Bridge conditions in McDowell County, West Virginia

224 inventoried bridges · 63 rated poor · 2025 National Bridge Inventory

United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled August 20, 2026

About one in 4 bridges in McDowell County is rated in poor condition: 63 of 224 on the federal inventory, one of the higher shares in West Virginia.

63 of the 224 bridges in McDowell County, West Virginia, are rated in poor condition (28.1%) in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory, as of August 20, 2026.
16 bridges (7.1%) are rated good and 145 (64.7%) fair.
The median McDowell County bridge was built in 1993.
The busiest poor-rated bridge is US 52 over Spice Creek (built 1933), carrying about 3,200 vehicles a day.

Good 7.1% · Fair 64.7% · Poor 28.1% of 224 bridges

Bridges rated poor

Every bridge in the county with a poor rating, busiest first. Poor means a major component is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale; it is a repair flag, not a closure notice.

Bridge	Built	Vehicles/day	Condition
US 52 over Spice Creek	1933	3,200	Poor
County Route 12/4 over War Creek	2004	2,200	Poor
Wv 16 over Dry Fork	1993	1,200	Poor
Wv 16 over Browns Creek	1999	1,200	Poor
Wv 83 over Dry Fork	1979	1,100	Poor
Wv 83 over Barrenshe Creek	1968	1,100	Poor
Wv 16 over Big Creek	1916	800	Poor
CR 3/1 over Greenbrier Fork	1936	750	Poor
Wv 161 over South Fork	1945	750	Poor
CR 83/13 over Little Slate Creek	1978	600	Poor
CR 7 over Tug Fork	1917	500	Poor
County Route 7 over Tug Fork	1890	500	Poor
County Route 9/6 over Right Fork	1925	500	Poor
County Route 9/6 over Dry Fork	1928	500	Poor
CR 2 over Clear Fork	1980	450	Poor
CR 17 over Windmill Gap Branch	1994	350	Poor
CR 52/17 over Elkhorn Creek	1992	350	Poor
Co 83/13 over Little Slate Creek	1995	350	Poor
CR 10 over Unnamed Stream	1948	350	Poor
County Route 5/2 over Crane Creek	1978	250	Poor
Co 5/2 over Dry Fork	1941	250	Poor
CR 83/1 over Dry Fork	1984	250	Poor
CR 5/2 over Crane Creek	1978	250	Poor
Co 7/7 over Twin Branch	1935	250	Poor
CR 3/2 over George Branch	1992	200	Poor
Co 1/1 over Fourpole Creek	1915	200	Poor
Co 8 over Ballard Harmon Branch	1991	200	Poor
Co 8 over Ballard Harmon Branch	1999	200	Poor
County Route 8 over Sams Branch	1933	150	Poor
CR 12/3 over Barrenshe Creek	1936	150	Poor
County Route 52/8 over Bottom Creek	1978	150	Poor
Co 9/5 over Dry Fork	1997	150	Poor
Gary City Street over Tug Fork	1930	120	Poor
Co 1/4 over Horse Creek	1990	100	Poor
CR 2 over Clear Fork	1978	90	Poor
County Route 12/10 over War Creek	1936	90	Poor
CR 12/10 over War Creek	1936	90	Poor
Co 52/98 over Elkhorn Creek	1950	90	Poor
Ha 902/21 over Bradshaw Creek	1992	90	Poor
Co 16/17 over Jacobs Fork	1998	60	Poor
Ha 902/47 over Panther Creek	1994	60	Poor
Harp Route 901/51 over Little Creek	2000	50	Poor
CR 102/71 over Elkhorn Creek	1974	40	Poor
CR 635/2 over Hite Fork	1984	40	Poor
CR 52/3 over Elkhorn Creek	1992	40	Poor
County Rte. 102/71 over Elkhorn Creek	1993	40	Poor
Co 52/29 over Elkhorn Creek	1940	40	Poor
Co 16/48 over Tug Fork & Tug Street	1946	40	Poor
Co 16/47 over Tug Fork & Co 16/44	1980	40	Poor
Co 16/57 over Browns Creek	1950	40	Poor
Harp 958 over Dry Fork	1977	40	Poor
Ha 997 over Hite Fork	2001	40	Poor
Co 52/56 over Elkhorn Creek	1920	40	Poor
CR 84/2 over Tug Fork	2000	30	Poor
Harp 902/18 over North Fork	1995	30	Poor
Harp Route 902/49 over Clear Fork	2003	30	Poor
Co 102/74 over Tug Fork	1956	30	Poor
Harp 966 over Elkhorn Creek	2010	30	Poor
CR. 16/12 over Jacobs Fork	1980	20	Poor
CR. 16/13 over Jacobs Fork	1989	20	Poor
Ha 902/79 over South Fork	1960	20	Poor
Co 83/15 over Bradshaw Creek	2002	10	Poor
County Route 7 over Tug Fork	1890	–	Poor

Busiest bridges in the county

Bridge	Built	Vehicles/day	Condition
US 52 over Tug Fork	1957	5,300	Fair
US 52 over Elkhorn Creek	2024	3,700	Good
US 52 over Bottom Creek	1932	3,500	Fair
US 52 over Elkhorn Creek	1936	3,500	Fair
US 52 Alternate over Elkhorn Creek	1979	3,400	Fair
US 52 over Spice Creek	1933	3,200	Poor
US 52 over Elkhorn Creek	1976	3,200	Fair
US Rt 52 Alt over Elkhorn Creek	1989	3,200	Fair
US Rt 52 over Elkhorn Creek	1991	3,100	Fair
US. 52 over Elkhorn Creek	1987	3,100	Fair

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025. Counts cover inventoried highway bridges over 20 feet; ratings are reported by the state DOT.

Every bridge in McDowell County → - all 224, busiest first, each with its own condition record.

All of West Virginia: West Virginia bridge conditions by county · every download on the data page.

Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.