National Bridge Inventory: Pennsylvania



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 12,644 bridges.
  • This compares to 12,112 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Pennsylvania will receive a total of $1.8 billion in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Pennsylvania currently has access to $1.4 billion of that total, and has committed $995.3 million towards 474 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 23,314 bridges in the Commonwealth, 2,813, or 12.1 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 3,198 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 6.6 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in Pennsylvania

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Philadelphia 1967 280,088 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over Fraley Street
Philadelphia 1967 280,088 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over Tacony St.And Bridge St.
Philadelphia 1968 225,137 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over earth fill & sewer access
Philadelphia 1965 177,086 Urban Interstate Delaware Expway. over Wheatsheaf Lane
Philadelphia 1965 177,086 Urban Interstate Delaware Expway. over Venango Street
Delaware 1967 117,917 Urban Interstate Interstate 95(SB) over US 322 EB & Ramp A
Dauphin 1960 89,499 Urban Interstate SR 83; I-83 over Susq.River;R.R.Lowther S
Montgomery 1951 89,047 Urban Interstate Schuylkill Expway. over Waverly Road(T669)
Philadelphia 1975 80,788 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 N.B. over Fairmount Avenue
Berks 1963 71,101 Urban freeway/expressway SR 422 (Lr793) over Thun Recreational Trail
Chester 1961 69,924 Urban freeway/expressway Route 30 By-Pass over Creek Rd, Brandywine Ck.
York 1952 68,340 Urban Interstate I-83; SR 83 over T-955; Limekiln Rd
Philadelphia 1975 66,507 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 S.B. over Fairmount Avenue
Montgomery 1950 66,436 Urban Interstate Schuylkill Expway. over Matsonford Road
Bucks 1966 60,959 Urban freeway/expressway New US-1 Bypass over Norfolk Southern
Montgomery 1965 59,904 Urban freeway/expressway Pottstown Expway over Sanatoga Rd, Sanatoga Cr
Berks 1963 59,527 Urban freeway/expressway SR 422(LR 793) over Schuylkill River
York 1959 57,639 Urban Interstate I-83; SR 83 over US 30; SR 30
York 1957 57,639 Urban Interstate 83 over 181 George St
York 1959 57,515 Urban Interstate I-83; SR 83 over 22/Springwood Rd
Berks 1955 55,285 Urban Interstate I-78 (LR 285) over Reading/Northern RR T571
York 1959 54,739 Urban Interstate I-83; SR 83 over 462; Market
Allegheny 1962 52,457 Urban Interstate Parkway East over Old Wm Penn Hwy,Leak Run
Allegheny 1946 50,212 Urban other principal arterial Mcknight Rd over Babcock Blvd,Girdy S Run
Philadelphia 1960 50,167 Urban freeway/expressway Roosevelt Blvd Ext over Roberts Ave;Septa;CSX

Bridge Inventory: Pennsylvania

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 1,051 1,039,138 17,621,144 27 33,840 465,625
Rural arterial 1,043 1,097,011 8,377,174 34 15,606 335,943
Rural minor arterial 1,426 528,726 5,133,946 118 28,437 322,524
Rural major collector 1,905 590,006 3,160,686 165 43,373 275,929
Rural minor collector 2,051 425,371 1,549,530 254 38,779 173,332
Rural local road 7,429 1,219,760 2,970,454 1,393 171,128 433,010
Urban Interstate 1,460 3,064,373 54,707,364 50 122,689 2,684,294
Urban freeway/expressway 929 1,343,686 26,165,490 29 58,092 869,190
Urban other principal arterial 1,515 1,893,939 24,582,460 135 130,031 2,255,207
Urban minor arterial 1,477 1,081,332 12,990,382 155 115,799 1,408,567
Urban collector 1,452 603,731 5,851,881 146 42,190 567,221
Urban local road 1,576 577,558 3,594,036 307 95,101 623,485
Total 23,314 13,464,631 166,704,547 2,813 895,066 10,414,327

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,778 $1,845 4,670,610 388,376
Widening & rehabilitation 96 $430 625,863 134,170
Rehabilitation 7,444 $17,294 65,455,690 5,380,989
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 1,012 $2,170 6,403,154 674,344
Other structural work 2,314 $4,034 12,920,625 1,253,487
Total 12,644 $25,773 90,075,942 7,831,364

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.

7
Compared to 7 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
7. Pennsylvania 12.0%
8. Louisiana 11.0%

2
Compared to 2 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
2. Pennsylvania 2,813
3. Illinois 2,563

14
Compared to 14 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
13. Alaska 7.0%
14. Pennsylvania 7.0%
15. Connecticut 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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