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

LRD W EVERGREEN DR

Fair

Over: BLACK RIVER

0.1M E JCT CTH EE, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1964 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 23

LRD BROADWAY ST

Fair

Over: ONION RIVER

0.5M S JCT STH 32, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1936 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 3,100

LRD PERKINS ST

Fair

Over: BLACK RIVER

0.1M S JCT STH 64, Taylor, WI

Built 1964 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 3,997

LRD 8TH AVE

Fair

Over: N FK EAU CLAIRE RIVER

1.3M N CLARK CO LINE, Taylor, WI

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 87

LRD CHURCH HILL RD

Fair

Over: NORTH CREEK

2.7M N JCT STH 95, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1975 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD WHALEN RD

Fair

Over: S FK BEAVER CREEK

0.1M E JCT CTH D, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1972 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 205

LRD KULASH RD

Fair

Over: GREENWOOD VALLEY CREEK

0.1M S JCT STH 80, Vernon, WI

Built 1935 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 47

LRD SOUTH JUG CREE

Fair

Over: JUG CREEK

0.5M E JCT STH 131, Vernon, WI

Built 1950 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 47

LRD HORNBY HOLLOW

Fair

Over: BR HORNBY CREEK

1.8M E JCT CTH N, Vernon, WI

Built 1960 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 47

LRD TEMPERANCE TRA

Fair

Over: LITTLE TURTLE CREEK

0.3M S JCT CTH X, Walworth, WI

Built 1973 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 117

LRD LAKESIDE RD.

Fair

Over: TOTOGATIC RIVER

0.8M N JCT USH 53, Washburn, WI

Built 1926 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 23

LRD PLEASANT VALLE

Fair

Over: BR CEDAR CREEK

0.3M E JCT CTH M, Washington, WI

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 58

LRD 29TH DR

Fair

Over: AUSTIN CREEK

1.2M N JCT CTH A, Waushara, WI

Built 1921 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 225

LRD POLISH RD

Fair

Over: ROCKY CREEK

0.7M N JCT CTH C, Wood, WI

Built 1945 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 100

IRR BIA RTE 51

Fair

Over: SO. BRANCH OCONTO RIVER

0.3 KM NORTH OF BIA RTE 7, Menominee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 70

CTH A

Fair

Over: RED CEDAR RIVER

0.5M W JCT CTH I TO S, Barron, WI

Built 1980 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,635

STH 29 & NE & SE R

Fair

Over: BR LANCASTER BROOK

0.2M E JCT CTH FF, Brown, WI

Built 1955 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 33,800

LRD RYAN RD

Fair

Over: EAST RIVER

1.2M W JCT STH 32, Brown, WI

Built 1959 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 200

CTH J

Fair

Over: BUFFALO RIVER

0.1M W JCT STH 37, Buffalo, WI

Built 1956 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 217

CTH E

Fair

Over: LITTLE WAUMANDEE CREEK

1.0M E JCT STH 88, Buffalo, WI

Built 1968 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 813

CTH BB

Fair

Over: BUFFALO RIVER

0.3M S JCT USH 10, Buffalo, WI

Built 1969 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 542

CTH N

Fair

Over: POPPLE RIVER

1.3M E JCT STH 73, Clark, WI

Built 1983 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 464

LRD PATTON RD

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.8M S JCT CTH K, Columbia, WI

Built 1961 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 204

CTH O

Fair

Over: IH 39

0.6M W JCT STH 16, Columbia, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 300

STH 60

Fair

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER OVERFLOW

0.2M E JCT STH 78 TO N, Columbia, WI

Built 1971 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 6,800

LRD OAK PARK RD

Fair

Over: IH 94

2.3M N JCT CTH BB, Dane, WI

Built 1963 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 400

CTH I

Fair

Over: CRAWFISH RIVER

1.3M E JCT CTH T, Dodge, WI

Built 1953 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 410

CTH K

Fair

Over: HAY RIVER

0.5M N. OF 1410TH AVE., Dunn, WI

Built 1953 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 440

CTH MW

Fair

Over: RED CEDAR RIVER

0.1M W JCT CTH M, Dunn, WI

Built 1959 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 263

CTH HH

Fair

Over: LOWES CREEK

1.4M W STH 93, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1954 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 666

CTH K

Fair

Over: IH 94

2.8M S JCT CTH HH, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1966 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 300

CTH R

Fair

Over: THOMPSON VALLEY CREEK

0.4M W USH 12, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1924 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 2,255

STH 101

Fair

Over: PINE RIVER

9.6M N JCT CTH C, Florence, WI

Built 1939 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 750

CTH MMM

Fair

Over: S BR ROCK RIVER

0.7M N JCT STH 49, Fond du Lac, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,053

CTH Q

Fair

Over: S BR MANITOWOC RIVER

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

Built 1921 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 880

CTH A

Fair

Over: LITTLE PLATTE RIVER

0.1M E JCT STH 80, Grant, WI

Built 1950 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 630

STH 133

Fair

Over: HEILER CREEK

7.5M N JCT CTH VV, Grant, WI

Built 1951 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 870

CTH U

Fair

Over: BEETOWN BRANCH

1.4M S JCT STH 81, Grant, WI

Built 1951 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 810

LRD DECT-ALBANY RO

Fair

Over: SUGAR RIVER

0.3M W JCT CTH E, Green, WI

Built 1982 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 105

CTH H

Fair

Over: CONLEY CREEK

2.8M S JCT USH 18, Iowa, WI

Built 1958 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 200

STH 191-5TH ST

Fair

Over: DODGE BRANCH

4.8M E JCT CTH W, Iowa, WI

Built 1930 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 790

LRD S POLE GROVE R

Fair

Over: IH 94

0.2M N JCT CTH A, Jackson, WI

Built 1966 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 350

STH 54

Fair

Over: HAWK CREEK

5.7M E JCT CTH X, Jackson, WI

Built 1965 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 2,900

CTH G

Fair

Over: CURRAN CREEK

1.5M N JCT STH 95, Jackson, WI

Built 1939 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 120

CTH A

Fair

Over: CRAWFISH RIVER

0.1M E JCT CTH Q, Jefferson, WI

Built 1948 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 2,900

LRD 63RD ST

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

2.6M E JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 430

LRD KOVAL RD

Fair

Over: IH 90 EB-IH 94 EB

0.5M N JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 220

LRD KOVAL RD

Fair

Over: IH 90 WB-IH 94 WB

0.6M N JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 220

LRD WELCH PRAIRIE

Fair

Over: IH 90 EB-IH 94 EB

2.1M W JCT CTH Q, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 120

LRD WELCH PRAIRIE

Fair

Over: IH 90 WB-IH 94 WB

2.1M W JCT CTH Q, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 120

Showing 201-250 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.