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
LICK RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 60
CURRY RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 15
CATAWISSA CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 10
MUGSER RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 50
ROARING CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 50
N. BR BRIAR CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 100
OVER MUDDY CREEK BRANCH Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 239
OVER LITTLE SUGAR CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 250
OVER COULTER RUN Pennsylvania Good 1905 121 250
DARBY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 7,453
GEORGE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 2,750
GEORGE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 2,750
BROWN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 10
DUNLAP CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 50
MILL RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 400
MILL CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1905 121 50
BEAVER RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 3,051
WEST BRANCH TUNUNGWANT C Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 7,876
French Creek Branch Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 20
SEPTA Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 29,145
INDIAN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 1,173
PERKIOMEN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 250
LEHIGH RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 100
OVER SHAMOKIN CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1905 121 3,836
OVER SHAMOKIN CR. Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 3,611
BIXLER RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 50
PENNS CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 239
SALT LICK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 384
ZIMMERMAN CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1905 121 183
JOHNSON CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 300
OVER PITHOLE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 87
EAST BRANCH SUGAR CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 100
EAST SANDY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 50
BUCK RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 30
BIG BROOK Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 40
WEST BR LACKAWAXEN RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1905 121 25
ABAND RR; TRIB.BEE TREE Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 461
CSX;SHARED ASSET(BELMAR) Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 22,619
AMTRAK-PA CENTRAL RR Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 22,619
CONRAIL:RICHMOND BRANCH Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 16,316
CSX-N Y SHORT LINE Pennsylvania Good 1905 121 21,402
CSX RAILROAD Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 25,141
CSX N.Y.SHORT LINE Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 20,255
SEPTA Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 5,500
Branch of Poquessing Crk Pennsylvania Fair 1905 121 300
CHOTEAU CREAK South Dakota Poor 1905 121 50
EMANUEL CREEK South Dakota Poor 1905 121 20
PRAIRIE CREEK South Dakota Poor 1905 121 60
CK South Dakota Fair 1905 121 56
BRANCH Tennessee Fair 1905 121 14,283

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.