49th Street
Carrying 49th Street over SEPTA
S of Chester Ave - 36J01, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: 49th Street
The 49th Street bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania carries 49th Street over SEPTA. It was built in 1894, making it 132 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1942, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 36.6 meters (120 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5,000 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 6/9. 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 53.5 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How 49th 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1894
- Last Reconstructed
- 1942
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 36.6 m (120 ft)
- Deck Width
- 18.3 m (60 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000039200
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.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
How to read this record
49th 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 49th 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 49th Street?
49th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is 49th Street inspected?
49th 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 5,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. 49th 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 49th Street?
49th Street has an NBI inventory load rating of 53.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining 49th Street?
49th Street is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is 49th Street and does age affect safety?
49th Street was built in 1894, making it 132 years old and last reconstructed in 1942.
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.