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
FORMER SCRANTON BRNCH NS New Jersey Fair 1910 116 535
Washington Scndry (N&S) New Jersey Poor 1910 116 9,013
MURDER CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 5,796
YALEVILLE BROOK New York Fair 1910 116 2,965
PEARL CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 1,436
RYE LAKE OUTLET New York Fair 1910 116 12,022
Tributary Cross River New York Fair 1910 116 14,386
STERLING CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 1,324
CSXT/CN & D&H New York Fair 1910 116 17,355
WEST SHORE AVENUE CSXT New York Good 1910 116 19,897
COXSACKIE CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 376
POTIC CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 450
SUNKAUISSIA CRK New York Fair 1910 116 110
SUNKAUISSIA CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 110
N BR MOOSE RIVER New York Good 1910 116 40
M BR TIOUGHNIOGA CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 64
MOHAWK RIVER New York Fair 1910 116 841
CANISTEO RIVER New York Fair 1910 116 68
E BR CROTON RIVER New York Fair 1910 116 313
MNRR HA LINE New York Good 1910 116 6,421
OCQUIONIS CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 417
OCQUIONIS CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 108
MANOR KILL CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 19
WEST CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 300
908FX RAPID TRANSIT New York Fair 1910 116 7,488
DUTCH KILLS CREEK New York Good 1910 116 5,422
METRO NO COMMUTER New York Fair 1910 116
BEDFORD PARK BLVD New York Fair 1910 116 22,870
BRIDLE PATH New York Fair 1910 116 5,500
Metro Transit Aut LIRR- New York Good 1910 116 37,781
SUNNYSIDE YARD New York Good 1910 116 1
AMTRAK/LIRR COACH YARD New York Good 1910 116 13,815
COOLEY KILL New York Fair 1910 116 2,328
UPPER CASCADE LK New York Fair 1910 116
MIRROR LAKE New York Fair 1910 116 253
METRO NO COMMUTER HASTI New York Fair 1910 116 1,612
HEATHCOTE BYPASS New York Fair 1910 116 8,895
FALL CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 379
FELTS MILLS CREEK New York Good 1910 116 119
BOQUET RIVER New York Poor 1910 116 79
SPRUCE MILL BROOK New York Poor 1910 116 154
ROARING BRANCH New York Poor 1910 116
CRUM CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 15
IRISH CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 334
YANTY CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 51
ELTON CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 303
SANDY CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 7
INDIAN RIVER New York Good 1910 116 144
ALDER CREEK New York Fair 1910 116 4
WOODBURY CREEK New York Poor 1910 116 33

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.