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

USH 51 NB

Fair

Over: CTH WW

4.9M N JCT STH 29 TO W, Marathon, WI

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 9,665

STH 49

Fair

Over: LITTLE WOLF RIVER

4.5M N JCT STH 66 TO W, Marathon, WI

Built 1947 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,700

STH 49

Fair

Over: LITTLE WOLF RIVER

4.8M N JCT STH 66 TO W, Marathon, WI

Built 1947 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,700

STH 97-ALFRED ST

Fair

Over: BLACK CREEK

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

Built 1932 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,600

LRD SHAFFER RD

Fair

Over: PESHTIGO RIVER

0.4M N JCT CTH W, Marinette, WI

Built 1990 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 201

CTH W

Fair

Over: PESHTIGO RIVER

1.2M N JCT STH 64, Marinette, WI

Built 1998 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,700

STH 22

Fair

Over: MECAN RIVER

4.0M N JCT CTH J, Marquette, WI

Built 1951 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,700

IH USH51-IH39 SB

Fair

Over: CTH O

2.0M S JCT STH 23, Marquette, WI

Built 1983 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 15,800

STH 23-MONTELLO AV

Fair

Over: MONTELLO RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH Y, Marquette, WI

Built 1948 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 5,900

LRD CHERRY ST

Fair

Over: CP RAILROAD

0.8M W JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1998 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 407

IH RAMP STH 175 NB

Fair

Over: IH 94 EB-STADIUM INTRCH

2.3 MI E JCT STH 181, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1959 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,700

IH 94 WB-STADIUM I

Fair

Over: STH 175 NB-STADIUM INTCH

2.5M W JCT IH 43 TO N, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1959 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 65,000

LRD W WASHINGTON B

Fair

Over: STH 175-STADIUM FREEWAY

1.7 MI E JCT STH 181, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1958 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,900

LRD W LLOYD ST

Fair

Over: STH 175 - STADIUM FREEWA

1.7 MI E JCT STH 181, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1960 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 17,200

LRD DOCTOR MARTIN

Fair

Over: IH 43

0.1 MI S JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1961 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 12,400

IH 94 EB

Fair

Over: LRD S 70TH ST

1.0 MI E JCT STH 181, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1963 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 79,000

STH 100 NB-S 108TH

Fair

Over: HAST (ABANDONED CMSTPP R

0.7 MI N JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1961 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 12,650

LRD W LINCOLN AVE

Fair

Over: IH 43

0.1 MI E JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,700

IH RAMP IH43 NB/US

Fair

Over: IH 43 SB

0.8M N JCT STH 100 TO N, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 20,900

IH 41 NB/43 SB/894

Fair

Over: LRD S 51ST ST

0.4M S JCT STH 36 TO N, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 64,000

LRD W KEEFE AVE

Fair

Over: IH 43-N-S FREEWAY

0.6M E JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1963 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 11,000

LRD CENTER ST

Fair

Over: IH 43-N-S FREEWAY

0.6M E JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1963 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 10,000

STH 190 EB/CAPITOL

Fair

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.3 MI E JCT IH 41, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 19,500

IH 41/USH 45/STH10

Fair

Over: STH 175 NB-SOUTH INTRCH

0.7 MI S JCT CTH PP, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 62,000

IH 41/USH45/STH 10

Fair

Over: STH 175 NB

0.5 MI N JCT STH 175, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 62,000

IH 41/USH 45 SB-ZO

Fair

Over: UP RR

0.5M S JCT STH 190 TO E, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 78,500

LRD W FLORIST AVE

Fair

Over: IH 41/USH 45/STH 100

0.6 MI W JCT STH 175, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,250

LRD S 124TH ST

Fair

Over: IH-43

0.4 MI S JCT CTH T, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1968 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 8,800

IH RAMP LINCOLN M

Fair

Over: LAND

1.3 MI E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 16,150

STH 119 WB-AIRPORT

Fair

Over: STH 38-HOWELL AVE

1.3 M E JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1978 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 5,200

USH 18-W BLUE MOUN

Fair

Over: HONEY CREEK

0.2M E JCT STH 181, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1928 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 15,100

STH 27

Fair

Over: BR SHAMROCK CREEK

2.1M N JCT CTH SS, Monroe, WI

Built 1951 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 3,400

IH 94 EB

Fair

Over: UP RR

5.7M E JCT CTH O TO S, Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 12,650

STH 16

Fair

Over: IH 90

1.1M E JCT STH 71 (E), Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 3,400

STH 131

Fair

Over: KICKAPOO RIVER

1.7M N JCT CTH Z, Monroe, WI

Built 1979 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,500

STH 71

Fair

Over: DORSET VALLEY CREEK

0.5M E JCT STH 131 TO N, Monroe, WI

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,700

USH 41 NB

Fair

Over: PENSAUKEE RIVER

0.4M N JCT CTH SS, Oconto, WI

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 6,350

LRD BRAZEAU AVE

Fair

Over: OCONTO RIVER

5.6M N JCT CTH SS, Oconto, WI

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 4,200

USH 51

Fair

Over: WIS CENTRAL RR

1.7M N JCT USH 8 TO W, Oneida, WI

Built 1992 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 7,100

LRD OLD HWY 8

Fair

Over: SLAUGHTERHOUSE CREEK

0.6M E JCT USH 8, Oneida, WI

Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 905

CTH CC

Fair

Over: IH 41

0.6M N JCT CTH OO, Outagamie, WI

Built 1961 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,600

CTH C

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

0.6M N JCT CTH S, Outagamie, WI

Built 1964 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,947

LRD FISH CREEK RD

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH E, Outagamie, WI

Built 1992 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 168

USH 15

Fair

Over: BLACK OTTER CREEK

0.3M N JCT CTH M, Outagamie, WI

Built 1921 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 13,600

LRD CEDAR BEACH RD

Fair

Over: SAUK CREEK

0.5M W JCT CTH KW, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1981 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 58

IH 43 SB-STH 57 SB

Fair

Over: STH 33

4.5M S JCT STH 32 TO S, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1971 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 21,600

IH 43 NB-STH 32 NB

Fair

Over: LRD PEBBLE BEACH RD

3.5M N JCT CTH D TO E, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 12,500

IH 43 SB-STH 32 SB

Fair

Over: LRD PEBBLE BEACH RD

2.1M S JCT STH 32 TO N, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 12,500

LRD KAEHLERS MILL

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.1M E JCT CTH NN, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 253

LRD GREEN BAY RD

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK

0.1M E JCT STH 57, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1992 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 5,500

Showing 2,701-2,750 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.