Worst Condition Bridges
The 50 bridges with the lowest BridgeWatch Condition Scores in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. The current low entry, IH 35 in Texas, scores 0/100. A low score means at least one primary component is rated Poor or worse on the federal 0-9 scale; it is not a closure determination.
How the Condition Score Works
The BridgeWatch Condition Score is a 0-to-100 composite drawn from three FHWA NBI fields: deck condition, superstructure condition, and substructure condition. Each component is rated 0 to 9 on the federal scale (9 Excellent, 7 Good, 5 Fair, 4 Poor, 0 Failed). Component ratings are normalized to 0-100, weighted roughly equally, and an age penalty is applied for bridges older than 50 years. Letter grades A through F are then assigned based on the composite. The full formula is documented on the methodology page.
A low Condition Score is a signal that the structure has triggered FHWA "structurally deficient" criteria on at least one component, making it eligible for federal replacement and rehabilitation funding under the Bridge Investment Program. State DOTs program work using their Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIPs); the timing of any specific repair depends on funding cycles and prioritization.
| # | Bridge | State | Score | Grade | Built | Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IH 35 | Texas | 0 | F | 2007 | 810K |
| 2 | IH 10 | Texas | 0 | F | 2007 | 406K |
| 3 | IH 10 | Texas | 0 | F | 2007 | 387K |
| 4 | IH 10 | Texas | 0 | F | 2007 | 387K |
| 5 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 374K |
| 6 | IH 10/Campbell Rd | Texas | 0 | F | 2005 | 373K |
| 7 | I-75 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1964 | 349K |
| 8 | IH 10 | Texas | 0 | F | 2006 | 333K |
| 9 | I-75 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1965 | 325K |
| 10 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 319K |
| 11 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 319K |
| 12 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 319K |
| 13 | I- 90 94 DAN RYAN | Illinois | 0 | F | 1961 | 312K |
| 14 | IH 635 | Texas | 0 | F | 1967 | 310K |
| 15 | I-85 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1958 | 307K |
| 16 | I-85 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1959 | 303K |
| 17 | IH 410 | Texas | 0 | F | 2008 | 303K |
| 18 | INTERSTATE 5 | California | 0 | F | 1958 | 300K |
| 19 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1966 | 300K |
| 20 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1966 | 300K |
| 21 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1970 | 300K |
| 22 | I-85 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1957 | 296K |
| 23 | U.S. HIGHWAY 101 | California | 0 | F | 1958 | 296K |
| 24 | U.S. HIGHWAY 101 | California | 0 | F | 1958 | 296K |
| 25 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1963 | 294K |
| 26 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1971 | 290K |
| 27 | U.S. HIGHWAY 101 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 289K |
| 28 | INTERSTATE 80 | California | 0 | F | 1936 | 288K |
| 29 | Parkway N/S | New Jersey | 0 | F | 1952 | 287K |
| 30 | IH 410 | Texas | 0 | F | 2000 | 287K |
| 31 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1961 | 285K |
| 32 | U.S. HIGHWAY 101 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 285K |
| 33 | I-85 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1963 | 284K |
| 34 | I-15 | Nevada | 0 | F | 1986 | 280K |
| 35 | I 15 | Nevada | 0 | F | 1964 | 280K |
| 36 | INTERSTATE 5 | California | 0 | F | 1958 | 279K |
| 37 | GSP | New Jersey | 0 | F | 1947 | 278K |
| 38 | INTERSTATE 210 | California | 0 | F | 1976 | 269K |
| 39 | INTERSTATE 10 | California | 0 | F | 1964 | 268K |
| 40 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1968 | 266K |
| 41 | IS 270 | Maryland | 0 | F | 1958 | 265K |
| 42 | IH 10 | Texas | 0 | F | 2006 | 265K |
| 43 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1959 | 265K |
| 44 | INTERSTATE 5 | California | 0 | F | 1957 | 264K |
| 45 | STATE ROUTE 91 | California | 0 | F | 1970 | 264K |
| 46 | I-75 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1965 | 263K |
| 47 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1966 | 263K |
| 48 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1966 | 263K |
| 49 | INTERSTATE 405 | California | 0 | F | 1966 | 263K |
| 50 | I-75- RMPS- CR2038 | Georgia | 0 | F | 1963 | 262K |
What "Poor" Component Ratings Actually Look Like
NBI inspectors document specific physical observations behind each rating. A deck rated 4 (Poor) typically shows widespread spalling, exposed reinforcement, and significant transverse cracking. A superstructure rated 4 typically shows section loss in steel members, advanced deterioration of bearings, or significant cracking and deterioration in concrete elements. A substructure rated 4 typically shows scour around piers, settlement, or significant cracking and exposure of reinforcement in the abutments. These are condition observations, not engineering verdicts on remaining safe load capacity.
The ASCE Infrastructure Report Card publishes national context on the share of U.S. bridges in Poor condition and on funding levels relative to need. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes complementary data on freight loads and corridor-level traffic that helps explain why some Poor-rated bridges are higher rehabilitation priorities than others.
What This Ranking Cannot Tell You
Component ratings are observed, not predictive. The NBI does not publish a "probability of failure" estimate for any bridge, and BridgeWatch does not attempt to infer one. State DOTs use additional engineering analysis (load ratings, fatigue analysis, scour calculations) to determine operational restrictions; those analyses are not part of the public NBI dataset. If you have a specific concern about a bridge on the list above, the relevant state DOT and the FHWA bridge program are the authoritative sources for current operational status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "worst condition" mean here?
The list is ranked by the BridgeWatch Condition Score, a 0-100 composite that combines NBI ratings for deck (33%), superstructure (33%), and substructure (34%), with an age penalty applied for bridges older than 50 years. The lowest scores represent bridges where one or more of those primary load-carrying components is rated 4 ("Poor") or below on the FHWA 0-9 scale. The score is descriptive of inspection findings, not a predictor of failure.
Are the bridges on this list closed?
Most are not. NBI condition ratings describe observed physical condition; closure decisions are made by the owning state DOT. A low Condition Score makes a bridge eligible for federal Bridge Investment Program funding and state replacement programs, but the structure typically remains in service at posted load limits while rehabilitation or replacement work is programmed and funded. State DOTs and the FHWA bridge program are the authoritative sources for any operational restriction on a specific structure.
How is "structurally deficient" different from "low Condition Score"?
A bridge is "structurally deficient" under FHWA criteria when at least one of deck, superstructure, or substructure is rated 4 or lower on the NBI 0-9 scale. The BridgeWatch Condition Score is a 0-100 composite of the same three component ratings, so the two are correlated but not identical: a bridge with one Poor component but two Good components can have a moderate composite score while still meeting the federal "structurally deficient" definition.
How many U.S. bridges are structurally deficient?
According to the latest FHWA National Bridge Inventory release (data year 2025), approximately 192K bridges nationally are classified as structurally deficient. The 50-bridge list above represents the worst Condition Scores in the BridgeWatch composite; the federal "structurally deficient" count is broader and includes any bridge with a Poor or worse rating on a single primary component.
Where does the underlying data come from?
All figures on this page come from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/nbi.cfm. Inspection records originate with each state DOT under the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). The current ranking reflects the 2025 NBI release, refreshed April 2026.