Our Bridges
Noxon Road, LaGrange, New York
Bridges serve an essential, yet sometimes overlooked, role in our transportation system. They provide the necessary physical connections for our roads to function effectively. A closed bridge can potentially delay response times for emergency responders, lengthen personal trips, and disrupt freight movement – key considerations when it comes to safety and reliability.
Dutchess County is home to 365 bridges, defined as road or trail structures with a span over 20 feet long. NYSDOT and Dutchess County are collectively responsible for 76 percent of these bridges (37 and 39 percent respectively). The remaining 24 percent fall under the responsibility of local municipalities, the New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA), National Park Service (NPS), and other entities. As of 2025, the average age of all bridges in Dutchess County was about 60 years, with about half built before 1965. And notably, 82 bridges were built or rebuilt between 2000 and 2024 — averaging about three new or improved bridges each year.
See the Map Viewer for the locations of bridges in the county.
Bridge Conditions
NYSDOT inspects all non-tolled, vehicular bridges regardless of road ownership, generally on a biennial basis. There are 332 inspected bridges in the county. NYSDOT evaluates bridges based on an assessment of their major components and capacity to carry vehicle loads. Using federal guidelines, NYSDOT rates bridges on their overall condition. These federal ratings identify bridges in good, fair, or poor condition. Although a bridge may be rated in poor condition, it does not mean that it’s unsafe. Rather, a poor condition bridge, when left open to traffic, may require a weight limit or significant repairs to stay in service, and in the future, replacement. As of 2025, 79 bridges (or 24 percent) were classified as good, 202 (61 percent) fair, and only 51 (15 percent) poor – several of these poorly rated bridges are currently being rehabilitated or reconstructed.
There are 27 bridges in the county that are not rated by NYSDOT. These include railroad bridges, NPS bridges, and the three tolled Hudson River crossings (Newburgh-Beacon, Mid-Hudson, and Kingston-Rhinecliff bridges).
Restricted Bridges
NYSDOT also identifies bridges that have limits on the type of vehicles that can use them. These limits are based on a design or condition that affects the bridge’s capacity to accommodate heavy vehicles. Classified as “R” posted bridges, they have a “No Trucks with R Permits” sign. As of 2025, there were four “R” posted bridges in Dutchess County.
New York State Bridge Authority Bridges
In 2024 the three NYSBA bridges over the Hudson River in Dutchess carried nearly 51 million vehicles – a slight increase of two percent from 2019, prior to the pandemic. Over 56 percent of these vehicles (28.5 million) crossed the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, while the Mid-Hudson and Kingston-Rhinecliff bridges carried 14.2 and 8.1 million vehicles respectively. Historical volumes for these bridges can be found on the NYSBA website.
FEDERAL BRIDGE RATINGS
The federal bridge rating system, which differs from the NYSDOT system, rates bridges on a scale of one to nine, with nine being excellent condition and five being fair. The FHWA classifies bridges that score below a four as “poor.” A “poor” rating does not mean a bridge is unsafe but indicates that it requires corrective maintenance or rehabilitation to restore it to a fully functional condition.
Bridge Ratings
| Bridge Owner | Number of Bridges | Number Rated Poor | % Rated Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYSDOT | 134 | 22 | 16% |
| Dutchess County | 144 | 14 | 10% |
| Municipalities | 54 | 14 | 26% |
| Total | 332 | 51 | 15% |