National Bridge Inventory: Wisconsin



  • Of the 14,336 bridges in the state, 922, or 6.4 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 1,054 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2018.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 4.5 percent of total deck area on all structures.
  • 23 of the structurally deficient bridges are on the Interstate Highway System. A total of 91.3 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.
  • 549 bridges are posted for load, which may restrict the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.
  • The state has identified needed repairs on 1,760 bridges at an estimated cost of $1.7 billion.
  • This compares to 1,955 bridges that needed work in 2018.

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Milwaukee 1960 126,000 Urban Interstate IH 43-N-S Freeway over Lrd Glendale Ave
Milwaukee 1959 107,000 Urban Interstate IH 43-N-S Freeway over Lrd W Hampton Ave
Milwaukee 1959 82,500 Urban Interstate IH 94 WB-E-W Freew over Lrd Mitchell Blvd
Milwaukee 1959 64,100 Urban Interstate IH 94 WB-Stadium I over Sth 175 NB-Stadium Intch
Milwaukee 1967 58,500 Urban Interstate IH 41/Ush 45/Sth 1 over Cth W Mill Rd (Cth S)
Milwaukee 1967 58,500 Urban Interstate IH 41/Ush 45/Sth 1 over Cth W Mill Rd (Cth S)
Dane 1956 36,178 Urban other principal arterial Cth M Century Ave over Pheasant Branch Creek
Dunn 1959 33,200 Rural Interstate IH 94 over E Br Wilson Creek
Douglas 1961 33,021 Urban Interstate I 535 over St Louis R; RR,Street
Milwaukee 1966 31,300 Urban other principal arterial Sth 36-Loomis Rd over IH 41/43/894
Milwaukee 1969 26,100 Urban other principal arterial Cth Pp W Good Hop over Br Milwaukee River
Columbia 1961 26,100 Rural Interstate IH 39/90/94 NB over Sth 60
Portage 1969 24,700 Urban Interstate IH Ush51-Ih39 NB over Fv&W RR
Portage 1968 23,500 Urban other principal arterial Ush 10 over IH USH 51-IH 39
Dane 1949 22,998 Urban collector Cth M Century Av over Pheasant Branch Creek
Milwaukee 1936 21,700 Urban minor arterial Lrd N Teutonia Ave over Lincoln Creek
Portage 1969 21,500 Urban Interstate IH Ush51-Ih39SB over Cth B
Portage 1969 21,500 Urban Interstate IH Ush51-Ih39NB over Cth B
Milwaukee 1964 19,600 Urban minor arterial Lrd W Locust St over IH 43-N-S Freeway
Milwaukee 1963 19,100 Urban other principal arterial Sth 57-Green Bay R over Br Milwaukee River
Eau Claire 1988 18,600 Urban other principal arterial USH 12 over Otter Creek
Waukesha 1977 18,500 Urban other principal arterial Cth F NB over IH 94
Milwaukee 1987 18,300 Urban other principal arterial Lrd S 43rd St over Kinnickinnick River
Milwaukee 1939 17,060 Urban other principal arterial Sth 38-Chase Ave over Cnw RR
Milwaukee 1939 16,843 Urban minor arterial Lrd S 70th St over Hank Aaron State Trail
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 643 510,691 13,327,028 11 5,579 193,700
Rural arterial 1,134 844,849 8,954,026 21 7,431 109,705
Rural minor arterial 1,139 531,151 4,076,352 37 20,366 96,411
Rural major collector 1,804 567,811 2,914,427 191 50,761 249,388
Rural minor collector 724 172,958 641,014 82 15,863 50,112
Rural local road 5,896 977,373 2,073,067 452 52,275 97,182
Urban Interstate 664 1,193,821 24,519,825 12 61,945 623,721
Urban freeway/expressway 214 356,831 4,802,762 1 460 15,000
Urban other principal arterial 779 965,327 12,395,685 31 30,341 468,979
Urban minor arterial 569 619,443 5,282,714 31 56,987 232,110
Urban collector 197 123,634 1,005,206 19 6,030 79,226
Urban local road 573 278,154 2,173,131 34 10,423 67,395
Total 14,336 7,142,042 82,165,237 922 318,461 2,282,929
Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,734 $1,629 12,431,910 1,099,965
Widening & rehabilitation 0 $0 0 0
Rehabilitation 5 $49 33,385 47,633
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 15 $3 13,830 2,995
Other structural work 6 $1 1,382 704
Total 1,760 $1,682 12,480,507 1,151,298

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.

25
Compared to 25 in 2021

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. West Virginia 20.0%
24. Mississippi 7.0%
25. Wisconsin 6.0%
26. Hawaii 6.0%

19
Compared to 19 in 2021

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,604
18. South Dakota 996
19. Wisconsin 922
20. Tennessee 881

31
Compared to 36 in 2021

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. Rhode Island 17.0%
30. South Carolina 5.0%
31. Wisconsin 5.0%
32. Oklahoma 4.0%
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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