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
BOQUET RIVER New York Poor 1911 115 12
THIRTEENTH BROOK New York Fair 1911 115 3
SEVENTH LAKE OUTLET New York Fair 1911 115 111
S BR 18 MILE CRK New York Poor 1911 115 363
MULLET CREEK New York Good 1911 115 365
BRONX RIVER New York Fair 1911 115 6,421
BRONX RIVER New York Fair 1911 115 5,028
CHAMPLAIN CANAL New York Fair 1911 115 325
CHAMPLAIN CANAL New York Poor 1911 115 52
CHAMPLAIN CANAL New York Poor 1911 115 603
OLD CHAMPLAIN CANAL New York Fair 1911 115
ERIE BARGE CANAL New York Poor 1911 115
ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1911 115 1,630
Erie Canal Tow Path Trai New York Good 1911 115 421
ERIE CANAL New York Poor 1911 115 519
Erie Canal Heritage Trai New York Good 1911 115 359
Erie Canalway Trail ERI New York Poor 1911 115 136
Erie Canal Trailway ERI New York Poor 1911 115 63
Erie Canal Heritage Trai New York Good 1911 115 246
Erie Canal Heritage Trai New York Good 1911 115 260
ERIE CANAL New York Good 1911 115 1,269
Erie Canalway Trail ERI New York Poor 1911 115 55
ERIE CANAL SOUTH TRAIL New York Poor 1911 115
CSX LEASED AMTRAK New York Poor 1911 115
THREE MILE BRANCH North Carolina Fair 1911 115 1,200
S.C.L. RR North Carolina Poor 1911 115 400
INDIANA & OHIO CENTRAL R Ohio Good 1911 115 11,414
LITTLE RUN Ohio Good 1911 115 91
WHEELING & LAKE ERIE RR Ohio Fair 1911 115 5,545
WEST BR EUCLID CREEK Ohio Good 1911 115 4,921
CONRAIL RR Ohio Fair 1911 115 6,702
PADDYS RUN CREEK Ohio Good 1911 115 1,021
SALT RUN Ohio Fair 1911 115 59
PLUM CREEK NICHOLS RD. Ohio Fair 1911 115 624
BANNISTER DITCH REED Ohio Fair 1911 115 351
BIG RUN Ohio Poor 1911 115 172
HERRODS CREEK Ohio Poor 1911 115 66
PURCELL CREEK BR. Oklahoma Poor 1911 115 100
GENTRY CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1911 115 100
WAGON CREEK Oklahoma Fair 1911 115 100
CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1911 115 50
CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1911 115 100
TIMBER LAKE CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1911 115 100
CREEK Oklahoma Fair 1911 115 100
CREEK Oklahoma Fair 1911 115 100
DEEP FORK CREEK Oklahoma Poor 1911 115 1,400
NICE CREEK Oregon Poor 1911 115 732
ASHLAND CREEK Oregon Fair 1911 115 9,979
CONEWAGO CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 100
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 2,500

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.