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
RR MBTA Massachusetts Good 1901 125 17,300
WATER TROUT BROOK Massachusetts Good 1901 125 14,224
WATER KITCHEN BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 12,714
WATER ACUSHNET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 32,200
WATER ACUSHNET RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 32,200
COMB ACUS RIV/LOC ST/RR Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 32,200
WATER HIGHER BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 10,474
RR AMTRAK/MBTA Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 3,500
WATER SEGREGANSETT RIVER Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 18,362
WATER COYS BROOK Massachusetts Fair 1901 125 10,500
CANOE STREAM Michigan Fair 1901 125 935
CANOE STREAM Michigan Good 1901 125 296
BALDWIN RIVER Michigan Fair 1901 125
PAW PAW RIVER Michigan Fair 1901 125
CHUNKY RIVER Mississippi Poor 1901 125 110
BR OF LIT WHITEWAT Missouri Fair 1901 125 250
UP RR Missouri Poor 1901 125 35
FIVE MILE CR Missouri Fair 1901 125 15
BUCK BR Missouri Poor 1901 125 35
E FK SALT POND CR Missouri Fair 1901 125 35
LOCATE CREEK 045 Montana Fair 1901 125 23
FLAT CREEK 036 Montana Poor 1901 125 100
FLOOD CREEK Nebraska Poor 1901 125 15
MINK BROOK New Hampshire Fair 1901 125 2,168
BLOOD BROOK New Hampshire Poor 1901 125 1,167
BEATTYS BROOK New Jersey Fair 1901 125 1,983
HAKIHOHAKE CREEK New Jersey Fair 1901 125 499
PLUM BROOK New Jersey Fair 1901 125 456
ROCKAWAY CREEK New Jersey Poor 1901 125 169
S BRANCH RARITAN RIVER New Jersey Fair 1901 125 148
PETERS BROOK New Jersey Fair 1901 125 5,455
POHATCONG CREEK New Jersey Fair 1901 125 306
TSATSAWASSA CREEK New York Poor 1901 125 1,423
BLACK RIVER New York Good 1901 125 591
BLACK RIVER New York Good 1901 125 591
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER New York Fair 1901 125 7,276
NEWTOWN CREEK New York Poor 1901 125 10,303
FALL KILL CREEK New York Fair 1901 125 1,243
E BR DELAWARE RVR New York Fair 1901 125 554
BUTTERNUT CREEK New York Poor 1901 125 436
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER New York Poor 1901 125 23
ERIE CANAL NORTH TOWPAT New York Fair 1901 125 4,949
DELAWARE RIVER New York Poor 1901 125 355
NIAGARA RIVER New York Poor 1901 125 50
NIAGARA RIVER New York Poor 1901 125 50
Creek North Dakota Fair 1901 125 10
Creek North Dakota Fair 1901 125 10
Creek North Dakota Fair 1901 125 5
JAMESTOWN RESERVOIR North Dakota Poor 1901 125 135
CUYAHOGA RIVER Ohio Good 1901 125 3,176

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.