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
DRY FK CR Missouri Good 1911 115 35
CEDAR CR Missouri Poor 1911 115 45
LOST CR Missouri Fair 1911 115 60
MADDOX BR Missouri Fair 1911 115 25
TRIB TO SANDY CR Missouri Fair 1911 115 150
SNAKE CREEK 048 Montana Fair 1911 115 100
SWAN RIVER 110 Montana Poor 1911 115 1,503
RATTLESNAKE CREEK 002 Montana Good 1911 115 2,157
CEDAR CREEK TRIB Nebraska Poor 1911 115 10
CEDAR CREEK Nebraska Fair 1911 115 25
MUD CREEK Nebraska Poor 1911 115 25
DAILY BRANCH Nebraska Poor 1911 115 10
HOOKER CREEK Nebraska Poor 1911 115 10
STREAM Nebraska Poor 1911 115 5
LITTLE BLUE RIVER Nebraska Poor 1911 115 40
N FK LITTLE NEMAHA RIVER Nebraska Poor 1911 115 15
WILSON CREEK Nebraska Poor 1911 115 25
WILLOW CREEK Nebraska Fair 1911 115 20
WILLOW CREEK Nebraska Poor 1911 115 55
CONNECTICUT RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1911 115 642
NYS & W RAILROAD New Jersey Fair 1911 115 25,364
MAHWAH RIVER New Jersey Good 1911 115 13,185
ROBINSVILLE SECONDARY New Jersey Poor 1911 115 5,443
Montclair-Boonton Line New Jersey Fair 1911 115 16,200
FAIRY LAKE AND FOOTPATH New Jersey Good 1911 115 3,120
DAVIS AVENUE New Jersey Fair 1911 115 3,120
Assunpink Creek New Jersey Fair 1911 115 4,950
AMTRAK NE CORRIDOR New Jersey Poor 1911 115 9,247
AMTRAK NE CORRIDOR New Jersey Poor 1911 115 2,114
WEASEL BROOK New Jersey Fair 1911 115 16,855
GREEN BROOK New Jersey Fair 1911 115 1,777
ABAND. CONRAIL MP. 57.81 New Jersey Fair 1911 115 777
FORM ELIZABETH IND TRACK New Jersey Fair 1911 115 2,990
FORMER STRANTON BRANCH New Jersey Fair 1911 115 3
Former Scranton Br New Jersey Fair 1911 115 26
FORMER SCRANTON BRANCH New Jersey Fair 1911 115 738
FORMER SCRANTON BRNCH New Jersey Fair 1911 115 50
PAJARITO ARROYO New Mexico Fair 1911 115 2,136
ARROYO HERMANOS New Mexico Fair 1911 115 1,548
ACCESS TO RT9A100 New York Fair 1911 115 7,496
ESOPUS CREEK New York Poor 1911 115 1,393
MAINT FACILITY New York Fair 1911 115 3,343
PLUMB BROOK New York Fair 1911 115 14
SPILLWAY CHANNEL New York Fair 1911 115 190
TROWBRIDGE CREEK New York Fair 1911 115 42
AMTRAK & LIRRYARD New York Good 1911 115 13,815
SAW MILL RIVER New York Fair 1911 115 4,697
LIRR PT JEFF BRCH New York Fair 1911 115 7,145
FISHKILL CREEK New York Fair 1911 115 4,504
FALL KILL CREEK New York Fair 1911 115 1,431

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.