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
PASSAIC RIVER New Jersey Fair 1898 128 10,590
SO. BRANCH RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1898 128 1,384
LOCKATONG CREEK New Jersey Fair 1898 128 743
METRO NO COMMUTER New York Good 1898 128 2,263
LONG ISLAND-PT WS New York Poor 1898 128 1,088
MNRR NH LINE New York Good 1898 128
ONESQUETHAW CREEK New York Poor 1898 128 67
GENESEE RIVER New York Good 1898 128 18,748
MNRR NH LINE New York Poor 1898 128 1,000
MILL CREEK Ohio Fair 1898 128 6,042
LITTLE JUNIATA RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1898 128 27
LITTLE JUNIATA RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 3,406
SOUTH CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 50
YELLOW BREECHES CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1898 128 145
CHESTER CREEK / 3694-J10 Pennsylvania Poor 1898 128 9,019
LITTLE SANDY CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 100
CONESTOGA RIVER Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 50
BLOCKHOUSE CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 100
PERKIOMEN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1898 128 464
Abolished Conrail Pennsylvania Good 1898 128 7,800
Abolished Conrail Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 2,100
Abandoned Conrail Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 3,300
Abolished Conrail Pennsylvania Poor 1898 128 3,500
Abandoned Conrail Pennsylvania Fair 1898 128 4,500
BOYDS CREEK Tennessee Fair 1898 128 9,584
HOLMES CREEK Vermont Fair 1898 128 550
CEDAR CREEK West Virginia Poor 1898 128 10
MIDDLE FORK HUGHES RIVER West Virginia Poor 1898 128 40
MCKOWN CREEK West Virginia Fair 1898 128 70
WV Fork Fish Creek West Virginia Fair 1898 128 250
PINE CREEK Wisconsin Fair 1898 128 31
AMTRAK RAILROAD Connecticut Fair 1899 127 5,300
PADANARAM BROOK Connecticut Fair 1899 127 10,334
SILVERMINE RIVER Connecticut Fair 1899 127 1,415
MILL CREEK Illinois Fair 1899 127 500
CURTIS CREEK Illinois Good 1899 127 2,900
KING CREEK Illinois Poor 1899 127 10
BR E FORK PLUM RIVER Illinois Poor 1899 127 50
STREAM Illinois Fair 1899 127 10
TOWN CREEK Illinois Good 1899 127 50
CREEK Illinois Fair 1899 127 275
LITTLE FLATROCK RIVER Indiana Fair 1899 127 180
MUDDY FORK OF SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1899 127 210
SQUARE RUN Indiana Fair 1899 127 280
MUDDY FORK OF SAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1899 127 210
GAS CREEK Indiana Fair 1899 127 180
RICHLAND CREEK Indiana Poor 1899 127 158
LITTLE RICHLAND CREEK Indiana Fair 1899 127 660
BUCK CREEK Indiana Fair 1899 127 10
WEST FORK HONEY CREEK Indiana Poor 1899 127 193

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.