21st Street
Carrying 21st Street over Abandoned Conrail
N.CALLOWHILL ST. 28E10, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: 21st Street
The 21st Street bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania carries 21st Street over Abandoned Conrail. It was built in 1899, making it 127 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1958, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 60.0 meters (197 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5,800 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds. Its NBI inventory load rating is 39.9 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How 21st Street 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1899
- Last Reconstructed
- 1958
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 60.0 m (197 ft)
- Deck Width
- 10.5 m (34 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5,800 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000039129
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether 21st Street is safe to cross today. Here is how to use it.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Learn how the 0–9 condition scale and Good/Fair/Poor categories are defined. How condition ratings work
- Compare 21st Street against other structures in Philadelphia 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 21st Street?
21st Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 21st Street inspected?
21st Street'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 5,800 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 21st Street is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for 21st Street?
21st Street has an NBI inventory load rating of 39.9 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 21st Street?
21st Street is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is 21st Street and does age affect safety?
21st Street was built in 1899, making it 127 years old and last reconstructed in 1958.
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.