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
S. BR. PENNSAUKEN CREEK New Jersey Fair 1909 117 10,139
CONRAIL(ABANDONED) New Jersey Poor 1909 117 8,450
CEDAR CREEK New Jersey Fair 1909 117 12
GALLINAS RIVER New Mexico Fair 1909 117 6,684
RTE I895 BRONX RIVER A New York Poor 1909 117 11,653
SUGAR RIVER New York Fair 1909 117 1
278IX FDR DRIVE CHERRY New York Fair 1909 117
278IX FDR DRIVE CHERRY New York Fair 1909 117 43,477
21ST STREET 22ND STREET New York Fair 1909 117 108,144
25 25 04011004 New York Good 1909 117 86,098
25 X FIRST AVENUE New York Fair 1909 117 86,098
25 X FIRST AVENUE New York Good 1909 117 86,098
NYC GARAGE New York Fair 1909 117 86,098
RTE I278 CSX TRANS/P MR New York Fair 1909 117 43,954
EAST 175TH STREET New York Fair 1909 117 27,900
N Y & ATLANTIC/LI New York Fair 1909 117 5,099
N Y & ATLANTIC/LI New York Good 1909 117 10,633
N Y & ATLANTIC/LI NYCTA New York Fair 1909 117 8,912
Rd under Span 3 NY & AT New York Good 1909 117 4,817
N Y & ATLANTIC/LI NYCTA New York Fair 1909 117 5,046
LIRR MAIN LINE New York Fair 1909 117 7,453
LIRR MAIN LINE New York Fair 1909 117 2,248
LIRR MAIN LINE New York Fair 1909 117
CSXT New York Fair 1909 117 7,867
CSXT/CN/D&H New York Fair 1909 117 965
CSXT/CN/D&H New York Good 1909 117 887
RR STA ACCESS RD METRO New York Poor 1909 117 2,064
ROELIFF JANSEN KILL New York Good 1909 117
MILL CREEK New York Fair 1909 117 3
LITTLE CHAZY RIVER New York Fair 1909 117 1,098
NORWALK RESERVOIR New York Good 1909 117 192
MNRR NH LINE New York Good 1909 117 17,209
HUDSON RIVER & CANAL New York Poor 1909 117 12,161
NYS BARGE CANAL New York Good 1909 117 16,539
ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1909 117 680
Erie Canal Heritage Trai New York Fair 1909 117 2,654
Erie Canal Bike Path ER New York Poor 1909 117 910
Erie Canal Trail ERIE C New York Poor 1909 117 89
Erie Canal Bike Path ER New York Poor 1909 117 217
Erie Canal Heritage Trai New York Poor 1909 117 63
Canalway Trail ERIE CAN New York Fair 1909 117 915
ERIE CANAL EMPIRE STATE New York Fair 1909 117 1,670
SCHOHARIE CREEK New York Good 1909 117 5,349
190IX BLACK ROCK CANAL New York Fair 1909 117 1,063
CASWELL BRANCH North Carolina Fair 1909 117 200
MOUSE RIVER North Dakota Poor 1909 117 25
PARK RIVER North Dakota Poor 1909 117 30
AUGLAIZE RIVER HAY RD Ohio Good 1909 117 175
CONNEAUT CREEK Ohio Poor 1909 117 600
LITTLE BEAVER CREEK Ohio Fair 1909 117 324

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.