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
SNI-A-BAR CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 330
BR OF SNI-A-BAR CR Missouri Good 1905 121 330
COTTER CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 513
EAST BR Missouri Poor 1905 121 45
HARRISON CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 50
SALT POND CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 35
DELAWARE CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 100
YELLOW CR Missouri Fair 1905 121 67
LITTLE PRICKLY PEAR 109 Montana Fair 1905 121 37
LIME CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 30
MITCHELL CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 15
CUB CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 5
STREAM Nebraska Poor 1905 121 10
WHISKEY RUN Nebraska Poor 1905 121 10
LOOKING GLASS CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 5
UNION CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 20
NORTH OMAHA CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 10
NORTH OMAHA CREEK Nebraska Poor 1905 121 10
SQUAM RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1905 121 3,488
WILDCAT BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1905 121 151
CONTOOCOOK RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1905 121 96
CONTOOCOOK RIVER New Hampshire Good 1905 121 1,804
STONY BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1905 121 2,883
HO-HO-KUS BROOK New Jersey Good 1905 121 4,438
PASSAIC RIVER New Jersey Poor 1905 121 29,431
BOBBYS RUN New Jersey Fair 1905 121 2,321
ATLANTIC CITY LINE New Jersey Poor 1905 121 288
Park Rd & Branch Brook New Jersey Fair 1905 121 19,357
Montclair-Boonton Line New Jersey Fair 1905 121 3,600
MORRISTOWN LINE M.P.8.22 New Jersey Fair 1905 121 12,640
Morristown Line MP 8.27 New Jersey Fair 1905 121 12,600
Morristown Line MP 8.57 New Jersey Fair 1905 121 20,520
Morristown Line MP 8.62 New Jersey Fair 1905 121 914
MORRISTOWN LINE MP 8.67 New Jersey Fair 1905 121 925
HOLLAND AVE (ABANDONED) New Jersey Fair 1905 121 775
WICKECHEOKE CREEK TRIB. New Jersey Fair 1905 121 427
CARNEGIE LAKE New Jersey Poor 1905 121 13,599
ROCKAWAY RIVER New Jersey Fair 1905 121 12,678
Morristown Line New Jersey Fair 1905 121 9,130
PASSAIC RIVER New Jersey Good 1905 121 25,617
WEASEL BROOK New Jersey Fair 1905 121 13,260
PETERS BROOK New Jersey Poor 1905 121 1,983
MorristownLine(MP 20.03) New Jersey Fair 1905 121 10,840
MORRISTOWN LINE MP 20.34 New Jersey Fair 1905 121 25,070
Morristown L (MP 20.51) New Jersey Fair 1905 121 11,650
PINE RIDGE BROOK New York Poor 1905 121 4
MOHAWK RIVER New York Fair 1905 121 234
SUNFISH RUN CREEK New York Fair 1905 121 16
BRONX RIVER New York Fair 1905 121 42,363
METRO NORTH RR New York Good 1905 121 22,926

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.