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
EIGHTMILE CREEK Oregon Fair 1914 112 26
LOWRIES RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 12,322
PINE CREEK SOUTH BRANCH Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 2,000
GOURDHEAD RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 650
PINEY FORK CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 8,338
SAW MILL RUN CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1914 112 2,250
NEGLEY RUN BLVD Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 1,850
Girtys Run Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 4,500
Girtys Run Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 4,500
TEVEBAU RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 29,991
SCHUYLKILL RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 3,625
LEAF CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 519
MILL RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 9,380
ROARING RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 44
TRIBUTARY TOWANDA CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 629
SWAMP CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 181
BRANCH TOHICKON CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 2,222
IRON WORKS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 560
LEHIGH VALLEY RR RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 1,103
W BR BRANDYWINE CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 16,027
BUCK RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 6,935
TAYLORS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 2,669
E. BR. BRANDYWINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 390
DOE RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 103
BUCK RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 155
WEST BR BRANDYWINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 286
POCOPSON CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 135
PIGEON CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 183
EAST PENN RAILROAD Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 1,100
TROUT RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 49
JONESTOWN ROAD HARRISBUR Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 200
CHESTER CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 188
PUMPKIN RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 472
BRANCH OF JOB CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 25
PATTERSON CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 30
PATTERSON CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 100
RUFF CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 50
AULTMAN RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 30
CODER RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 50
BIG RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 500
TRIB.TO LITTLE TROUT CK. Pennsylvania Good 1914 112 2,200
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 9,300
SUSQ RIV / LUZ & SUSQ RR Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 8,665
OVER SHENANGO RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 304
OVER BIG RUN TRIB Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 483
WISSAHICKON CR / 3369-D4 Pennsylvania Fair 1914 112 7,909
SANATOGA CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1914 112 16,064
MINGO CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 1,778
Tacony Creek Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 6,455
SHAMOKIN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1914 112 8,400

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.