WAITE STREET
Carrying WAITE STREET over LAKE WHITNEY
0.2 MI EAST OF MATHER ST, New Haven, Connecticut
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: WAITE STREET
The WAITE STREET bridge in New Haven, Connecticut carries WAITE STREET over LAKE WHITNEY. It was built in 1935, making it 91 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 19.8 meters (65 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,000 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Connecticut bridges. It is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 3/9. 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 21.4 metric tons.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How WAITE STREET compares
Live comparison across Connecticut.
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 How the historical reference is calculated.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
- 1935
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 19.8 m (65 ft)
- Deck Width
- 9.0 m (30 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 04168
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • At 3/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear flagged for priority repair.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (3/9), showing advanced deterioration that may require priority repair.
How to read this record
WAITE 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 WAITE STREET against other structures in New Haven and across Connecticut. Connecticut 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 WAITE STREET?
WAITE STREET in New Haven, Connecticut has a deck rating of 3/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WAITE STREET inspected?
WAITE 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. WAITE 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 WAITE STREET?
WAITE STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WAITE STREET?
WAITE STREET is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is WAITE STREET and does age affect safety?
WAITE STREET was built in 1935, making it 91 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.