BOWERS ROAD
Carrying BOWERS ROAD over NORFOLK SO. (LINE 0342)
NE OF BERKLEY, Berks, Pennsylvania
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: BOWERS ROAD
The BOWERS ROAD bridge in Berks, Pennsylvania carries BOWERS ROAD over NORFOLK SO. (LINE 0342). It was built in 1988, making it 38 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 8.5 meters (28 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 200 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order. Its NBI inventory load rating is 38.1 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How BOWERS ROAD compares
Live comparison across Pennsylvania.
Historical Sufficiency Rating
PlainBridge-computedFHWA discontinued this calculated item; it does not determine current condition, funding eligibility, posting, or closure. How the historical reference is calculated.
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1988
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.6 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 200 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000005422
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, advanced deterioration that should be prioritized for repair.
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
How to read this record
BOWERS ROAD is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare BOWERS ROAD against other structures in Berks and across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for BOWERS ROAD?
BOWERS ROAD in Berks, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BOWERS ROAD inspected?
BOWERS ROAD's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 200 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BOWERS ROAD is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for BOWERS ROAD?
BOWERS ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 38.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BOWERS ROAD?
BOWERS ROAD is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is BOWERS ROAD and does age affect safety?
BOWERS ROAD was built in 1988, making it 38 years old.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Every figure on PlainBridge is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.