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 TWIN BRIDGE RD

Fair

Over: DODGE BRANCH

2.4M N JCT STH 39, Iowa, WI

Built 1960 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 156

CTH J

Fair

Over: LA CROSSE RIVER

0.8M S JCT STH 16, La Crosse, WI

Built 1975 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,800

LRD JOHNSON RD

Fair

Over: SHULLSBURG BRANCH

1.0M N JCT STH 11, Lafayette, WI

Built 1949 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 88

LRD DUNBARTON RD

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

1.3M S JCT STH 11, Lafayette, WI

Built 1953 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 88

LRD ANDREWS RD

Fair

Over: SPOFFORD CREEK

1.4M W JCT STH 176, Lafayette, WI

Built 1950 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 47

LRD JANES SPUR RD

Fair

Over: N BR PINE RIVER

1.4M E JCT CTH X, Lincoln, WI

Built 1970 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 52

LRD MILL RD

Fair

Over: DEVIL CREEK

0.8M N JCT CTH X, Lincoln, WI

Built 1936 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 72

CTH M

Fair

Over: PIGEON RIVER

1.7M S JCT CTH XX, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1962 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,550

CTH LS

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.3M S JCT CTH CL, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1940 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,760

LRD CORLAD RD

Fair

Over: RANDALL CREEK

1.6M N JCT STH 29, Marathon, WI

Built 1927 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 113

LRD E MC MILLAN RD

Fair

Over: SQUAW CREEK

1.7M W JCT CTH T, Marathon, WI

Built 1958 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 112

LRD EAGLE RIVER RD

Fair

Over: EAGLE CREEK

3.0M N JCT CTH C, Marinette, WI

Built 1920 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 100

LRD W VIENNA AVE

Fair

Over: GRANDTOSA CREEK

0.1M S JCT STH 190, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1966 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 500

CTH T

Fair

Over: MORRIS CREEK

1.2M N JCT STH 71, Monroe, WI

Built 1938 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 239

LRD OBOE AVE

Fair

Over: E BR COON CREEK

4.0M W JCT STH 33, Monroe, WI

Built 1950 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 23

CTH BB

Fair

Over: LA CROSSE RIVER

0.3M W JCT STH 21, Monroe, WI

Built 1972 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 272

LRD N BRANCH RD

Fair

Over: N BR OCONTO RIVER

2.5M E JCT STH 32, Oconto, WI

Built 1977 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 105

LRD BELL BRIDGE RD

Fair

Over: PENSAUKEE RIVER

0.4M N JCT USH 41, Oconto, WI

Built 1970 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 100

LRD LITTLE RIVER R

Fair

Over: BR LITTLE RIVER

0.2M E JCT CTH J, Oconto, WI

Built 1938 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 47

LRD MILLER ROAD

Fair

Over: TOAD CREEK

0.3M S JCT CTH VV, Outagamie, WI

Built 1966 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 317

LRD E. NORTH WATER

Fair

Over: EMBARRASS RIVER

0.2M E JCT S PEARL ST, Outagamie, WI

Built 1920 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,435

LRD HAMPLE RD

Fair

Over: MACKVILLE CREEK

0.9M N JCT CTH O, Outagamie, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 47

LRD BAIN RD

Fair

Over: DUTCHMANS CREEK

0.3M W JCT CTH U, Outagamie, WI

Built 1920 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 94

CTH B

Fair

Over: SAUK CREEK

0.4M S JCT CTH D, Ozaukee, WI

Built 1950 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 194

LRD 650TH AVE

Fair

Over: TRIMBELLE RIVER

0.5M W JCT STH 65, Pierce, WI

Built 1920 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 93

CTH J

Fair

Over: GOOSE CREEK

0.1 MI. N JCT. STH 65, Pierce, WI

Built 1979 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 927

LRD STEBBENSVILLE

Fair

Over: YAHARA RIVER

3.8M E JCT STH 138, Rock, WI

Built 1969 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 47

LRD CASEY RD

Fair

Over: BADFISH CREEK

0.2M N JCT STH 59, Rock, WI

Built 1967 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 155

CTH P

Fair

Over: DEER TAIL CREEK

0.3M E JCT CTH I-36, Rusk, WI

Built 1962 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 520

LRD AMACOY LAKE RD

Fair

Over: SOFT MAPLE CREEK

1.2M W JCT STH 40-103, Rusk, WI

Built 1969 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 86

LRD POLK ST- CROIX

Fair

Over: WILLOW RIVER

1.6M E JCT USH 63, St. Croix, WI

Built 1928 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 210

LRD 140TH AVE

Fair

Over: WILLOW RIVER

0.6M W JCT CTH A, St. Croix, WI

Built 1965 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 410

LRD 100TH ST

Fair

Over: WILLOW RIVER

0.6M N JCT CTH A, St. Croix, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 884

CTH BB

Fair

Over: BR CARR CREEK

0.6M W JCT CTH B, St. Croix, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 700

LRD S DEWEY RD

Fair

Over: BARABOO RIVER

1.4M S JCT STH 33, Sauk, WI

Built 1969 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,054

LRD HATCHERY RD

Fair

Over: BARABOO RIVER

1.0M S JCT STH 136, Sauk, WI

Built 1959 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 268

LRD ELM RD

Fair

Over: N BR HONEY CREEK

0.6M E JCT CTH C, Sauk, WI

Built 1966 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 138

LRD WAHL RD

Fair

Over: N BR PENSAUKEE RIVER

1.0M N JCT CTH E, Shawano, WI

Built 1929 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 101

LRD PLEASANT VIEW

Fair

Over: MULLET RIVER

0.3M S JCT CTH PP, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1920 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 47

LRD WINOOSKI RD

Fair

Over: ONION RIVER

0.3M E JCT CTH E, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1960 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 50

LRD CAMP AWANA RD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.1M S JCT STH 144, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1967 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 47

LRD ROOSEVELT AVE

Fair

Over: PIGEON RIVER

0.2M E JCT STH 42, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1942 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 352

LRD BOLTONVILLE RD

Fair

Over: MINK CREEK

0.4M N JCT CTH D, Sheboygan, WI

Built 1925 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 50

LRD LOGA RD

Fair

Over: BRUCE VALLEY CREEK

0.1M E JCT CTH D, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1920 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 293

LRD STEIG COULEE R

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK

0.2M N JCT STH 121, Trempealeau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 94

CTH N

Fair

Over: BR RUSH CREEK

2.4M S JCT STH 82, Vernon, WI

Built 1925 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 217

LRD OLSTAD HOLLOW

Fair

Over: TIMBER COULEE CREEK

0.2M S JCT CTH P, Vernon, WI

Built 1950 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 20

LRD ST PATRICKS R

Fair

Over: S BR BARABOO RIVER

1.7M N JCT CTH V, Vernon, WI

Built 1976 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 94

LRD ISLAND RD

Fair

Over: TURTLE CREEK

1.4M W JCT CTH P, Walworth, WI

Built 1965 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 293

LRD LITTLE WOLF RI

Fair

Over: LITTLE WOLF RIVER

1.4M E JCT CTH P, Waupaca, WI

Built 1963 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 130

Showing 301-350 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.