It is predicted that the next two years will be solid ones for contractors taking on bridge construction projects at the state level. Taking advantage of the opportunity for federal dollars flowing out of a new bridge formula program, state DOTs also are capitalizing on highway program funds and discretionary grants to repair and replace bridges across the country. That means more future construction. ARTBA reports that bridges are a big focus for any state highway programs. The association logged more than 27,000 structures in need of repair or replacement. According to the association, states now have access to the full $26.6 billion available in the new bridge formula program over five years. “Unlike the core highway program, agencies have four years to commit these funds toward eligible projects,” said ARTBA. As of December 2025, states have committed $15 billion toward more than 7,350 projects, nearly 57 percent of available funds. “And, as projects get under way, states have been reimbursed for $8.5 billion in work completed,” it said. In its 2025 bridge report, ARTBA found that 220,295 spans across the country need repair. It noted that 74,472 actually should be replaced. The association logged approximately 222,000 bridges in need of repair in 2024 and more than 76,000 needing replacement. Of the bridges needing repair, 41,677 are rated in poor condition — down from 42,067 in 2024 — and classified as “structurally deficient,” reported ARTBA. “Motorists cross these structures 163 million times a day,” said Alison Premo Black, ARTBA’s senior vice president and chief economist. Premo Black tracked and analyzed the bridge data and found that California was among states that declined in the number of bridges in poor condition: Iowa, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Nebraska rounded out the top five with the biggest drop in poor-condition spans.

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