In the design of the rotor of an interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM), the bridge between the permanent magnets helps prevent the scattering of permanent magnets and pole pieces during high-speed operation. In the design of a motor, if the bridge is too thick, its performance will be largely degraded because of flux leakage. Additionally, if the bridge is too thin, its mechanical safety cannot be guaranteed. Thus, an accurate analysis method is required to determine the thickness of the bridge. Conventional stress analysis methods determine the thickness of the bridge by only considering the centrifugal force of the rotors. In this study, however, a method that additionally considers the radial force generated by the air-gap flux density based on the conventional methods is proposed and reflected in the design of a traction motor for electric vehicles. Finally, the validity of this study is verified through a reliability test related to high-speed operation.