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
WAWAYANDA CREEK New York Good 1910 116 484
MAHWAH RIVER New York Fair 1910 116 2,119
MAMARONECK RIVER New York Fair 1910 116 7,311
WYLIE BROOK New York Fair 1910 116 39
Maintenance Access Acce New York Fair 1910 116 2,218
CHAMPLAIN CANAL New York Fair 1910 116 50
ERIE BARGE CANAL New York Poor 1910 116 19
NYS Canal Trail ERIE BA New York Fair 1910 116 253
BARGE CANAL New York Poor 1910 116
Erie Canal Bike Path ER New York Fair 1910 116 760
ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1910 116 1,067
ERIE CANAL New York Fair 1910 116 1,618
ERIE CANAL SOUTH TRAIL New York Fair 1910 116 570
MNRR HU LINE New York Fair 1910 116 594
CRUM ELBOW CREEK New York Good 1910 116 11
IRISH BUFFALO CREEK North Carolina Fair 1910 116 10,500
PLOTT CREEK North Carolina Fair 1910 116 3,600
S. PRONG TERRYS CREEK North Carolina Poor 1910 116 1,400
JAMES RIVER North Dakota Fair 1910 116 85
JAMES RIVER North Dakota Fair 1910 116 20
JAMES RIVER North Dakota Poor 1910 116 50
SHEYENNE RIVER North Dakota Poor 1910 116 5
HEART RIVER North Dakota Fair 1910 116 50
TURTLE RIVER North Dakota Poor 1910 116 5
BRUSH CREEK CREEK Ohio Poor 1910 116 44
SUNDAY CREEK Ohio Fair 1910 116 100
TRAIL RUN Ohio Poor 1910 116 200
W FORK OHIO BRUSH CREEK Ohio Good 1910 116 797
C.I. & W. RR Ohio Poor 1910 116 750
ELKHORN CR PSHEPHERD Ohio Fair 1910 116 34
BIG SANDY BR RRARCH BN35 Ohio Poor 1910 116 209
INDIAN CREEK Ohio Fair 1910 116 169
BRANCH OF ANDERSON CREEK Ohio Good 1910 116 522
BLACKSNAKE CREEK Ohio Good 1910 116 351
HANNA DITCH Ohio Good 1910 116 624
MUDDY CREEK Ohio Good 1910 116 281
SPAIN CREEK Ohio Good 1910 116 200
GUEST RUN Ohio Good 1910 116 564
GAYNOR Ohio Good 1910 116 983
PLEASANT RUN Ohio Poor 1910 116 150
CSX RR WEST OF WALKER AV Ohio Fair 1910 116 11,723
CHAGRIN RIVER Ohio Poor 1910 116 3,813
(O) Railroad Ohio Good 1910 116 10,972
TEN MILE CREEK Ohio Poor 1910 116 100
MASSIES CREEK Ohio Good 1910 116 599
STREAM SALT FORK Ohio Poor 1910 116 60
SOGGY RUN Ohio Fair 1910 116 96
Brierly Creek Branch Ohio Poor 1910 116 1,158
West Fork Mill Creek Ohio Fair 1910 116 6,941
TRIB OHIO RIVER Ohio Fair 1910 116 3,338

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.