The average US bridge is 48 years old. That's a lot of birthday candles.
The average US bridge is 48 years old. That's a lot of birthday candles.
Infrastructure Grade
Infrastructure Report Card
1.9% of bridges in poor condition
Total Bridges
261
Poor Condition
5(1.9%)
Avg Bridge Age
65 yrs
Trend
Stable
| Metric | District of Columbia | National Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| % Poor Condition | 1.9% | 6.7% | Stable |
| vs. National Average | -4.8 pts | -- | -- |
| Average Bridge Age | 65 yrs | 48 yrs | -- |
| Good or Better | 138(52.9%) | -- | -- |
Grade Scale
Percentage of bridges in poor condition over time. The dashed line shows the national average for comparison.
Total Bridges
261
Poor Condition
5(1.9%)
Average Age
65 yrs
Daily Crossings
8.8M
Good or Better
138(52.9%)
These bridges have at least one major component rated "5" (Fair) — one step above the poor threshold. Sorted by daily traffic to highlight highest-impact structures at risk.
| Bridge | Location | Deck | Super | Sub | Daily Traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOUTHWEST FREEWAY | District of Columbia | 7 | 5 | 5 | 252,820 |
| SOUTHEAST FRWY | District of Columbia | 6 | 6 | 5 | 252,800 |
| SOUTHWEST FREEWAY | District of Columbia | 7 | 6 | 5 | 155,000 |
| NEW YORK AVENUE | District of Columbia | 6 | 7 | 5 | 131,500 |
| SOUTHEAST FWY | District of Columbia | 6 | 6 | 5 | 114,500 |
| I-66 | District of Columbia | 5 | 5 | 6 | 95,000 |
| 14TH ST NB&SB& | District of Columbia | 6 | 5 | 6 | 95,000 |
| NEW YORK AVENUE | District of Columbia | 5 | 5 | 5 | 80,000 |
| I-395 HOV Bridge | District of Columbia | 6 | 6 | 5 | 75,000 |
| Key Bridge | District of Columbia | 5 | 6 | 6 | 62,000 |
| New York Ave NE | District of Columbia | 5 | 5 | 5 | 47,000 |
| ROCK CREEK PARKWAY | District of Columbia | 7 | 5 | 6 | 41,725 |
| WHITEHURST FRWY | District of Columbia | 6 | 5 | 5 | 40,000 |
| RAMP C I695 EAST | District of Columbia | 6 | 5 | 6 | 39,921 |
| PENNSYLVANIA AVE | District of Columbia | 6 | 7 | 5 | 38,600 |
The 10 bridges in poorest condition, ranked by lowest sufficiency rating.
over LUZON BRANCH
over WASHINGTON TERMINAL YARD
over SB KENILWORTH AVE
over POT RIVER & POTOMAC
over ROCK CREEK
States with similar infrastructure profiles, ranked by percentage of bridges in poor condition.
Grading: Grades are based on the percentage of bridges classified as "poor condition." A bridge is in poor condition when at least one major component (deck, superstructure, or substructure) is rated 4 or below on the NBI 0-9 scale.
Data Source: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Data is updated annually. BridgeStats is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FHWA.
Watchlist Criteria: Bridges with any component rated "5" (Fair) are one step from the poor threshold of 4 and are flagged for monitoring. These bridges are not yet in poor condition but may deteriorate without maintenance.