WALES BRIDGE ROAD
Carrying WALES BRIDGE ROAD over SOUCOOK RIVER
1.3 MI FROM CONCORD TL, Merrimack, New Hampshire
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: WALES BRIDGE ROAD
The WALES BRIDGE ROAD bridge in Merrimack, New Hampshire carries WALES BRIDGE ROAD over SOUCOOK RIVER. It was built in 1934, making it 92 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 44.5 meters (146 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 352 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of New Hampshire 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 4/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed. Its NBI inventory load rating is 16.8 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How WALES BRIDGE ROAD compares
Live comparison across New Hampshire.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1934
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 44.5 m (146 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.8 m (29 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 352 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 015500540006500
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) rates poor at 4/9, advanced deterioration that should be prioritized for repair.
- • At 6/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
How to read this record
WALES BRIDGE 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 WALES BRIDGE ROAD against other structures in Merrimack and across New Hampshire. New Hampshire 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 WALES BRIDGE ROAD?
WALES BRIDGE ROAD in Merrimack, New Hampshire has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WALES BRIDGE ROAD inspected?
WALES BRIDGE 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 352 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WALES BRIDGE 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 WALES BRIDGE ROAD?
WALES BRIDGE ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 16.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WALES BRIDGE ROAD?
WALES BRIDGE ROAD is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is WALES BRIDGE ROAD and does age affect safety?
WALES BRIDGE ROAD was built in 1934, making it 92 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.