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
LIRR- ARCH ST YARD New York Fair 1908 118 7,923
LONG ISLAND RR AMTRAK New York Poor 1908 118 11,628
AMTRAK YARD LONG ISLAN New York Fair 1908 118 32,619
WEST 155TH STREET New York Fair 1908 118 12,338
AMTRAK New York Fair 1908 118 839
MILL CREEK New York Fair 1908 118 20
MIDDLE BRANCH CROTON RIV New York Fair 1908 118 2,230
W BRANCH CROTON RIVER New York Fair 1908 118 1,734
W BRANCH CROTON RIVER New York Fair 1908 118 7,593
CROTON RIVER New York Fair 1908 118 8,119
HALFWAY BROOK New York Fair 1908 118 33
ERIE BARGE CANAL New York Poor 1908 118 36
ERIE CANAL CUT New York Poor 1908 118 227
Erie Canalway Trail ERI New York Fair 1908 118 721
Canalway Trail ERIE CAN New York Fair 1908 118 1,053
POPOLOPEN BROOK New York Poor 1908 118 10
JAMES RIVER North Dakota Poor 1908 118 18
OHIO BRUSH CREEK Ohio Good 1908 118 251
W & LE RR Ohio Poor 1908 118 2,553
B&O RAILROAD - CLOSED Ohio Poor 1908 118 500
HOCKING RIVER(ETY ROAD) Ohio Fair 1908 118 3,425
T WALNUT CR (C.R. 20) Ohio Good 1908 118 1,710
Banklick Creek Tributary Ohio Good 1908 118 2,227
S FORK TAYLORS CREEK Ohio Good 1908 118 3,193
CREEK Ohio Fair 1908 118 2,952
LITTLE MONDAY CREEK Ohio Fair 1908 118 82
MAD RIVER Ohio Good 1908 118 438
CHEROKEE RUN Ohio Fair 1908 118 967
FLAT BRANCH Ohio Fair 1908 118 567
MOXAHALA CREEK Ohio Poor 1908 118 1,666
NORTH FORK PAINT CREEK Ohio Poor 1908 118 148
INDIAN TRAIL CREEK Ohio Poor 1908 118 846
LITTLE STILLWATER CREEK Ohio Fair 1908 118 2,453
BEAR CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1908 118 100
Hwy 2 & UPRR Oregon Fair 1908 118 35,800
B-27 OVER UPRR Oregon Fair 1908 118 6,578
UPRR & Hwy 002 Oregon Fair 1908 118 31,889
PAT AIRPORT BUSWAY Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 12,700
SCHENLEY PARK STREAM Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 50
SCHENLEY PARK STREAM Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 50
MONOCACY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1908 118 1,254
MONOCACY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 671
BR. OF PERKIOMEN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1908 118 1,255
FURNACE CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1908 118 112
CLOVER CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1908 118 667
CLOVER CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 218
TOWANDA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 150
RIDGE VALLEY CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1908 118 4,451
LITTLE YELLOW CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1908 118 200
HALF MOON CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1908 118 467

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.