US ROUTE 13
Carrying US ROUTE 13 over C & D CANAL
4.5 MI. W. OF REEDY PT., Kent, Delaware
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
US ROUTE 13 in Kent, Delaware sits above 6% of rated Delaware bridges on inventory load rating (24 t), while its 1941 build year is earlier than 90% of Kent's recorded-year cohort (192 bridges).
US ROUTE 13 in Kent, Delaware is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1941, 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 DE:000000001495034
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: US ROUTE 13
The US ROUTE 13 bridge in Kent, Delaware carries US ROUTE 13 over C & D CANAL. It was built in 1941, making it 85 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1991, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 1282.9 meters (4209 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 10,208 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Delaware bridges. It is owned and maintained by Army Corps of Engineers.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 4/9. 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.
How US ROUTE 13 compares
Age against the county: built in 1941, earlier than 172 of Kent's 192 bridges with a recorded construction year (90%), against a county median build year of 1992. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Delaware bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (872 rated).
US ROUTE 13 vs every rated Delaware bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
24 Top 94% higher than 6% of 872 bridges
rated Delaware 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.
Kent inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 192 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
- 1941
- Last Reconstructed
- 1991
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 1282.9 m (4209 ft)
- Deck Width
- 16.4 m (54 ft)
- Owner
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 10,208 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000001495034
Condition Analysis
- • At 5/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
US ROUTE 13 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 US ROUTE 13 against other structures in Kent and across Delaware. Delaware 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 US ROUTE 13?
US ROUTE 13 in Kent, Delaware has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is US ROUTE 13 inspected?
US ROUTE 13'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 10,208 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. US ROUTE 13 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 US ROUTE 13?
US ROUTE 13 has an NBI inventory load rating of 24.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining US ROUTE 13?
US ROUTE 13 is owned and maintained by Army Corps of Engineers.
How old is US ROUTE 13 and does age affect safety?
US ROUTE 13 was built in 1941, making it 85 years old and last reconstructed in 1991.
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.