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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUAKAKE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| SOUTH BR OF FRENCH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 73 |
| BRANCH VALLEY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 140 |
| DEER CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 30 |
| ROARING CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 109 |
| OVER MILL RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,500 |
| TRIB YELLOW BREECHES CR | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 525 |
| OVER FOUR MILE CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 3,114 |
| LAMSON RUN TRIBUTARY | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 695 |
| LAMSON RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 610 |
| COAL LICK RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 200 |
| COFFEE RUN | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 42 |
| SANDY LICK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 4,430 |
| N.S. RR | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,119 |
| OVER HETTENBAUGH RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 163 |
| CAMP RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 50 |
| CATASAUQUA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 5,758 |
| LEHIGH CRK CITY STREETS | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 18,800 |
| TROUT CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| RIDGE VALLEY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 256 |
| LIMESTONE RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| HOKENDAUQUA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 90 |
| ALLEGHENY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 450 |
| OVER QUAKER RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,018 |
| SCHWABEN CREEK | Pennsylvania | Good | 1913 | 113 | 50 |
| NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 68 |
| SALT LICK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 100 |
| NS R/R MON CITY ST | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 2,889 |
| PIKE RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 589 |
| MONTGOMERY RUN | Pennsylvania | Good | 1913 | 113 | 80 |
| CHARTIERS CREEK TRIB. | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 300 |
| CROSS CREEK TRIB | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 30 |
| CROSS CREEK TRIB. | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 30 |
| AMTRAK (MAIN LINE)MP5.69 | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 7,081 |
| AMTRAK (NE Corridor) | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 2,000 |
| SEPTA (MAIN LINE) | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 5,800 |
| Conrail | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 7,500 |
| ELK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 25 |
| ROARING BROOK | Rhode Island | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 1,800 |
| WOONASQUATUCKET RIVER | Rhode Island | Good | 1913 | 113 | 14,472 |
| PAWCATUCK RIVER | Rhode Island | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 303 |
| P&W RR | Rhode Island | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 1,690 |
| WEST RIVER | Rhode Island | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 2,222 |
| P&W RR | Rhode Island | Fair | 1913 | 113 | 3,636 |
| CSXT RR | South Carolina | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 3,500 |
| CK | South Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 92 |
| WOLF CK | South Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 43 |
| SNAKE CREEK | South Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 31 |
| MEDICINE KNOLL CK | South Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 10 |
| TURKEY RIDGE CK | South Dakota | Poor | 1913 | 113 | 30 |
Historic Bridges by State
States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.
| State | Historic Bridges | Oldest Year | Avg 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.