Bridges - National Highway System

FY2023

Total square footage in poor condition on National Highway System bridges decreases statewide, remains below 10% in FY2022

The percentage of WSDOT-owned bridge deck area in poor condition on the National Highway System decreased to 7.3% (3.5 million square feet) in June 2023, down from 7.6% (3.6 million square feet) in June 2022.

In June 2023, there was a total of 150 bridges with 4.0 million square feet of deck area in poor condition on the National Highway System in Washington state.

The 4.0 million square feet in poor condition—which includes 502,270 square feet on 14 structures owned by local agencies like cities and counties—made up approximately 7.6% of the 53.3 million square feet of deck area on the NHS in Washington. It also was a decrease from June 2022, when 8.0% of bridge deck area on the NHS in Washington was in poor condition.

Having 7.6% of NHS bridge deck area in poor condition meets the performance target for the Federal Transportation Performance Management Act, which mandates that total bridge deck area in poor condition on the NHS not exceed 10%. Per the Statewide Transportation Asset Management Plan, WSDOT anticipates that the state will achieve this goal in 2023 but will likely surpass the target by 2028.

FY2022

WSDOT bridges in poor condition included on the National Highway System increase since June 2021

Approximately 3.6 million square feet (7.6%) of WSDOT's 47.8 million square feet of bridge deck area on the National Highway System was on structures in poor condition as of June 2022. This was an increase from June 2021, when 3.3 million square feet (6.8%) of WSDOT-owned bridge deck area on the NHS was in poor condition.

Amount of square feet in poor condition on National Highway System bridges increases statewide but remains below 10% in FY2022

In June 2022, there were 142 bridges with 4.2 million square feet of deck area in poor condition on the National Highway System in Washington state.

The 4.2 million square feet in poor condition—which includes 609,080 square feet on 15 structures owned by local agencies like cities and counties—made up approximately 8.0% of the 52.8 million square feet of deck area on the NHS in Washington. It also was an increase from June 2021, when 7.0% of bridge deck area on the NHS in Washington was in poor condition. The increase in poor condition is mainly due to the Yakima River Bridge, the Maple Street Bridge in Spokane and the 4th Ave. South Bridge over the Argo Railroad Yard in Seattle, which contributed 0.63% (331,734 square feet of deck area) to the total percentage. The Yakima River Bridge is currently programmed for preservation construction and the other bridges are owned by local governments.

This 8.0% in poor condition meets the performance target for the federal Transportation Performance Management Act, which mandates that total bridge deck area in poor condition on the NHS not exceed 10%. Per the statewide Transportation Asset Management Plan, WSDOT expects the state to meet this target through 2022, but is likely to exceed the target by 2026.

FY2021

WSDOT bridges on National Highway System in poor condition experience increase since June 2020

Approximately 3.3 million square feet (6.8%) of WSDOT's total 47.7 million square feet of bridge deck area on the National Highway System was on structures in poor condition as of June 2021. This was an increase from June 2020, when 3.1 million square feet (6.4%) of WSDOT-owned bridge deck area on the NHS was in poor condition.

The two bridges on Interstate 90 in King County dropping from fair to poor condition between July 2020 and June 2021 were major factors in this change.

Amount of square feet in poor condition on National Highway System bridges increases statewide but remains below 10% in FY2021

In June 2021, there were 127 bridges with 3.6 million square feet of deck area in poor condition on the National Highway System in all of Washington state.

The 3.6 million square feet in poor condition—which includes 356,405 square feet on 16 structures owned by local agencies like cities and counties—made up approximately 7.0% of the total 51.8 million square feet of deck area on the NHS in Washington. It also was an increase from June 2020, when 6.6% of bridge deck area on the NHS in Washington was in poor condition.

While moving in the wrong direction, this total meets the performance target for the federal Transportation Performance Management Act, which mandates that total bridge deck area in poor condition on the NHS not exceed 10%. Per the statewide Transportation Asset Management Plan, WSDOT expects the state to meet this target through 2022 but miss it by 2028.

FY2020

NHS bridges in poor condition stay below 10% in FY2020

In June 2020, there were 124 bridges with 2,564 square feet of deck area in poor condition on the National Highway System in Washington state. These 124 bridges had 3.5 million square feet of deck area—approximately 6.6% of all deck area on the NHS in Washington.

This represents an improvement from June 2019, when 7.3% of bridge deck area on the NHS in Washington was in poor condition. It also meets the performance target for the federal Transportation Performance Management Act, which mandates that total bridge deck area in poor condition on the NHS not exceed 10%. As of the publication of its Transportation Asset Management Plan in June 2019, WSDOT expected the state to continue to meet this target through 2022, but to fall short of it by 2028.

Statewide bridge conditions improve slightly in FY2020

Statewide, 4.7 million square feet (6.3%) of Washington's 74.7 million square feet of bridge deck area was on structures considered to be in poor condition as of June 2020. This was a slight improvement from June 2019, when 4.9 million square feet (7.1%) of bridge deck area was located on bridges in poor condition.

The reduction in the percentage of bridge deck area located on bridges in poor condition was almost entirely due to the removal of the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct, which was replaced with a tunnel that opened on February 4, 2019. The viaduct, which was removed from WSDOT's bridge inventory in January 2020, had approximately 612,000 square feet of deck area and was in poor condition prior to its removal from the inventory.

FY2019

NHS bridges in poor condition stay below 10% in FY2019, but are expected to miss federal MAP-21 target by 2028

Total (state and local) bridge deck area in poor condition on the National Highway System in Washington state held steady at 3.9 million square feet in FY2019—the same as in FY2018. These 3.9 million square feet represent 7.3% of bridge deck area on the NHS in Washington in FY2019. This meets the performance target for the federal Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, which mandates that total bridge deck area in poor condition on the NHS not exceed 10%.

WSDOT bridge conditions worsen slightly in FY2019

Statewide, 4.9 million square feet (6.5%) of Washington's 75.4 million square feet of bridge deck area was on structures considered to be in poor June 2018, when 4.8 million square feet of bridge deck area was located on bridges in poor condition.

Washington projected to miss MAP-21 target by 2028

WSDOT analyzed the impact of four potential funding scenarios on the percent of NHS bridges in poor condition (by deck area) in 2022 and in 2028. All four scenarios allow Washington to meet the MAP-21 target of no more than 10% of bridges by deck area in poor condition in 2022.

Under the current funding scenario (WSDOT's best estimate of the funding it expects to receive), Washington will not have sufficient funding to meet the MAP-21 target in 2028. Washington also failed to meet this target in two of the other three scenarios analyzed.

WSDOT completed these scenario analyses as part of its Transportation Asset Management Plan, which communicates how WSDOT preserves bridge and pavement networks to meet targets under MAP-21.