May 7, 2026

By Lane Kimble

More than 1,600 small bridges across Wisconsin are in poor or severe condition, with some needing immediate replacement.

That’s a key part of the findings from a multi-year “small bridge inventory” WisDOT recently wrapped up. WTBA helped secure $12.5 million in the 2023-25 state budget for the inventory.

Now, a coalition of industry partners led by the Transportation Development Association (TDA) is urging people to discover which bridges they use on the way to work, school, vacation or a trip to the pharmacy may need attention.

TDA developed a website, FixWIBridges.com, which offers maps, explains ratings, and highlights specific bridges needing improvements.

While bridges spanning 20 feet or more have long been monitored, the state previously had no centralized way of tracking the status of bridges and culverts that run just 6 to 20 feet.

Counties, towns and municipalities mapped where the state’s 17,000 “small structures” are, then certified bridge inspectors rated each one on a scale of 0-9 throughout 2025. “Severe” bridges are rated 0-2, while “poor” are rated 3-4.

“Although the state recently allocated $30 million to begin addressing the most urgent cases, this funding only scratches the surface,” TDA Executive Director Debby Jackson said in her news release announcing the website.

Vernon and Dane counties have the most poor- and severe-rated bridges in the state, with 111 and 104, respectively.