Historic Bridges
94,381 bridges built before 1951 across the United States still in service today.
Bridges Built Before 1951
The United States has 94,381 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATER SLUICEWAY | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 1,500 |
| WATER S CHANNEL MILL RIV | Massachusetts | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 2,008 |
| WATER N CHANNEL MILL RIV | Massachusetts | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 2,008 |
| WATER ASSABET RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 6,600 |
| WATER PALMER RIVER | Massachusetts | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 13,010 |
| RR ABANDONED | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 14,380 |
| WATER TEN MILE RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 6,853 |
| RR MACRR | Massachusetts | Good | 1850 | 176 | 15,776 |
| WATER MILL RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 11,357 |
| WATER MILL RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 5,357 |
| WATER MILL RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 6,833 |
| WATER MILL RIVER | Massachusetts | Good | 1850 | 176 | 5,043 |
| WATER IPSWICH RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 13,394 |
| WATER SQUANNACOOK RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 2,300 |
| WATER CHARLES RIVER | Massachusetts | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 21,600 |
| WATER CHARLES RIVER | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 6,800 |
| RR CSX | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 1,551 |
| WATER GREAT BROOK | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 15,387 |
| RR PVRR | Massachusetts | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 6,500 |
| WATER N E UTILITIES CANL | Massachusetts | Good | 1850 | 176 | 5,431 |
| RR CSX | Massachusetts | Good | 1850 | 176 | 9,000 |
| WATER MILLERS RIVER | Massachusetts | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 1,810 |
| MAPLE FALLS BROOK | New Hampshire | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 208 |
| LOCKATONG CREEK | New Jersey | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 95 |
| Belchers Creek | New Jersey | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 11,743 |
| CHAMBERS BROOK | New Jersey | Good | 1850 | 176 | 5,758 |
| ONONDAGA CREEK | New York | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 7,644 |
| GREENWOOD CEM RD | New York | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 12,655 |
| HOOSIC RIVER | New York | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 649 |
| E BR CALLICOON CK | New York | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 92 |
| MASSIES CREEK | Ohio | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 352 |
| GLADE RUN | Ohio | Good | 1850 | 176 | 3,215 |
| FRENCH CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 660 |
| CHESTER CREEK / 3696-C10 | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 5,295 |
| SHAWNEE RUN | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 1,030 |
| BRANCH NESHAMINY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 8,784 |
| LOYALSOCK CREEK | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1850 | 176 | 113 |
| SEWICKLEY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1850 | 176 | 1,100 |
| CATAWISSA CREEK | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1851 | 175 | 300 |
| OTTER CREEK | Vermont | Fair | 1851 | 175 | 30 |
| WINOOSKI RIVER | Vermont | Good | 1851 | 175 | 150 |
| WATER PAWTUCKET CANAL | Massachusetts | Good | 1852 | 174 | 9,000 |
| RARITAN VALLEY LINE | New Jersey | Fair | 1852 | 174 | 125 |
| MANATAWNY CREEK | Pennsylvania | Good | 1852 | 174 | 1,654 |
| SWAMP CREEK / 2585-J10 | Pennsylvania | Fair | 1852 | 174 | 595 |
| S BRANCH OF ROARING CR | Pennsylvania | Poor | 1852 | 174 | 150 |
| BATTEN KILL RIVER | Vermont | Fair | 1852 | 174 | 250 |
| TYGART VALLEY RIVER | West Virginia | Fair | 1852 | 174 | 7,000 |
| CONTOOCOOK RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1853 | 173 | 558 |
| WARNER RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1853 | 173 | 100 |
Historic Bridges by State
States ranked by number of bridges built before 1951 still in service.
| State | Historic Bridges | Oldest Year | Avg 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 |
| Virgin Islands | 5 | 1904 | 112 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.