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 LAYTON AVE

Fair

Over: BR KINNICKINNIC RIVER

0.2M W JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1969 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 21,600

STH 38-HOWELL AVE

Fair

Over: BR KINNICKINNIC RIVER

1.8M N JCT CTH ZZ, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1953 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20,200

STH 100 NB-BROWN D

Fair

Over: CNW RR

1.2M E JCT STH 145, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,300

STH 100-BROWN DEER

Fair

Over: LITTLE MENOMONEE RIVER

0.4M N JCT CTH F TO N, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,100

CTH S W MILL RD

Fair

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

0.4M W JCT CTH G, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 19,500

CTH S W MILL RD

Fair

Over: LYNX BR LIT MENOMONEE R

0.4M E JCT STH 81, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 14,400

CTH ZZ E COLLEGE

Fair

Over: CMSTPP RR

0.7M W JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,900

CTH ZZ W COLLEGE A

Fair

Over: CMSTPP RR

0.7M W JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,900

LRD DREXEL AVE

Fair

Over: OAK CREEK

0.4M W JCT STH 38, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 29,500

STH 181

Fair

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

1.0M N JCT USH 18, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,900

STH 100 SB/RYAN RD

Fair

Over: CNW RR

1.6M E JCT STH 32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,100

LRD N 32ND STREET

Fair

Over: LINCOLN CREEK

0.9M N JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,100

LRD N WATER ST

Fair

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.1M N JCT STH 32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 15,778

LRD W VLIET ST

Fair

Over: CANADIAN PACIFIC RR

0.9M W JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,600

STH 32-KINNICKINNI

Fair

Over: KINNICKINIC RIVER

10.0M N JCT STH 100, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,490

LRD S 124TH ST

Fair

Over: ROOT RIVER

1.5M S JCT STH 59, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,500

LRD OAK CREEK PARK

Fair

Over: OAK CREEK

0.1M W JCT STH 32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,762

LRD N EMMBER LA

Fair

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.3M S JCT IH 94, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,911

LRD N 124TH ST

Fair

Over: MENOMONEE RIVER

0.7M N JCT CTH EE, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,525

LRD BENDER RD

Fair

Over: MILWAUKEE RIVER

0.3M E JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,700

LRD PENNSYLVANIA A

Fair

Over: EDGERTON CHANNEL

.1 MI. N. OF STH 794 TO W, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 24,000

LRD S 36TH ST

Fair

Over: W BR OF E BR ROOT RIVER

0.25M N JCT CTH "ZZ", Milwaukee, WI

Built 1974 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 535

LRD INDIAN CREEK P

Fair

Over: INDIAN CR

0.4M S JCT STH32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,070

LRD MILL RD

Fair

Over: OAK CREEK

0.5M S JCT STH 32, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1931 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,200

IH RAMP IH 41/USH

Fair

Over: STH 175 NB

0.8 MI S JCT CTH PP, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1952 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,700

LRD NORTH 35TH STR

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK

0.1M SOUTH STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1930 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,100

IH-43 NB

Fair

Over: LRD ST PAUL AVE

0.52 M S OFIH-43/WEL, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 44,300

IH W-N RAMP IH94 E

Fair

Over: LRD 13TH ST

1.0 MI E JCT STH 57, Milwaukee, WI

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 38,100

STH 71

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

AT CTH U INTERSECTION (MA, Monroe, WI

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,100

IH 94 WB

Fair

Over: USH 12

0.6M W JCT STH 21 (E), Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,400

IH 94 WB

Fair

Over: UP RR

1.7M W JCT CTH EW, Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,350

IH 90 EB

Fair

Over: LRD HAZEL AVENUE

7.2M E JCT STH 16 TO E, Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,950

IH 90 WB

Fair

Over: LRD HAZEL AVENUE

6.3M W JCT STH 131 TO S, Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,950

IH 90

Fair

Over: LEMONWEIR CREEK

11.4M E JCT STH 16 TO E, Monroe, WI

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 17,900

USH 12-SUPERIOR ST

Fair

Over: LEMONWEIR CREEK

0.5M E JCT CTH C (D), Monroe, WI

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,900

USH 12

Fair

Over: DEER CREEK

0.3M E JCT CTH E, Monroe, WI

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,900

CTH T

Fair

Over: MCCASLIN BROOK

0.5M W JCT STH 32, Oconto, WI

Built 1963 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,400

CTH B

Fair

Over: MCDONALD CREEK

0.1M S JCT CTH Z TO W, Oconto, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 740

CTH Z

Fair

Over: MCDONALD CREEK

0.1M W JCT CTH B TO S, Oconto, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 490

CTH J

Fair

Over: OCONTO RIVER

3.0M S JCT STH 22, Oconto, WI

Built 1997 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 473

USH 51

Fair

Over: LAKE KATHERINE

0.4M N JCT CTH D, Oneida, WI

Built 1976 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,400

LRD HIGH ST

Fair

Over: SOO LINE

0.1M W JCT STH 17, Oneida, WI

Built 1979 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,025

LRD HAT RAPIDS RD

Fair

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER 45

1.6M W JCT STH 17, Oneida, WI

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 459

LRD HAYMEADOW RD (

Fair

Over: N BR PELICAN RIVER

0.9M E JCT USH 8, Oneida, WI

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 109

LRD DAVENPORT ST

Fair

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER 47

1.2M E JCT STH 47, Oneida, WI

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,554

CTH L

Fair

Over: LAKE NOKOMIS

1.4M N JCT USH 8 TO W, Oneida, WI

Built 1932 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,640

IH USH 10-IH 41

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK

0.3M N JCT STH 125 TO E, Outagamie, WI

Built 1959 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 77,100

CTH D

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.4M N JCT STH 76, Outagamie, WI

Built 1964 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 635

CTH WW

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.6M W JCT STH 76, Outagamie, WI

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 266

STH 96

Fair

Over: RAT RIVER

2.3M E JCT CTH M, Outagamie, WI

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,800

Showing 3,251-3,300 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.