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
CSX Maryland Poor 1914 112 6,500
BIG HUNTING CREEK Maryland Fair 1914 112 450
TOMS CREEK Maryland Fair 1914 112 170
TOWNSEND/CENTREVILLE RR Maryland Poor 1914 112 500
WATER SALISBURY BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1914 112 11,100
RR CSX Massachusetts Fair 1914 112 3,851
WATER MUDDY COVE BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1914 112 388
WATER EAST RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1914 112 15,000
SE BRANCH OF MAPLE RIVER Michigan Poor 1914 112 212
BRIAR HILL CREEK Michigan Poor 1914 112 50
CANNON RIVER Minnesota Fair 1914 112 5,850
WEST INDIAN CREEK Minnesota Fair 1914 112 12
MIDTOWN GREENWAY Minnesota Poor 1914 112 8,600
DITCH Minnesota Poor 1914 112 24
STREAM Minnesota Fair 1914 112 30
STREAM Minnesota Fair 1914 112 21
MIDTOWN GREENWAY Minnesota Poor 1914 112 1,249
MIDTOWN GREENWAY Minnesota Fair 1914 112 986
MIDTOWN GREENWAY Minnesota Poor 1914 112 5,200
MIDTOWN GREENWAY Minnesota Poor 1914 112 5,213
GALLAGHER CREEK Mississippi Fair 1914 112 470
OLD TROLLY RAIL LINE Mississippi Fair 1914 112 700
LONG BR Missouri Poor 1914 112 25
BR OF FISHING RVR Missouri Fair 1914 112 250
TRIB TO PETITE SAL Missouri Good 1914 112 60
N FK OF WHITE RVR Missouri Poor 1914 112 30
ELK CREEK 041 Montana Poor 1914 112 100
PINKHAM CREEK 140 Montana Poor 1914 112 100
LITTLE BLACKFOOT R 027 Montana Poor 1914 112 19
BIG HOLE RIVER 009 Montana Fair 1914 112 100
ABANDONED RAILROAD Montana Fair 1914 112 4,262
SCHOOL CREEK Nebraska Poor 1914 112 20
LITTLE BAZILE CREEK Nebraska Fair 1914 112 5
STREAM Nebraska Fair 1914 112 30
W FK BIG BLUE RIVER Nebraska Fair 1914 112 35
BEAVER CREEK Nebraska Poor 1914 112 30
REPUBLICAN RIVER Nebraska Fair 1914 112 835
RELIEF New Hampshire Good 1914 112 1,065
LAMPREY RIVER New Hampshire Poor 1914 112 547
LAKE CREEK New Jersey Poor 1914 112 3,907
Morristown Line MP 13.08 New Jersey Fair 1914 112 1,540
RAILROAD CSXT New Jersey Fair 1914 112 3,663
COPPER CREEK New Jersey Poor 1914 112 2,380
TRENTON LINE (CSXT) New Jersey Fair 1914 112 6,163
SAYREVILLE SEC (FORMER) New Jersey Fair 1914 112 12,651
Morristown Line MP 24.39 New Jersey Fair 1914 112 2,200
Morristown Line MP 28.69 New Jersey Fair 1914 112 7,690
WEASEL BROOK New Jersey Good 1914 112 4,070
MAURICE RIVER New Jersey Fair 1914 112 5,789
EAST BR MIDDLE BROOK New Jersey Fair 1914 112 17,307

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.