SR 502 -SPENCER ST
Carrying SR 502 -SPENCER ST over INTERSTATE-384
1 MI EAST OF EH TOWNLINE, Unknown County, Connecticut
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SR 502 -SPENCER ST in Unknown County, Connecticut sits above 1% of rated Connecticut bridges on inventory load rating (11 t), while its 1974 build year is earlier than 42% of Unknown County's recorded-year cohort (914 bridges).
SR 502 -SPENCER ST in Unknown County, Connecticut is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1974, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Fair 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:03574
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light load
- CAT-FAIR Fair
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: SR 502 -SPENCER ST
The SR 502 -SPENCER ST bridge in Unknown County, Connecticut carries SR 502 -SPENCER ST over INTERSTATE-384. It was built in 1974, making it 52 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 97.8 meters (321 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 19,200 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 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How SR 502 -SPENCER ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1974, earlier than 388 of Unknown County's 914 bridges with a recorded construction year (42%), against a county median build year of 1969. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Connecticut bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (4,365 rated).
SR 502 -SPENCER ST vs every rated Connecticut bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
11 Top 99% higher than 1% 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 914 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
- 1974
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 97.8 m (321 ft)
- Deck Width
- 20.0 m (66 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 19,200 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 03574
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether SR 502 -SPENCER ST 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 SR 502 -SPENCER ST 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 SR 502 -SPENCER ST?
SR 502 -SPENCER ST in Unknown County, Connecticut has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SR 502 -SPENCER ST inspected?
SR 502 -SPENCER ST'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 19,200 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SR 502 -SPENCER ST is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for SR 502 -SPENCER ST?
SR 502 -SPENCER ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 10.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SR 502 -SPENCER ST?
SR 502 -SPENCER ST is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SR 502 -SPENCER ST and does age affect safety?
SR 502 -SPENCER ST was built in 1974, making it 52 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.