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 MAXWELL RD

Fair

Over: SKELTON CREEK

1.0M W JCT CTH T, Winnebago, WI

Built 1930 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 82

LRD YELLOWSTONE DR

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.9M W JCT CTH S, Wood, WI

Built 1966 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 80

LRD BROOKSIDE RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

0.6M N JCT TRESTIK DR, Wood, WI

Built 1959 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 80

CTH B

Fair

Over: BR ROCKY RUN

1.3M S JCT STH 73, Wood, WI

Built 1968 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 292

CTH E

Fair

Over: BR HEMLOCK CREEK

2.5M N JCT CTH N, Wood, WI

Built 1965 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 479

IRR BIA RTE 51

Fair

Over: SO. BRANCH OCONTO RIVER

15 KM SOUTH OF LANGLADE, Menominee, WI

Built 1977 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 50

LRD 21ST ST

Fair

Over: USH 53

1.3M N JCT CTH OO, Barron, WI

Built 1972 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 200

CTH U

Fair

Over: WAUMANDEE CREEK

2.3M N JCT CTH E, Buffalo, WI

Built 1962 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 596

CTH MM

Fair

Over: WOLF RIVER

0.9 M E CTH H, Chippewa, WI

Built 1962 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 440

LRD 220TH ST.

Fair

Over: STH 29

0.6M S JCT CTH X, Chippewa, WI

Built 1966 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,900

LRD 50TH AVE

Fair

Over: USH 53

2.8M W JCT STH 29, Chippewa, WI

Built 1969 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 400

STH 40 / MAIN ST

Fair

Over: DUNCAN CREEK

0.6M N JCT USH 53 TO N, Chippewa, WI

Built 1942 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 10,130

CTH O

Fair

Over: LITTLE DRYWOOD CREEK

0.7 M E 210TH STREET, Chippewa, WI

Built 1932 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,215

LRD BRIDGE RD

Fair

Over: BLACK RIVER

1.4M E JCT CTH O, Clark, WI

Built 1981 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 58

CTH V

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK INLET

0.3M E JCT STH 113, Columbia, WI

Built 1958 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,400

LRD GROTZKE RD

Fair

Over: IH USH 51-IH 39

0.4M W JCT CTH CX, Columbia, WI

Built 1966 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 220

STH 16

Fair

Over: N BR CRAWFISH RIVER

3.7M E JCT CTH B TO E, Columbia, WI

Built 1936 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 4,300

CTH C

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK

6.4M E JCT STH 35, Crawford, WI

Built 1953 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 503

STH 179

Fair

Over: OTTER CREEK

2.4M E JCT STH 27, Crawford, WI

Built 1967 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 560

STH 35 NB

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE WAY

1.1 MI N JCT LIMERY RD, Crawford, WI

Built 1938 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,900

LRD FORTON ST

Fair

Over: YAHARA RIVER

0.2M N JCT USH 51, Dane, WI

Built 1954 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 420

CTH J

Fair

Over: SUGAR RIVER

1.0M N JCT CTH PD, Dane, WI

Built 1958 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 528

STH 19-STH 113

Fair

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

0.7M E JCT STH 113 TO N, Dane, WI

Built 1960 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 14,300

CTH MM

Fair

Over: ROCK RIVER

2.7M E JCT CTH R, Dodge, WI

Built 1953 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 310

CTH J

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM RIVER

1.2M S JCT CTH KW, Dodge, WI

Built 1954 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 738

CTH C

Fair

Over: NEMADJI RIVER

0.4M E JCT STH 35, Douglas, WI

Built 1968 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,257

CTH Q

Fair

Over: BR TIFFANY CREEK

0.4M N JCT STH 170, Dunn, WI

Built 1960 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 426

CTH K

Fair

Over: EAU CLAIRE RIVER

0.7M N CTH SS, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1951 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,050

CTH F

Fair

Over: LOWES CREEK

0.4M S CTH S, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1956 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 3,485

LRD E ROBIN RD

Fair

Over: IH 94

0.1M W JCT CTH K, Eau Claire, WI

Built 1966 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 80

STH 133

Fair

Over: MORREY CREEK

0.5M N JCT STH 80 TO S, Iowa, WI

Built 1952 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,300

LRD CASTLE MOUND R

Fair

Over: IH 94

0.3M E JCT USH 12, Jackson, WI

Built 1968 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 110

STH 54

Fair

Over: TROUT RUN CREEK

6.4M E JCT CTH N, Jackson, WI

Built 1970 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,900

USH 12-STH 27

Fair

Over: COON CREEK

7.5M E JCT CTH M TO E, Jackson, WI

Built 1945 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,300

CTH CW

Fair

Over: ROCK RIVER

2.8M W JCT STH 67, Jefferson, WI

Built 1953 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,477

CTH N

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

4.8M W JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 290

LRD KEICHINGER RD

Fair

Over: IH 90-IH 94

0.3M N JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1964 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 290

LRD MCEWEN RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE LEMONWEIR RIVER

0.9M N JCT USH 12, Juneau, WI

Built 1963 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 44

CTH A

Fair

Over: KEWAUNEE RIVER

0.2M N JCT CTH K, Kewaunee, WI

Built 1954 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 910

CTH C

Fair

Over: KEWAUNEE RIVER

1.2M W JCT STH 29, Kewaunee, WI

Built 1970 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,433

CTH M

Fair

Over: BOSTWICK CREEK

0.3M N JCT CTH I, La Crosse, WI

Built 1952 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,100

CTH M

Fair

Over: MORMON CREEK

1.8M E JCT USH 14, La Crosse, WI

Built 1956 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 660

CTH B (10TH AVE)

Fair

Over: IH 90

0.3M S JCT CTH U, La Crosse, WI

Built 1968 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 330

CTH G

Fair

Over: PECATONICA RIVER

0.1M E JCT CTH C, Lafayette, WI

Built 1940 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 387

LRD STATE ST

Fair

Over: WISCONSIN RIVER 38

0.3M S JCT STH 64, Lincoln, WI

Built 1966 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 3,985

LRD ROCKVILLE RD

Fair

Over: SHEBOYGAN RIVER

0.5M E JCT STH 67, Manitowoc, WI

Built 1970 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 2,500

CTH M

Fair

Over: LITTLE EAU PLEINE RIVER

2.4M S JCT CTH C, Marathon, WI

Built 1961 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 1,720

USH 51 NB

Fair

Over: COUNTY LINE CREEK

5.6M N JCT CTH WW TO E, Marathon, WI

Built 1974 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 10,300

LRD SUGAR BUSH RD

Fair

Over: FREEMAN CREEK

1.2M E JCT CTH S, Marathon, WI

Built 1986 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 95

IH 41 NB/ IH 894 W

Fair

Over: CTH NN / W OKLAHOMA AVE

1.8 MI W JCT USH 45, Milwaukee, WI

Built 1963 Load: 19.4 t ADT: 68,500

Showing 351-400 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.