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
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 50
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 4,500
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 200
GIRTYS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 500
SACONY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 7,077
LITTLE SWATARA CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 83
BEAVERDAM BR.JUNIATA RIV Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 7,061
ADAMS HOLLOW CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 3,390
MORRIS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 100
BRANCH CHESTER CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 9,298
SCOTCH RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 70
MIDDLE SPRING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 11,499
LITTLE TOBY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 234
CROOKED CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 105
TONOLOWAY CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 20
AUGHWICK CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 211
RICHARDS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 116
RUNAWAY RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 50
WAMPUM RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 97
UPPER TUNKHANNOCK CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1911 115 842
KEPNER CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 9,486
P&W RR (SEPTA) Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 2,744
EAST BR. PERKIOMEN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 649
MARTINS CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 7,047
MARTINS CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 1,002
MARTINS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 1,002
MUD RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 150
LITTLE MARTINS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 350
HOKENDAUQUA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 150
MARTINS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 100
MONOCACY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 400
INDIAN SPRINGS Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 3,150
LITTLE SHAMOKIN CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 100
SUGAR CAMP RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1911 115 30
OPEN GROUND Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 76,859
CSX Pennsylvania Fair 1911 115 14,000
PEARL CK South Dakota Poor 1911 115 56
TOWN BRANCH Texas Fair 1911 115 13,717
SAN GABRIEL RIVER Texas Fair 1911 115 74
IH30 & Trinity River RR Texas Fair 1911 115 6,304
TURTLE CREEK Texas Fair 1911 115 6,759
CONNECTICUT RIVER Vermont Fair 1911 115 658
TYLER BRANCH Vermont Poor 1911 115 70
OTTAUQUECHEE RIVER Vermont Poor 1911 115 8,900
NS RAILWAY Virginia Fair 1911 115 849
CITY WATERWAY CS2749 Washington Fair 1911 115 3,100
PUYALLUP WATERWAY RR Washington Poor 1911 115 2,400
CHINA CREEK Washington Fair 1911 115 8,788
SPOKANE RIVER Washington Fair 1911 115 18,453
LATAH CREEK Washington Good 1911 115 182

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.