Historic Bridges

94,376 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,376 bridges 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
LITTLE EAGLE CREEK Indiana Fair 1902 124 634
SQUIRREL CREEK Indiana Fair 1902 124 100
EBENEZER Creek Indiana Fair 1902 124 103
BR S FK PATOKA RIVER Indiana Fair 1902 124 7
BOONE RIVER Iowa Poor 1902 124 62
BEERS CREEK Iowa Poor 1902 124 20
BIG CREEK Kansas Fair 1902 124 30
SIX MILE CREEK Kansas Fair 1902 124 140
PENOBSCOT RIVER OVERFLOW Maine Poor 1902 124 177
PENOBSCOT RIVER OVERFLOW Maine Poor 1902 124 158
EAST MACHIAS RIVER Maine Fair 1902 124 2,979
COMB AMTRAK & RED LINE Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 33,800
RR MBTA Massachusetts Poor 1902 124 41,250
WATER E BR HOUSATONIC R Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 5,850
WATER MATFIELD RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 4,137
RR MBTA/BMRR Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 3,900
RR MBTA/BMRR Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 1,160
WATER ASSABET RIVER Massachusetts Poor 1902 124 4,400
WATER ASSABET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 5,400
WATER WESTON RESERVOIR Massachusetts Fair 1902 124 1,810
MINNEHAHA CREEK Minnesota Fair 1902 124 7,100
MINNEHAHA CREEK Minnesota Fair 1902 124 3,000
BNSF RR Missouri Poor 1902 124 150
WATKINS CR Missouri Fair 1902 124 11
COLE CAMP CR Missouri Poor 1902 124 80
MADISON RIVER 046 Montana Fair 1902 124 100
TRUCKEE RVR Nevada Fair 1902 124 134
SADDLE RIVER New Jersey Fair 1902 124 9,984
MASONICUS BROOK New Jersey Fair 1902 124 10,822
E. Tib. Overpeck Creek New Jersey Poor 1902 124 7,478
MORRISTOWN LINE(MP 8.88) New Jersey Fair 1902 124 3,810
MULHOCKAWAY CREEK New Jersey Good 1902 124 593
S. BRANCH RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1902 124 1,083
S. BRANCH RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1902 124 1,083
BRANCH OF PAULINS KILL New Jersey Fair 1902 124 181
PEQUEST RIVER New Jersey Fair 1902 124 118
PEQUEST RIVER New Jersey Fair 1902 124 1,151
BEAVER BROOK New Jersey Fair 1902 124 598
TUSCARORA CREEK New York Poor 1902 124 9
HUNKINS MARSH New York Poor 1902 124 68
SCHENEVUS CREEK New York Poor 1902 124 61
SAW MILL RIVER New York Poor 1902 124 2,690
OTSELIC RIVER New York Fair 1902 124 264
CHARLOTTE CREEK New York Poor 1902 124 80
SOURIS RIVER North Dakota Poor 1902 124 25
MOUSE RIVER North Dakota Poor 1902 124 5
GRASSY FORK Ohio Good 1902 124 351
BULLSKIN CREEK Ohio Good 1902 124 477
EUCLID CREEK Ohio Fair 1902 124 22,823
SYMMES CR Ohio Fair 1902 124 324

Historic Bridges by State

States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.

StateHistoric BridgesOldest YearAvg Age
Texas 8,191 1900 89 yrs
Pennsylvania 6,062 1697 99 yrs
Kansas 5,656 1870 93 yrs
Oklahoma 5,554 1900 89 yrs
Missouri 4,522 1874 96 yrs
California 4,414 1860 91 yrs
New York 3,831 1800 96 yrs
Ohio 3,386 1828 101 yrs
Nebraska 3,270 1888 91 yrs
Illinois 3,065 1863 99 yrs
Iowa 3,036 1876 98 yrs
Tennessee 2,857 1841 89 yrs
Alabama 2,703 1800 90 yrs
Indiana 2,682 1838 98 yrs
Virginia 2,504 1820 92 yrs
Kentucky 2,241 1835 89 yrs
Arkansas 1,932 1860 89 yrs
Georgia 1,832 1872 88 yrs
New Jersey 1,814 1792 99 yrs
Michigan 1,528 1867 94 yrs
Massachusetts 1,481 1764 107 yrs
Wisconsin 1,333 1887 92 yrs
South Carolina 1,282 1910 89 yrs
West Virginia 1,245 1817 96 yrs
North Carolina 1,203 1900 89 yrs
Arizona 1,189 1900 90 yrs
Washington 1,188 1900 92 yrs
South Dakota 1,118 1900 92 yrs
Minnesota 1,035 1884 94 yrs
Vermont 987 1824 99 yrs
Maryland 968 1809 99 yrs
Mississippi 908 1900 87 yrs
Connecticut 860 1832 96 yrs
Colorado 857 1887 89 yrs
Oregon 790 1899 92 yrs
New Mexico 719 1908 87 yrs
New Hampshire 716 1832 97 yrs
Florida 707 1900 87 yrs
North Dakota 685 1885 91 yrs
Montana 662 1881 90 yrs
Maine 630 1854 92 yrs
Louisiana 614 1908 87 yrs
Puerto Rico 463 1842 95 yrs
Hawaii 386 1900 95 yrs
Idaho 354 1908 90 yrs
Utah 217 1905 88 yrs
Wyoming 191 1908 88 yrs
Rhode Island 179 1810 107 yrs
Delaware 122 1839 99 yrs
Nevada 89 1900 89 yrs
District of Columbia 81 1831 94 yrs
Alaska 37 1910 86 yrs

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.