National Bridge Inventory: Pennsylvania



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 12,409 bridges.
  • This compares to 11,882 bridges that needed work in 2019.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Pennsylvania will receive a total of $1.8 billion in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Pennsylvania currently has access to $706.8 million of that total, and has committed $406.6 million towards 231 projects as of June 2023.
  • Of the 23,257 bridges in the Commonwealth, 3,022, or 13.0 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 3,501 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2019.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 6.3 percent of total deck area on all structures.

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Philadelphia 1967 230,798 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over Tacony St.And Bridge St.
Philadelphia 1967 230,798 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over Fraley Street
Philadelphia 1967 230,798 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over Comly Street
Philadelphia 1968 185,518 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 over earth fill & sewer access
Philadelphia 1965 145,923 Urban Interstate Delaware Expway. over Venango Street
Philadelphia 1965 145,923 Urban Interstate Delaware Expway. over Wheatsheaf Lane
Lehigh 1952 100,082 Urban freeway/expressway US 22(LR 771) over Twp.Rd.567* Mickley Road
Berks 1963 75,828 Urban freeway/expressway SR 422 (Lr793) over Thun Recreational Trail
Chester 1961 64,245 Urban freeway/expressway Route 30 By-Pass over Creek Rd, Brandywine Ck.
York 1959 59,180 Urban Interstate I-83; SR 83 over US 30; SR 30
York 1957 59,180 Urban Interstate 83 over 181 George St
York 1959 55,949 Urban Interstate I-83; SR 83 over 22/Springwood Rd
Berks 1963 54,692 Urban freeway/expressway SR 422(LR 793) over Schuylkill River
Philadelphia 1955 51,019 Urban other principal arterial Roosevelt Blvd. over 5th Street (overpass)
Montgomery 1965 50,793 Urban freeway/expressway Pottstown Exprsway over Sanatoga Rd, Sanatoga Cr
Philadelphia 1960 50,762 Urban freeway/expressway Roosevelt Blvd Ext over Roberts Ave;Septa;CSX
Delaware 1967 47,283 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 (NB) over Naaman S Creek Road
Bucks 1954 46,280 Urban Interstate Pa Tpk (I-276) over T-346,Blomsdal Rd
Bucks 1954 46,280 Urban Interstate Pa Turnpike(I-276) over Bristol Ind.RR:Db-252
Berks 1955 45,556 Urban Interstate I-78 (LR 285) over Reading/Northern RR T571
Bucks 1936 44,240 Urban other principal arterial Beth.Pk;W.End Blvd over Morgan Creek
Bucks 1967 44,208 Urban freeway/expressway New US-1 By-Pass over CSX/Septa, Sr2037 Spur B
Montgomery 1965 43,271 Urban freeway/expressway EB County Line Exp over North Gulph Road
Bucks 1937 43,144 Urban other principal arterial Easton Road over Branch Neshaminy Creek
Bucks 1954 41,867 Urban Interstate Pa Tpk (I-276) over SR 2027 & Nesh.Cr
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 1,049 1,038,766 17,153,094 25 23,514 369,007
Rural arterial 1,014 1,078,042 7,965,677 32 11,322 291,433
Rural minor arterial 1,446 537,931 5,133,225 127 27,914 353,842
Rural major collector 1,916 591,549 3,149,899 192 47,808 335,777
Rural minor collector 2,057 423,329 1,517,923 284 41,661 193,132
Rural local road 7,386 1,207,416 2,921,268 1,498 178,901 511,155
Urban Interstate 1,458 3,089,399 53,777,359 48 81,944 2,120,688
Urban freeway/expressway 921 1,337,254 25,036,228 31 62,603 939,746
Urban other principal arterial 1,479 1,874,794 23,351,440 135 135,344 2,218,801
Urban minor arterial 1,521 1,101,689 13,421,196 165 92,440 1,500,865
Urban collector 1,448 605,332 5,810,758 173 51,007 671,022
Urban local road 1,562 577,012 3,554,046 312 94,148 615,734
Total 23,257 13,462,513 162,792,113 3,022 848,606 10,121,202
Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,815 $1,774 4,612,654 389,356
Widening & rehabilitation 103 $459 728,725 140,068
Rehabilitation 7,453 $17,154 64,976,400 5,324,225
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 977 $2,092 6,076,587 656,374
Other structural work 2,061 $3,561 11,218,523 1,119,836
Total 12,409 $25,040 87,612,889 7,629,860

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on July 3, 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 2022 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.

6
Compared to 6 in 2022

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. West Virginia 20.0%
5. Maine 15.0%
6. Pennsylvania 13.0%
7. Puerto Rico 13.0%

2
Compared to 2 in 2022

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,558
2. Pennsylvania 3,022
3. Illinois 2,472

21
Compared to 17 in 2022

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. Rhode Island 15.0%
20. Montana 6.0%
21. Pennsylvania 6.0%
22. North Carolina 6.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on July 3, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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