National Bridge Inventory: California



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 1,468 bridges.
  • This compares to 1,698 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, California will receive a total of $2.9 billion in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • California currently has access to $2.3 billion of that total, and has committed $1.2 billion towards 129 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 25,975 bridges in the state, 1,284, or 4.9 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 1,493 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 5.6 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in California

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Los Angeles 1996 300,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 110 over Slauson Ave & BNSF Ry
Los Angeles 1959 293,000 Urban freeway/expressway U.S. Highway 101 over Kester Ave
Los Angeles 1962 269,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 405 over Vermont Ave, 190th St
San Diego 1971 250,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 805 over Telegraph Canyon Drain
Los Angeles 1967 240,000 Urban freeway/expressway State Route 134 over Pacific Ave
Contra Costa 1998 235,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 680 over Monument Boulevard
San Francisco 1951 234,000 Urban freeway/expressway U.S. Highway 101 over Cesar Chavez Blvd
Orange 1961 227,000 Urban freeway/expressway State Route 55 over Lincoln Ave
Alameda 1958 225,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 880 over Crandall Creek
Los Angeles 1962 218,000 Urban Interstate Rte 110 over Torrance Blvd
Los Angeles 1993 217,000 Urban Interstate Route 105 & Lrt over Wright Road
Solano 1932 202,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 80 over Suisun Creek
San Diego 1961 199,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 5 over Rte 163, Connectors
Alameda 1957 198,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 880 over Patterson Slough
San Mateo 1930 195,000 Urban freeway/expressway U.S. Highway 101 over Cordilleras Creek
Contra Costa 1964 192,200 Urban Interstate Interstate 680 over Laurel Drive
Solano 1928 189,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 80 over Green Valley Creek
Contra Costa 1956 179,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 80 over El Portal Drive
Contra Costa 1958 179,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 80 over State Route 4 & Ramps
San Mateo 1967 178,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 280 over Southgate Avenue
Los Angeles 1953 175,000 Urban freeway/expressway U.S. Highway 101 over Argyle Av & Franklin Av
San Francisco 1964 170,000 Urban Interstate NB and SB Rte 280 over Lyell Street
San Francisco 1960 170,000 Urban Interstate I 280 N, Al Line over 280/101 Interchange
Contra Costa 1962 169,000 Urban Interstate Interstate 680 over Grayson Creek
Orange 1966 167,000 Urban freeway/expressway SR 55 over S405-N55 Connector

Bridge Inventory: California

Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 1,215 1,333,470 29,554,299 80 76,874 1,635,950
Rural arterial 1,422 1,351,579 22,284,785 61 77,008 717,151
Rural minor arterial 1,490 1,050,381 7,595,615 51 67,258 312,794
Rural major collector 2,195 1,061,203 5,851,523 147 100,437 376,885
Rural minor collector 1,225 426,340 1,399,766 93 30,152 130,932
Rural local road 4,173 1,106,980 3,087,613 321 69,215 155,841
Urban Interstate 2,622 7,933,606 272,985,863 84 297,502 8,311,705
Urban freeway/expressway 3,114 7,238,858 218,000,296 88 555,414 5,259,678
Urban other principal arterial 2,561 3,883,046 62,357,317 108 222,184 2,675,268
Urban minor arterial 2,626 3,146,648 37,911,450 132 161,674 1,865,082
Urban collector 1,439 995,366 9,059,608 50 22,695 293,635
Urban local road 1,893 1,144,835 9,115,547 69 32,158 198,188
Total 25,975 30,672,314 679,203,682 1,284 1,712,571 21,933,109

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 433 $1,348 2,267,667 263,870
Widening & rehabilitation 3 $1 3,600 341
Rehabilitation 863 $4,988 19,658,179 1,452,694
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 8 $3 345 981
Other structural work 161 $219 274,756 61,906
Total 1,468 $6,559 22,204,547 1,779,792

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2023 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

34
Compared to 28 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
33. Oregon 5.0%
34. California 5.0%
35. Connecticut 5.0%

11
Compared to 7 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
10. Kansas 1,301
11. California 1,284
12. Ohio 1,266

23
Compared to 15 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
22. South Carolina 6.0%
23. California 6.0%
24. North Carolina 6.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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