WARD STREET
Carrying WARD STREET over LITTLE LEHIGH CREEK
SE OF MLK JR. DRIVE, Lehigh, Pennsylvania
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: WARD STREET
The WARD STREET bridge in Lehigh, Pennsylvania carries WARD STREET over LITTLE LEHIGH CREEK. It was built in 2013, making it 13 years old today. The structure is built primarily of prestressed concrete continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 96.9 meters (318 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 20,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-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 8/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range. Its NBI inventory load rating is 38.2 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How WARD 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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 2013
- Material
- Prestressed Concrete Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 96.9 m (318 ft)
- Deck Width
- 20.0 m (66 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 20,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000048371
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • At 8/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether WARD 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 WARD STREET against other structures in Lehigh 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 WARD STREET?
WARD STREET in Lehigh, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WARD STREET inspected?
WARD 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 20,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WARD STREET is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for WARD STREET?
WARD STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 38.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WARD STREET?
WARD STREET is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is WARD STREET and does age affect safety?
WARD STREET was built in 2013, making it 13 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.