Historic Bridges in North Dakota

685 bridges built before 1951 in North Dakota still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 685 bridges in North Dakota 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.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
DRAIN DITCH North Dakota Fair 1950 76 10
AUGER COULEE North Dakota Poor 1950 76 5
CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 10
DRAIN DITCH North Dakota Poor 1950 76 24
DRAIN DITCH North Dakota Fair 1950 76 24
BR. OF WILD RICE RIVER North Dakota Poor 1950 76 10
CREEK North Dakota Fair 1950 76 503
MAPLE RIVER North Dakota Fair 1950 76 34
PIPESTEM CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 26
NORTH BRANCH GOOSE RIVER North Dakota Poor 1950 76 10
CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 65
NORTH BRANCH ELM RIVER North Dakota Poor 1950 76 20
BUFFALO COULEE North Dakota Fair 1950 76 20
BUFFALO COULEE North Dakota Poor 1950 76 20
CREEK North Dakota Fair 1950 76 2
CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 10
CREEK North Dakota Fair 1950 76 5
CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 26
CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 27
DITCH North Dakota Fair 1950 76 24
DRAIN DITCH North Dakota Fair 1950 76 26
JAMES RIVER North Dakota Poor 1950 76 10
MOUSE RIVER North Dakota Fair 1950 76 4,469
CREEK North Dakota Good 1950 76 9,900
BRANCH OF BEAVER CREEK North Dakota Fair 1950 76 510
LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER North Dakota Fair 1950 76 580
JAMES RIVER North Dakota Fair 1950 76 1,350
CREEK North Dakota Fair 1950 76 950
TIMBER COULEE North Dakota Fair 1950 76 2,960
DES LACS RIVER North Dakota Fair 1950 76 25
DRAINAGE DITCH North Dakota Good 1950 76 1,950
DRAINAGE DITCH North Dakota Fair 1950 76 1,950
B N R R SEP OH North Dakota Fair 1950 76 790
KNIFE RIVER North Dakota Fair 1950 76 790
BRANCH OF RAYMOND CREEK North Dakota Poor 1950 76 780

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.