National Bridge Inventory: Texas



  • Of the 55,701 bridges in the state, 774, or 1.4 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 695 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2018.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 1.3 percent of total deck area on all structures.
  • 42 of the structurally deficient bridges are on the Interstate Highway System. A total of 86.3 percent of the structurally deficient bridges are not on the National Highway System, which includes the Interstate and other key roads linking major airports, ports, rail and truck terminals.
  • 2,687 bridges are posted for load, which may restrict the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.
  • The state has identified needed repairs on 11,310 bridges at an estimated cost of $5.7 billion.
  • This compares to 11,987 bridges that needed work in 2018.

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Harris 1973 136,576 Urban Interstate IH 610 over Houston Ship Channel
Harris 1960 119,596 Urban Interstate IH 45 NB over Crosstimbers St
Harris 1960 117,314 Urban Interstate IH 45 SB over Crosstimbers St
Dallas 1969 109,090 Urban freeway/expressway Lp 12 over Elm Fork Trinity River
Harris 1964 97,036 Urban Interstate IH 610S EB over Holmes Rd; UPRR; Theresa
Harris 1958 92,413 Urban Interstate IH 10 WB over McCarty St/US 90A
Harris 1964 91,568 Urban Interstate IH 610S WB over Holmes Rd;UPRR & Theresa
Jefferson 1958 89,604 Urban Interstate IH 10 over 11th St
Rockwall 1995 82,077 Urban Interstate IH 30 over East Fork Trinity River
Dallas 1971 81,504 Urban Interstate IH 30 WBml over IH 635
Dallas 1967 76,110 Urban Interstate IH 635 EB over SH 78 & KCS RR
Dallas 1967 76,110 Urban Interstate IH 635 WB over Tap RR
Dallas 1967 76,110 Urban Interstate IH 635 EB over KCS RR
Dallas 1970 66,000 Urban other principal arterial Ss348NB to Ih35 NB over IH 35E SB
Dallas 1971 62,860 Urban freeway/expressway US 80 Conn B over US 80
Dallas 1971 62,860 Urban freeway/expressway US 80 Conn A over US 80
Dallas 1948 58,703 Urban freeway/expressway Lp 12 SB over Trinity Railway & Drain
Dallas 1965 57,631 Urban Interstate IH 35E SB over Ann Arbor Ave
Chambers 2009 50,224 Rural Interstate IH 10 over Turtle Bayou
Harris 1970 44,730 Urban local road S Braeswood Blvd over Hcfcd Ditch
Dallas 1973 44,565 Urban Interstate IH 45 SB over Trinity River UPRR Etc
Tarrant 1963 42,650 Urban Interstate IH 820 SB over Wilbarger St
Tarrant 1965 34,052 Urban freeway/expressway US 287 NB over Carey Street
Galveston 1965 33,950 Urban Interstate IH 45 SB over BNSF RR
Galveston 1939 33,950 Urban Interstate IH 45 NB over BNSF RR
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 2,261 2,032,437 37,893,222 17 25,641 231,412
Rural arterial 4,873 4,365,237 35,469,264 19 38,644 136,291
Rural minor arterial 3,884 2,732,848 13,905,595 28 62,017 98,631
Rural major collector 8,065 3,321,803 12,058,447 70 42,810 86,323
Rural minor collector 2,514 708,626 1,394,030 27 6,551 13,622
Rural local road 10,352 2,198,172 5,495,227 428 50,775 68,845
Urban Interstate 3,500 9,988,725 198,111,559 25 149,442 1,547,934
Urban freeway/expressway 4,667 14,056,822 149,458,013 21 66,240 616,597
Urban other principal arterial 4,073 6,005,758 66,196,767 29 67,523 452,456
Urban minor arterial 2,960 3,187,521 32,823,174 28 47,326 216,616
Urban collector 3,198 2,883,272 23,503,019 20 62,083 103,458
Urban local road 5,354 2,903,959 18,592,776 62 62,198 246,886
Total 55,701 54,385,180 594,901,093 774 681,251 3,819,071
Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 2,750 $1,201 9,457,444 1,173,954
Widening & rehabilitation 73 $28 963,392 44,948
Rehabilitation 610 $297 3,036,716 482,749
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 9 $1 1,506 1,564
Other structural work 7,868 $4,216 78,011,061 6,451,143
Total 11,310 $5,742 91,470,119 8,154,358

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on February 1, 2023. 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 2021 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.

51
Compared to 50 in 2021

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. West Virginia 20.0%
50. Nevada 1.0%
51. Texas 1.0%

21
Compared to 21 in 2021

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,604
20. Tennessee 881
21. Texas 774
22. Arkansas 674

48
Compared to 50 in 2021

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. Rhode Island 17.0%
47. Alabama 1.0%
48. Texas 1.0%
49. Arizona 1.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on February 1, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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