Historic Bridges in Colorado
857 bridges built before 1951 in Colorado still in service today.
Bridges Built Before 1951
The United States has 857 bridges in Colorado built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.
| Bridge | State | Condition | Year Built | Age (Years) | ADT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COTTONWOOD CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1887 | 139 | 6,580 |
| RIO GRANDE RIVER | Colorado | Poor | 1892 | 134 | 37 |
| EAST FORK EIGHT MILE CRK | Colorado | Poor | 1894 | 132 | 25 |
| FOREIGN TRADE ZONE BLVD | Colorado | Good | 1901 | 125 | 435 |
| Misc Drainage Basin | Colorado | Good | 1901 | 125 | 6,085 |
| Local Drainage | Colorado | Poor | 1901 | 125 | 309 |
| Capitol Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1901 | 125 | 2 |
| SHOOKS RUN | Colorado | Poor | 1902 | 124 | 18,034 |
| BESSEMER DITCH | Colorado | Fair | 1903 | 123 | 992 |
| TEXAS CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 1,800 |
| FOUNTAIN CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 1,195 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1906 | 120 | 2,325 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Poor | 1907 | 119 | 41 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Poor | 1908 | 118 | — |
| OAK CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1908 | 118 | 139 |
| ARKANSAS RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1910 | 116 | — |
| HUERFANO RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 13 |
| ROAD CANYON CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 18 |
| ANIMAS RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1910 | 116 | 28,000 |
| LARIMER CO CANAL | Colorado | Fair | 1911 | 115 | 7,900 |
| SOUTH PLATTE RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1911 | 115 | 42,000 |
| PIEDRA RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 927 |
| FOUNTAIN CREEK | Colorado | Poor | 1915 | 111 | 283 |
| SHOOKS RUN | Colorado | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 4,940 |
| SHOOKS RUN | Colorado | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 16,577 |
| ANDERSON ARROYO | Colorado | Fair | 1915 | 111 | 2,767 |
| COAL CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 2,092 |
| SOUTH CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 72 |
| SQUIRREL CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 137 |
| SOUTH CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 36 |
| GRANEROS CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 21 |
| SQUIRREL CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1916 | 110 | 49 |
| Middle Boulder Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1917 | 109 | 70 |
| Middle Boulder Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1917 | 109 | 66 |
| COTTONWOOD CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1917 | 109 | 21 |
| Greeley Loveland Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1917 | 109 | 1,010 |
| COAL CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1918 | 108 | 611 |
| COAL CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1918 | 108 | 548 |
| BIG CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1918 | 108 | 1,600 |
| APISHAPA RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1918 | 108 | 22 |
| EAST BIJOU CREEK | Colorado | Poor | 1919 | 107 | 14 |
| Larimer Co. Canal No. 2 | Colorado | Fair | 1920 | 106 | 12,947 |
| FURNESS ARROYO | Colorado | Fair | 1920 | 106 | 1 |
| Harmony No. 2 Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1920 | 106 | 2 |
| COAL CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1921 | 105 | 6,600 |
| HUERFANO RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1921 | 105 | 4,600 |
| Greeley Loveland Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1921 | 105 | 2,108 |
| Greeley Loveland Canal | Colorado | Poor | 1922 | 104 | 473 |
| Greeley Loveland Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1922 | 104 | 1,989 |
| Cottonwood Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1922 | 104 | — |
About Historic Bridge Data
Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.