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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Name Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 346 |
| S.FORK REPUBLICAN RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 26 |
| UNNAMED DRAINAGE | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 33 |
| SMOKY HILL RIVER | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 10 |
| SALT CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 24 |
| CHINA CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 161 |
| TRINCHERA CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 29 |
| UNNAMED NATURAL DRAINAGE | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 44 |
| TREMENTINA CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 25 |
| PATTON ARROYO | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 18 |
| ADOBE CREEK | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 69 |
| MUSTANG CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 2 |
| N FORK MUSTANG CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 2 |
| LAKEWOOD GULCH | W 9TH A | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 9,987 |
| N. Sterling Inlet Canal | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 73 |
| N. Sterling Inlet Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 61 |
| N. Sterling Outlet Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 3 |
| N. Sterling Outlet Canal | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 6 |
| N. Sterling Outlet Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | — |
| Spring Canyon Creek | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 126 |
| Frenchman Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 23 |
| Trib.N.Fork Frenchman Ck | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 65 |
| Laramie River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 95 |
| Larimer County Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 221 |
| Big Thompson River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 3,417 |
| North Poudre Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 6,105 |
| DRAW | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 740 |
| Fort Morgan Canal | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 801 |
| Lower Platte Beaver Cnl | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 40 |
| White River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 278 |
| Slater Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 179 |
| Yampa River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 79 |
| Fortification Creek | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 342 |
| MISSOURI CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 890 |
| MAITLAND ARROYO | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 890 |
| RIO SAN ANTONIO | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 530 |
| ALKALI CREEK | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 180 |
| HOLLY SEEP | Colorado | Poor | 1940 | 86 | 519 |
| BESSEMER DITCH | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 6,100 |
| RIO GRANDE CANAL | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 62 |
| FARMERS UNION CANAL | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 60 |
| White River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 184 |
| Hewes Ditch | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 51 |
| Arikaree River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 13 |
| S. Fork Republican River | Colorado | Fair | 1940 | 86 | 68 |
| EATON DITCH | Colorado | Poor | 1941 | 85 | 2,400 |
| PAWNEE CREEK OVERFLOW | Colorado | Good | 1941 | 85 | 3,700 |
| STERLING CANAL NO 1 | Colorado | Poor | 1941 | 85 | 2,150 |
| LWR PLATTE BEAVER CANAL | Colorado | Fair | 1941 | 85 | 1,400 |
| PREWITT RES INTAKE CANAL | Colorado | Fair | 1941 | 85 | 1,100 |
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.