National Bridge Inventory: North Dakota



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 1,281 bridges.
  • This compares to 1,388 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, North Dakota will receive a total of $225.0 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • North Dakota currently has access to $180.0 million of that total, and has committed $177.1 million towards 159 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 4,250 bridges in the state, 470, or 11.1 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 481 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 4.9 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in North Dakota

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Ward 1936 9,000 Urban minor arterial 3rd St. N.E. over 4th Ave BNRR Souris R.
Grand Forks 1968 8,200 Urban Interstate Interstate 29 over Nd297/Demers Ave Int-Gf
Traill 1970 4,550 Rural Interstate Interstate 29 over Goose River
Traill 1970 4,550 Rural Interstate Interstate 29 over Goose River
Williams 1954 3,495 Rural major collector County Highway over Little Muddy River
Williams 2016 3,075 Rural arterial US Highway 85 over Little Muddy River
Pembina 1958 2,850 Rural Interstate Interstate 29 over Drain ditch #39
Grand Forks 2006 2,820 Rural arterial US Highway 81 over Creek
Traill 1977 2,010 Rural arterial ND Highway 2 over Goose River
Traill 1971 1,970 Rural arterial ND Highway 2 over Intermittent Stream
Morton 1962 1,450 Rural minor arterial Irrsr ND Hway 1806 over Cannonball River
Billings 1964 1,300 Rural Interstate Interstate 94 over Sheep Creek
Bowman 1953 1,070 Rural arterial US Highway 85 over Spring Creek
Oliver 1971 940 Rural arterial ND Highway 2 over Creek
Mercer 1950 780 Rural arterial ND Highway 2 over Branch of Raymond Creek
Sargent 1951 650 Rural minor arterial ND Highway 11 over Wild Rice River
Towner 1931 640 Rural minor arterial ND Highway 17 over Creek
Dunn 1957 570 Rural arterial ND Highway 2 over Creek
Towner 1962 560 Rural minor arterial ND Highway 17 over Mauvais Coulee
Burleigh 1965 518 Rural major collector Apple Creek Rd over Apple Creek
Cavalier 1931 490 Rural arterial ND Highway 1 over Creek
McHenry 1939 457 Rural major collector County Highway over Cut Bank Creek
Benson 1936 450 Rural arterial US Highway 281 over BNRR Sep.
Morton 1960 405 Rural major collector Cr139 over Creek
Sioux 1950 401 Rural local road IRR BIA Rte 29 over One Mile Creek

Bridge Inventory: North Dakota

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 146 94,592 685,306 4 2,383 13,250
Rural arterial 372 196,716 765,461 12 3,345 14,795
Rural minor arterial 254 111,806 258,991 6 2,759 3,980
Rural major collector 919 257,997 278,956 33 11,912 9,262
Rural minor collector 12 3,282 1,295 2 796 400
Rural local road 2,281 335,157 101,201 409 39,612 10,451
Urban Interstate 59 81,828 758,020 1 1,320 8,200
Urban freeway/expressway 0 0 0 0 0 0
Urban other principal arterial 81 148,756 805,711 0 0 0
Urban minor arterial 63 86,107 362,963 1 3,280 9,000
Urban collector 22 13,767 58,138 0 0 0
Urban local road 41 13,077 54,555 2 218 130
Total 4,250 1,343,085 4,130,597 470 65,626 69,468

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 467 $243 44,267 81,730
Widening & rehabilitation 355 $151 129,321 74,494
Rehabilitation 388 $174 176,047 85,839
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 20 $42 74,184 20,664
Other structural work 51 $54 105,266 26,641
Total 1,281 $664 529,085 289,369

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.

9
Compared to 10 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
8. Louisiana 11.0%
9. North Dakota 11.0%
10. Michigan 11.0%

29
Compared to 28 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
28. Washington 473
29. North Dakota 470
30. Oregon 422

26
Compared to 24 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
25. New Hampshire 6.0%
26. North Dakota 5.0%
27. Nebraska 5.0%
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.

    ARTBA is a non-partisan federation whose primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient travel.

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