National Bridge Inventory: West Virginia



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 3,431 bridges.
  • This compares to 3,640 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, West Virginia will receive a total of $548.1 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • West Virginia currently has access to $438.5 million of that total, and has committed $400.3 million towards 481 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 7,345 bridges in the state, 1,307, or 17.8 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 1,490 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 12.9 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in West Virginia

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Kanawha 1975 84,279 Urban Interstate I-64 E & W over Kan R Wv61 CSX RR US119
Kanawha 1975 47,700 Urban Interstate I-77 NB & SB over US 60
Cabell 1959 33,900 Urban Interstate I 64 WB over Guyandotte R, Cr60/52&26
Cabell 1964 32,400 Urban Interstate I 64 WB over West,East,Cook School Rd
Harrison 1981 28,798 Rural arterial US Route 50 WB over Salem Fork, Pvt Dr, Trai
Brooke 1984 28,700 Urban freeway/expressway US Route 22 over Ramp D, Railroad
Cabell 1964 28,200 Urban Interstate I 64 EB over West,East,Cook School Rd
Ohio 1966 28,082 Urban Interstate Interstate 70 EB over Wheeling Creek & City St
Harrison 1977 26,100 Urban other principal arterial US Route 50 over US 19 & WV 20
Harrison 1977 26,100 Urban other principal arterial US Route 50 over CSX Railbed
Cabell 1996 23,600 Urban Interstate I64 EB over Mud River
Monongalia 1969 22,800 Rural Interstate I 79 NB over Whiteday Crk & Cr 73/01_
Harrison 1974 22,600 Urban other principal arterial US Route 50 over Interstate 79
Marshall 1920 22,100 Urban other principal arterial US Route 250 over Parrs Run
Ohio 1970 21,750 Urban Interstate Interstate 70 over Mid.Whg Crk, US40 Cty St
Marion 1966 21,200 Urban Interstate Interstate 79 SB over WV 310
Cabell 1968 19,844 Urban freeway/expressway US 52 over Ohio River
Wood 1963 19,400 Rural Interstate I-77 NBL over US 50
Wood 1935 19,300 Urban other principal arterial West Virginia 14 over Little Kanawha River
Monongalia 1971 19,100 Rural minor arterial US Route 119 over I-68 EB & WB
Kanawha 1953 18,959 Urban collector Cr 25/47 over 10th St.,US Rt 60, Kan R
Monongalia 1970 18,950 Rural Interstate Interstate 79 SB over I-68 Eastbound On-Ramp
Monongalia 1970 18,950 Rural Interstate Interstate 79 NB over I-68 Eastbound On-Ramp
Wayne 1962 18,900 Urban Interstate I 64 WB over US 52 and WV 75
Kanawha 1959 18,600 Urban minor arterial Wv. 601 over Davis Creek

Bridge Inventory: West Virginia

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 397 482,158 5,860,214 43 65,894 480,600
Rural arterial 432 730,427 2,620,346 47 64,073 252,344
Rural minor arterial 360 209,230 1,051,855 64 24,496 183,030
Rural major collector 1,473 448,680 1,899,776 282 61,339 332,317
Rural minor collector 498 94,772 265,099 74 9,281 27,922
Rural local road 3,058 449,608 612,360 607 62,882 106,667
Urban Interstate 252 610,563 7,409,003 24 64,038 515,711
Urban freeway/expressway 78 175,581 851,867 11 34,522 146,511
Urban other principal arterial 153 295,789 2,104,956 18 54,349 228,350
Urban minor arterial 209 236,930 1,610,688 39 23,527 303,320
Urban collector 149 80,640 496,738 28 19,179 120,039
Urban local road 286 100,575 336,088 70 20,040 66,863
Total 7,345 3,914,954 25,118,990 1,307 503,622 2,763,674

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 2,029 $1,313 3,085,801 387,576
Widening & rehabilitation 165 $125 356,486 53,873
Rehabilitation 663 $1,453 4,129,027 622,261
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 485 $1,358 3,092,514 581,505
Other structural work 89 $226 313,122 96,534
Total 3,431 $4,476 10,976,950 1,741,749

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.

2
Compared to 2 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
1. Iowa 19.0%
2. West Virginia 18.0%
3. South Dakota 16.0%

9
Compared to 9 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
8. North Carolina 1,383
9. West Virginia 1,307
10. Kansas 1,301

1
Compared to 2 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
2. New York 12.0%
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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