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
OVER CONNEAUT CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 250
YELLOW BREECHES CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 2,808
BENNETT BR SINNEMAHONING Pennsylvania Good 1889 137 10
FRENCH CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1889 137 30
FRANKSTOWN BR JUNIATA R Pennsylvania Good 1889 137 256
GREAT TROUGH CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1889 137 82
SHAVER CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1889 137 136
NESHANNOCK CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 50
OVER PINE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 776
BERTSCH CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 1,238
WHITE DEER HOLE CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1889 137 13
OVER BROKENSTRAW CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1889 137 148
RACCOON CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1889 137 15
DELAWARE RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 180
Conewago Creek Pennsylvania Fair 1889 137 294
POLO LAKE Rhode Island Fair 1889 137 6,746
RR GRADE RD / DOE RIVER Tennessee Poor 1889 137 50
1ST BRANCH WHITE R. Vermont Fair 1889 137 30
SUGAR HOLLOW BROOK Vermont Good 1889 137 8,800
BOCA FORMA CREEK Puerto Rico Fair 1889 137 14,400
WORKMAN WASH California Fair 1890 136 146
AMTRAK RAILROAD Connecticut Fair 1890 136 3,500
WINTERGREEN BROOK Connecticut Fair 1890 136 2,800
APPLE CREEK Illinois Good 1890 136 25
BR OF OAT CREEK Illinois Poor 1890 136 25
TRIB TO KANKAKEE R. Illinois Fair 1890 136 550
BOHNKE DRAIN Indiana Poor 1890 136 2
CLIFTY CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 430
MIDDLE FORK CLIFTY CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 140
VERNON FK MUSCATATUCK R Indiana Fair 1890 136 140
MUDDY FORK OF SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 140
SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 180
MUDDY FORK OF SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 140
CLIFTY CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 140
DUCK CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 140
BR FALL FORK CLIFTY CREE Indiana Fair 1890 136 110
JORDAN CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 110
BULL CREEK Indiana Fair 1890 136 320
SALT CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 350
BLACK CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136
SAND CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 100
BEAVER CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 63
BEAVER CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 100
BEAVER CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 97
DEER CREEK Indiana Poor 1890 136 150
EEL RIVER Indiana Poor 1890 136 40
BEAVER CREEK Iowa Poor 1890 136 21
INDIAN CR Iowa Poor 1890 136 299
BADGER CREEK Iowa Poor 1890 136 40
SILVER CREEK Kansas Poor 1890 136 10

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.