ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND
Carrying ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND over REYNOLDS BRIDGE ROAD
0.1 MI NORTH WATERTOWN TL, Unknown County, Connecticut
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND in Unknown County, Connecticut sits above 69% of rated Connecticut bridges on inventory load rating (48 t), while its 1964 build year is earlier than 47% of Unknown County's recorded-year cohort (471 bridges).
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND in Unknown County, Connecticut is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1964, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor result describes the weakest reported component rather than the structure as a whole. No NBI category is a closure decision or a live crossing-safety verdict.
NBI record plate
Structure CT:01729
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · DECK-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-POOR Poor
Inspection-sheet codes from this record’s year, material family, spans, controlling component, ADT, inventory load, and NBI category, not a live closure verdict.
Bridge Snapshot: ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND
The ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND bridge in Unknown County, Connecticut carries ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND over REYNOLDS BRIDGE ROAD. It was built in 1964, making it 62 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 17.5 meters (57 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 17,000 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Connecticut bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 6/9, 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.
How ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND compares
Age against the county: built in 1964, earlier than 223 of Unknown County's 471 bridges with a recorded construction year (47%), against a county median build year of 1964.
Live comparison across Connecticut bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (4,365 rated).
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND vs every rated Connecticut bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
48 Top 31% higher than 69% of 4,365 bridges
rated Connecticut bridges, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more bridges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · August 2026
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Reported 0–9 component ratings from the FHWA NBI. The highlighted component is the lowest reported input to this record’s current condition category; it is not a closure or live crossing-safety decision.
Unknown County inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 471 bridges in this county. Orthogonal to this structure's component profile above: a county catalog share, not a live crossing-safety verdict.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1964
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 17.5 m (57 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.3 m (44 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 17,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 01729
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND 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 ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND against other structures in Unknown County 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 ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND?
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND in Unknown County, Connecticut has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND inspected?
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND'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 17,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND 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 ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND?
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND has an NBI inventory load rating of 48.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND?
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND and does age affect safety?
ROUTE 8 SOUTHBOUND was built in 1964, making it 62 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.
Share this inspection record
Send this source-bounded record or download its data card. An NBI condition category is not a closure or live crossing-safety verdict.
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Component ratings, ADT, and condition category on this page are copied from the NBI record for this structure; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.