MA ROUTE 28
Carrying MA ROUTE 28 over CAPE COD CANAL
JUNCT MA RTES 25 28 & 6, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
MA ROUTE 28 in Barnstable, Massachusetts sits above 6% of rated Massachusetts bridges on inventory load rating (20 t), while its 1935 build year is earlier than 90% of Barnstable's recorded-year cohort (107 bridges).
MA ROUTE 28 in Barnstable, Massachusetts is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1935, 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:CEPNEDMA2510001
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-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: MA ROUTE 28
The MA ROUTE 28 bridge in Barnstable, Massachusetts carries MA ROUTE 28 over CAPE COD CANAL. It was built in 1935, making it 91 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1981, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 726.6 meters (2384 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 44,240 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Massachusetts 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 4/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How MA ROUTE 28 compares
Age against the county: built in 1935, earlier than 96 of Barnstable's 107 bridges with a recorded construction year (90%), against a county median build year of 1958. 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).
MA ROUTE 28 vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
20 Top 94% higher than 6% 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.
Barnstable inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 107 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
- 1935
- Last Reconstructed
- 1981
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 726.6 m (2384 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.8 m (49 ft)
- Owner
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 44,240 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- CEPNEDMA2510001
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 poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
MA ROUTE 28 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 MA ROUTE 28 against other structures in Barnstable 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 MA ROUTE 28?
MA ROUTE 28 in Barnstable, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is MA ROUTE 28 inspected?
MA ROUTE 28'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 44,240 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. MA ROUTE 28 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 MA ROUTE 28?
MA ROUTE 28 has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining MA ROUTE 28?
MA ROUTE 28 is owned and maintained by Army Corps of Engineers.
How old is MA ROUTE 28 and does age affect safety?
MA ROUTE 28 was built in 1935, making it 91 years old and last reconstructed in 1981.
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.
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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.