Historic Bridges

94,381 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 94,381 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
COOKS CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1873 153 100
W BR SUSQUEHANNA RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1873 153 135
LITTLE CONESTOGA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1873 153 500
MISS RIV/RR/MSS6000 Illinois Fair 1874 152 6,550
DRY RUN Indiana Fair 1874 152 140
WATER SUDBURY RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1874 152 10,086
RR BMRR SPUR Massachusetts Fair 1874 152 2,000
1ST ST UNDERPASS METR Missouri Fair 1874 152 2,000
SPARKILL CREEK New York Poor 1874 152 724
BATTEN KILL New York Fair 1874 152 180
GRAND RIVER Ohio Fair 1874 152 148
WHETSTONE Ohio Poor 1874 152 197
BRUSH CREEK Ohio Good 1874 152 209
DURELL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1874 152 50
CABIN RUN (COVERED BRDG) Pennsylvania Fair 1874 152 597
EAST BR. PERKIOMEN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1874 152 1,592
TROUT/MASCHELLAMAC CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1874 152 17,059
W BR NESHAMINY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1874 152 8,535
SCHWABEN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1874 152 25
SHORT CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1874 152 112
1ST BRANCH WHITE R. Vermont Fair 1874 152 100
BIG BAYOU Indiana Poor 1875 151
BRUSH CREEK Indiana Fair 1875 151 350
WATER SHAWSHEEN RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 18,225
WATER CHARLES RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 19,500
WATER MILL RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 7,878
WATER MILL RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 20,100
WATER NEPONSET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 16,785
WATER NEPONSET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 2,327
WATER SALISBURY PLAIN R Massachusetts Fair 1875 151 9,100
RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1875 151 13,656
WALLKILL RIVER New Jersey Fair 1875 151 6,520
RAHWAY RIVER New Jersey Poor 1875 151 25,292
TROUT BROOK New Jersey Fair 1875 151 72
MUSCONETCONG RIVER New Jersey Fair 1875 151 831
BEAVER BROOK New Jersey Fair 1875 151 307
POESTEN KILL New York Fair 1875 151 6,680
POESTEN KILL New York Poor 1875 151 13,429
SPRUCE CREEK New York Fair 1875 151 66
KENNYETTO CREEK New York Good 1875 151 1,849
EAGLE CREEK Ohio Poor 1875 151 104
OLD WATERWORKS COAL ROOM Ohio Fair 1875 151 5,915
PINEY FORK Ohio Good 1875 151 209
SANTOY CREEK Ohio Fair 1875 151 209
PINE RUN Pennsylvania Good 1875 151 5,128
PENNSYLVANIA CANAL Pennsylvania Good 1875 151 200
PIDCOCK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1875 151 150
MILL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1875 151 201
BIG ELK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1875 151 188
ROARING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1875 151 50

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
Virgin Islands 5 1904 112 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.