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
WOLF CR Missouri Poor 1912 114 15
FITZHUGH BR Missouri Good 1912 114 60
BR OF HILLERS CR Missouri Fair 1912 114 75
DRY FORK CR Missouri Poor 1912 114 20
DITCH Missouri Fair 1912 114 15
BR OF CEDAR CR Missouri Poor 1912 114 15
FINLEY RVR Missouri Poor 1912 114 300
MADDOX BR Missouri Fair 1912 114 25
BNSF RR Missouri Poor 1912 114 417
BR OF PRAIRIE FK Missouri Fair 1912 114 30
HOGAN FK Missouri Poor 1912 114 167
HUNT BR Missouri Fair 1912 114 100
SPRING CREEK 019 Montana Fair 1912 114 47
WARM SPRINGS CREEK 016 Montana Poor 1912 114 100
KOOTENAI RIVER 070 Montana Fair 1912 114 100
FLATHEAD CREEK 020 Montana Fair 1912 114 100
WEST BOULDER RIVER 025 Montana Poor 1912 114 100
CEDAR RIVER Nebraska Fair 1912 114 115
PLUM CREEK Nebraska Poor 1912 114 50
PRAIRIE CREEK Nebraska Poor 1912 114 40
WOOD RIVER Nebraska Fair 1912 114 50
NIOBRARA RIVER Nebraska Poor 1912 114 35
MUD CREEK Nebraska Poor 1912 114 50
ELKHORN RIVER Nebraska Poor 1912 114 250
CONNECTICUT RIVER New Hampshire Fair 1912 114 180
LAMPREY RIVER New Hampshire Good 1912 114 1,378
CRYSTAL LAKE SPILLWAY New Jersey Good 1912 114 607
NORTH BR PENNSAUKEN CK New Jersey Poor 1912 114 11,669
BARKERS BROOK New Jersey Poor 1912 114 8,244
Montclair Boonton Line New Jersey Fair 1912 114 10,800
OLDMANS CREEK New Jersey Poor 1912 114 904
S BR ROCKAWAY CREEK New Jersey Good 1912 114 36,773
MOORES CREEK New Jersey Fair 1912 114 11,227
SAYREVILLE SECONDARY New Jersey Fair 1912 114 13,614
PEQUEST RIVER New Jersey Good 1912 114 5,418
FORMER SCRANTON BRANCH New Jersey Fair 1912 114 907
FORMER SCRANTON BRANCH New Jersey Fair 1912 114 907
LA MANTECA ARROYO New Mexico Fair 1912 114 205
UNKNOWN STREAM New York Fair 1912 114 947
ASHOKAN SPILLWAY New York Fair 1912 114 450
KINDERHOOK CREEK New York Poor 1912 114 16
OWASCO OUTLET New York Good 1912 114 7,107
BUILDING New York Poor 1912 114 10,973
UNIVERSAL METAL BUILDING New York Poor 1912 114 6,987
MNRR Yard Tracks New York Good 1912 114 11,343
EX-NYCRR PUTNAM B New York Fair 1912 114 19,886
ABANDONED NYCRR New York Fair 1912 114 6,676
NY & Atlantic/L NYCTA S New York Fair 1912 114 11,475
NY & Atlantic/L NYCTA S New York Good 1912 114 9,168
LIRR PORT WASH BR New York Good 1912 114 8,543

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.