Of the 14,109 bridges in Wisconsin, 1,212 (9%) are structurally deficient and 759 (5%) are functionally obsolete. The state estimates it would cost $1.5 billion to repair 1,980 bridges. Over the past five years, the state spent $1.64 billion on bridge construction, below the national average of 29% of contract awards. The top priority is replacing 1,958 bridges for $1.492 billion.

1. © 2015 The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of
ARTBA.
Highlights from FHWA’s 2014 National Bridge Inventory Data:
 Of the 14,109 bridges in the state, 1,212 bridges, or 9% are classified as structurally deficient.
This means one or more of the key bridge elements, such as the deck, superstructure or
substructure, is considered to be in “poor” or worse condition.1
 There are 759 bridges, or 5% of all state bridges, classified as functionally obsolete. This means
the bridge does not meet design standards that are in line with current practice.
 State and local contract awards for bridge construction totaled $1.64 billion over the past five
years, 24 percent of highway and bridge contract awards, compared to a national average of 29
percent.
 Since 2004, 1,533 new bridges have been constructed in the state and 184 bridges have
undergone major reconstruction.
 The state estimates that it would cost approximately $1.5 billion to fix a total of 1,980 bridges in
the state.2
Bridge Inventory:
All Bridges Structurally deficient Bridges
Type of Bridge
Total
Number
Area (sq.
meters)
Daily
Crossings
Total
Number
Area (sq.
meters)
Daily
Crossings
Rural Bridges
Interstate 610 444,912 10,898,798 24 12,656 451,285
Other principal arterial 1,128 748,006 9,652,944 27 17,305 144,752
Minor arterial 1,134 500,178 4,290,394 48 12,944 196,856
Major collector 1,825 540,991 2,883,672 227 53,300 290,182
Minor collector 721 163,832 643,862 103 23,133 69,304
Local 5,828 905,798 2,126,872 627 62,296 122,992
Urban Bridges
Interstate 515 907,213 17,295,430 11 11,762 193,641
Other freeway 360 479,425 9,726,535 2 1,166 79,050
Principal arterial 595 774,598 10,512,920 20 19,759 228,115
Minor arterial 643 651,236 7,044,711 60 55,862 535,582
Collector 204 128,809 1,144,034 20 10,687 61,861
Rural 546 268,936 2,212,504 43 10,817 74,682
Total 14,109 6,513,933 78,432,676 1,212 291,688 2,448,302
1
According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), a bridge is classified as structurally deficient if the condition rating for the deck,
superstructure, substructure or culvert and retaining walls is rated 4 or below or if the bridge receives an appraisal rating of 2 or less for
structural condition or waterway adequacy. During inspections, the condition 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 and the individual element displays signs of advanced section
loss, deterioration, spalling or scour.
2
This data is provided by bridge owners as part of the FHWA data and is required for any bridge eligible for the Highway Bridge Replacement
and Rehabilitation Program. However, for some states this amount is very low and likely not an accurate reflection of current costs.
State Bridge Profile
Wisconsin

2. © 2015 The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of
ARTBA.
Proposed bridge work:
Type of Work Number Cost (millions) Daily Crossings Area (sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,958 $1,492.1 11,499,028 961,847
Widening & rehabilitation 0 $0.0 0 0
Rehabilitation 1 $0.1 214 202
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 15 $0.3 13,830 2,989
Other work 6 $0.1 1,382 626
Top 10 Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in the State:
County
Year
Built
Daily
Crossings
Type of Bridge Location
Washington 1952 71,200
Urban
freeway/expressway
US-41/US-45 over the Menomonee River
St. Croix 1972 61,790 Urban Interstate I-94/US-12/State Highway 3 over State Highway 35 SB
Racine 1959 32,270 Rural Interstate I-94 WB/US-41 NB over State Highway 20
Dane 1960 28,500 Rural Interstate I-90 WB/I-94 WB over Cuba Valley Road
Dane 1960 27,800 Rural Interstate I-90 EB/I-94 EB over Cuba Valley Road
Milwaukee 1963 26,950
Urban other
principal arterial
Route 241 S/27th Street over the Kinnickinnic River
Columbia 1961 26,100 Rural Interstate I-39/I-90/I-94 NB over S 60
Dane 1961 23,900 Rural Interstate I-90 WB over E Church Road
Rock 1961 23,800 Rural Interstate I-90 EB over N Newville Road
Rock 1961 23,600 Rural Interstate
I-90 EB over the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific
Railroad
Sources: All data is from the 2014 National Bridge Inventory, released by the Federal Highway Administration in January 2015.
Note that specific conditions on bridge may have changed as a result of recent work. Cost estimates of bridge work provided as
part of the data and have been adjusted to 2014$ for inflation and estimated project costs. Contract awards data is for state
and local government awards and comes from McGraw Hill. Note that additional bridge investment may be a part of other
contract awards if a smaller bridge project is included with a highway project, and that would not be accounted for in the total
in this profile.