72nd Street
Carrying 72nd Street over AMTRAK (NE Corridor)
S of Paschell Ave 36E05, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: 72nd Street
The 72nd Street bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania carries 72nd Street over AMTRAK (NE Corridor). It was built in 1913, making it 113 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 31.7 meters (104 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,000 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 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules. Its NBI inventory load rating is 18.1 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How 72nd 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1913
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 31.7 m (104 ft)
- Deck Width
- 21.0 m (69 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000039179
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
How to read this record
72nd Street 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 72nd 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 72nd Street?
72nd Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 72nd Street inspected?
72nd 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 2,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 72nd Street 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 72nd Street?
72nd Street has an NBI inventory load rating of 18.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 72nd Street?
72nd Street is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is 72nd Street and does age affect safety?
72nd Street was built in 1913, making it 113 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.