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
TRAIN AVE N&S GCRTA55 CR Ohio Fair 1901 125 14,814
HELLBRANCH RUN (OHARRA) Ohio Fair 1901 125 558
TRIB TO PIGEON CR Ohio Fair 1901 125 442
BIG RUN CR Ohio Fair 1901 125 193
LITTLE SALT CR Ohio Good 1901 125 203
BUCKLICK CR Ohio Good 1901 125 120
SUGAR RUN Ohio Poor 1901 125 8
SYMMES CREEK Ohio Fair 1901 125 8
DICKASON RUN Ohio Fair 1901 125 11
MULGA RUN Ohio Fair 1901 125 96
PIGEON CR Ohio Poor 1901 125 324
BIG RUN CR Ohio Poor 1901 125 209
FOUR MILE CR Ohio Good 1901 125 155
LITTLE SCIOTO RIV Ohio Fair 1901 125 209
LITTLE SCIOTO RIVER Ohio Good 1901 125 209
BUCK LICK CR Ohio Poor 1901 125 96
SUGARCAMP CR Ohio Poor 1901 125 45
BRUSHY FORK CR Ohio Fair 1901 125 209
BUCKEYE CR Ohio Fair 1901 125 209
TRIB TO HOLLAND FORK Ohio Fair 1901 125 324
TRIB TO HOLLAND FORK Ohio Poor 1901 125 100
HUNTINGCAMP CR Ohio Fair 1901 125 96
MC INTYRE CREEK Ohio Poor 1901 125 477
YELLOW CREEK Ohio Poor 1901 125 209
OSBORNE RUN Ohio Fair 1901 125 100
DEANS FORK * BOWI Ohio Fair 1901 125 76
TOMS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 675
LICK RUN CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 1,115
DOUGLAS RUN BRANCH Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 3,288
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 3,000
MARTINS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 1,442
LITTLE CONNOQUEN CR Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 100
CATFISH RUN Pennsylvania Good 1901 125 33
RATTLESNAKE RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 20
FISHING CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 125
OVER DECKARDS RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 75
OVER EAST BR. OIL CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 250
SPRING CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 92
STONY RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 100
ENLOW FORK WHEELING CK. Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 243
SMITH CREEK Pennsylvania Good 1901 125 25
BIG RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125
HELL RUN Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 75
LAUREL HILL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 256
LITTLE LOYALSOCK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 30
OVER MILL CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 100
BARRS RUN Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 132
DELAWARE RIVER Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 379
EQUINUNK CREEK Pennsylvania Poor 1901 125 35
N.BRANCH CALKINS CREEK Pennsylvania Fair 1901 125 45

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.