976 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 104

LRD CATLIN AVE

Fair

Over: POPPLE RIVER

0.2M S JCT CTH A, Clark, WI

Built 1950 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD SAND HILL AVE

Fair

Over: POPPLE RIVER

0.3M S JCT CTH A, Clark, WI

Built 1977 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD CAWLEY AVE

Fair

Over: PANTHER CREEK

1.4M E JCT STH 73, Clark, WI

Built 1966 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD MILLER AVE

Fair

Over: S BR ONEILL CREEK

1.3M N JCT USH 10, Clark, WI

Built 1979 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD SHERWOOD RD

Fair

Over: E FK BLACK RIVER

0.1M E JCT STH 73, Clark, WI

Built 1959 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 92

LRD WASHINGTON ST

Fair

Over: MARAIS DE ST FERIOLE

0.5M W JCT STH 35, Crawford, WI

Built 1961 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 1,292

LRD SALEM RD

Fair

Over: CALAMUS CREEK

0.2M W JCT CTH S, Dodge, WI

Built 1921 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 88

CTH M

Fair

Over: EIGHTEEN MILE CREEK

0.05M S JCT STH 40, Dunn, WI

Built 1958 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 690

LRD 470TH AVE

Fair

Over: IRVING CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH K, Dunn, WI

Built 1938 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 76

LRD COUNTY LINE RD

Fair

Over: ELK CREEK

1.0M W USH 12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1978 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 205

LRD W BLUFF ST

Fair

Over: FURNACE BRANCH

0.1M E JCT STH 133, Grant, WI

Built 1965 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 940

CTH EE

Fair

Over: SILVER SCHOOL BRANCH

1.9M E JCT STH 39, Green, WI

Built 1969 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 620

LRD ULLOM RD

Fair

Over: WHITEHEAD CREEK

1.2M N JCT CTH P, Green, WI

Built 1935 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 158

LRD ADVANCE RD

Fair

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

2.4M E JCT STH 69, Green, WI

Built 1958 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD MONTGOMERY RD

Fair

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

0.9M E JCT CTH K, Green, WI

Built 1958 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 189

LRD FIVE CORNER RD

Fair

Over: E BR RICHLAND CREEK

0.9M S JCT CTH P, Green, WI

Built 1954 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 105

CTH X

Fair

Over: SUGAR RIVER

2.3M N JCT CTH C, Green, WI

Built 1969 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 189

LRD GILROY RD

Fair

Over: W FK HALLS CREEK

1.8M S JCT CTH B, Jackson, WI

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 47

LRD MUENZENBERGER

Fair

Over: COON CREEK

1.8M E JCT CTH G, La Crosse, WI

Built 1947 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 94

LRD BENNETT RD

Fair

Over: GALENA RIVER

1.2M S JCT STH 11, Lafayette, WI

Built 1969 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 176

LRD DUNBARTON RD

Fair

Over: TROUT BROOK

0.1M W JCT STH 78, Lafayette, WI

Built 1929 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 88

CTH M

Fair

Over: BR PECATONICA RIVER

0.3M W JCT CTH Y, Lafayette, WI

Built 1966 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 276

LRD AXEN RD

Fair

Over: N BRANCH PRAIRIE RIVER

1.0M N JCT STH 17, Lincoln, WI

Built 1969 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 268

LRD NATZKE RD

Fair

Over: S FK COPPER RIVER

1.2M S JCT CTH M, Lincoln, WI

Built 1920 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 23

LRD MANITOWOC ST

Fair

Over: BR MUD CREEK

0.3M W JCT STH 32, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1968 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 94

CTH C

Fair

Over: W BR LT EAU PLEINE RIVER

0.8M W JCT CTH F, Marathon, WI

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 1,465

LRD ST PAUL RD

Fair

Over: THE OUTLET

1.2M S JCT CTH W, Marinette, WI

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 110

LRD W HAMPTON AVE

Fair

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 14,700

LRD GROVER RD

Fair

Over: ALLEN CREEK

1.8M N JCT USH 12, Monroe, WI

Built 1976 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 94

LRD ICEBOX RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE LA CROSSE RIVER

1.3M W JCT STH 27, Monroe, WI

Built 1945 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 23

LRD E BIG LAKE LOO

Fair

Over: EAGLE RIVER

2.7M E JCT USH 45, Oneida, WI

Built 1969 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 221

CTH A

Fair

Over: MACKVILLE CREEK

0.8M N JCT CTH O, Outagamie, WI

Built 1938 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 5,757

LRD WEGE ROAD

Fair

Over: MACKVILLE CREEK

1.3M W JCT STH 47, Outagamie, WI

Built 1960 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 94

CTH Y

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

0.1M W JCT CTH G, Sauk, WI

Built 1973 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 175

LRD STOUT RD

Fair

Over: CROSSMAN CREEK

1.0M N JCT STH 33, Sauk, WI

Built 1929 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 136

LRD WILLOW RD

Fair

Over: MULLET RIVER

0.3M S JCT CTH PP, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1950 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 47

Showing 151-200 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.