HWY SCHOOL ST
Carrying HWY SCHOOL ST over RR MBTA
.1 MI WEST ST 1A, Essex, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HWY SCHOOL ST in Essex, Massachusetts sits above 2% of rated Massachusetts bridges on inventory load rating (13 t), while its 1871 build year is earlier than 95% of Essex's recorded-year cohort (394 bridges).
HWY SCHOOL ST in Essex, Massachusetts is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1871, 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 MA:B11002324DOT634
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: HWY SCHOOL ST
The HWY SCHOOL ST bridge in Essex, Massachusetts carries HWY SCHOOL ST over RR MBTA. It was built in 1871, making it 155 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 19.5 meters (64 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,232 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Massachusetts bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. 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 HWY SCHOOL ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1871, earlier than 374 of Essex's 394 bridges with a recorded construction year (95%), against a county median build year of 1962. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Massachusetts bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,295 rated).
HWY SCHOOL ST vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
13 Top 98% higher than 2% of 5,295 bridges
rated Massachusetts 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.
Essex inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 395 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
- 1871
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 19.5 m (64 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.2 m (40 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,232 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- B11002324DOT634
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
HWY SCHOOL ST 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 HWY SCHOOL ST against other structures in Essex and across Massachusetts. Massachusetts 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 HWY SCHOOL ST?
HWY SCHOOL ST in Essex, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HWY SCHOOL ST inspected?
HWY SCHOOL 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 3,232 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HWY SCHOOL ST 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 HWY SCHOOL ST?
HWY SCHOOL ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 13.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HWY SCHOOL ST?
HWY SCHOOL ST is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is HWY SCHOOL ST and does age affect safety?
HWY SCHOOL ST was built in 1871, making it 155 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.