The combination of cyclic stresses and welding residual stresses (WRS) can significantly contribute to fatigue cracking in steel bridge decks. This study aims to investigate the effect of WRS on the fatigue life and crack propagation of single-sided and full penetration double-sided U-rib welded joints through experimental and numerical methods. Fatigue tests were conducted to study fatigue crack initiation and propagation behavior. Utilizing the ABAQUS software, a thermoelastic-plastic finite element method was employed to determine the residual stress distribution. Subsequently, based on linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), fatigue crack propagation and life assessment were performed using ABAQUS and FRANC3D software under the coupling of residual stresses and external cyclic stresses. Findings reveal that WRS play a crucial role in fatigue life by altering the effective stress ratio during fatigue crack growth. The effective stress ratio ranges from 0.15 to 0.57, while the changing trends differ between single-sided and double-sided U-rib welded joints. The fatigue crack growth rate of double-sided U-rib welded joints is lower compared to single-sided U-rib welded joints with the same deck thickness. Furthermore, the introduction of WRS induces a mixed mode I, II, and III fracture at the outer weld toe of the U rib, with mode I fracture predominating, which leads to a deviation in the crack propagation path. The fatigue life prediction results agree well with experimental findings when considering WRS. Importantly, these predictions tend to be conservative, thereby ensuring safety and reliability in engineering applications.