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
TRIB CRANE CR Missouri Fair 1916 110 20
Sun River Montana Poor 1916 110 40
CLARK FORK 053 Montana Poor 1916 110 174
MUSSELSHELL RIVER 015 Montana Fair 1916 110 34
MUSSELSHELL RIVER 018 Montana Poor 1916 110 100
LITTLE BLUE RIVER Nebraska Fair 1916 110 50
NIOBRARA RIVER Nebraska Poor 1916 110 5
NIOBRARA RIVER Nebraska Poor 1916 110 35
SCHOOL CREEK Nebraska Fair 1916 110 45
W FK BIG BLUE RIVER Nebraska Good 1916 110 20
MUD CREEK Nebraska Poor 1916 110 20
E BR MUDDY CREEK Nebraska Fair 1916 110 5
MUDDY CREEK Nebraska Poor 1916 110 5
SAPPA CREEK Nebraska Poor 1916 110 75
HAWTHORNE CREEK Nebraska Fair 1916 110 50
NIOBRARA RIVER Nebraska Poor 1916 110 5
NIOBRARA RIVER Nebraska Fair 1916 110 20
COLES BROOK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 2,724
Morristown Line MP 16.38 New Jersey Fair 1916 110 8,690
BAYONNE PARK FOOTPATH New Jersey Fair 1916 110 435
BAYONNE PARK FOOTPATH New Jersey Fair 1916 110 435
BAYONNE PARK FOOTPATH New Jersey Fair 1916 110 435
SWAN CREEK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 3,776
WRECK POND BROOK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 4,492
PASSAIC RIVER New Jersey Fair 1916 110 3,914
WEASEL BROOK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 3,340
INTAKE CANAL & AQUEDUCTS New Jersey Good 1916 110 18,019
PASSAIC RIVER New Jersey Fair 1916 110 37,925
TOTOWA SPUR New Jersey Fair 1916 110 12,400
GREEN BROOK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 9,245
GREEN BROOK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 9,918
POHATCONG CREEK New Jersey Fair 1916 110 470
WASHINGTON SEC (CONRAIL) New Jersey Fair 1916 110 3,577
WASHINGTON SEC (NS) New Jersey Fair 1916 110 269
D&R CANAL FEEDER New Jersey Fair 1916 110 3,652
D&R FEEDER CANAL New Jersey Fair 1916 110 4,393
DEL. & RAR. CANAL FEEDER New Jersey Poor 1916 110 7,233
SILVER CREEK New York Good 1916 110 6,266
SKANEATELES CREEK New York Fair 1916 110 33
CHAUMONT RIVER New York Fair 1916 110 1,161
OSWEGATCHIE RIVER New York Fair 1916 110 3,876
CSX TRANS/P MRRIS New York Fair 1916 110 8,757
METRO NO COMMUTER New York Good 1916 110 5,878
METRO NO COMMUTER New York Poor 1916 110 8,260
NYCTA BRIGHTON LN New York Poor 1916 110 16,223
NYCTA BRIGHTON LN New York Fair 1916 110 10,701
NYCTA FRANKLIN LN New York Fair 1916 110 15,825
N Y & ATLANTIC/LI BRKLN New York Fair 1916 110 8,291
CSX TRANS/CPR&P&W New York Fair 1916 110 3,848
CSX TRANS/CPR&P&W New York Fair 1916 110 8,756

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.