MA ROUTE 3
Carrying MA ROUTE 3 over CAPE COD CANAL
JUNCTION MA RTES 3 & 6, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
MA ROUTE 3 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 3 in Barnstable, Massachusetts is rated Fair 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 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 MA:CEPNEDMA2510002
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: MA ROUTE 3
The MA ROUTE 3 bridge in Barnstable, Massachusetts carries MA ROUTE 3 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 1 section, stretching 429.1 meters (1408 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 61,701 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 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How MA ROUTE 3 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 3 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
- 1
- Structure Length
- 429.1 m (1408 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.8 m (49 ft)
- Owner
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 61,701 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- CEPNEDMA2510002
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 fair condition (5/9), 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 MA ROUTE 3 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 MA ROUTE 3 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 3?
MA ROUTE 3 in Barnstable, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is MA ROUTE 3 inspected?
MA ROUTE 3'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 61,701 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. MA ROUTE 3 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 MA ROUTE 3?
MA ROUTE 3 has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining MA ROUTE 3?
MA ROUTE 3 is owned and maintained by Army Corps of Engineers.
How old is MA ROUTE 3 and does age affect safety?
MA ROUTE 3 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.
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.