MA ROUTE 32
Carrying MA ROUTE 32 over SPILLWAY CHANNEL
4.8 KM NORTH OF ATHOL, Worcester, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
MA ROUTE 32 in Worcester, Massachusetts sits above 96% of rated Massachusetts bridges on inventory load rating (84 t), while its 1948 build year is earlier than 77% of Worcester's recorded-year cohort (1,014 bridges).
MA ROUTE 32 in Worcester, Massachusetts is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1948, it carries 2 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:CEPNEDMA2510009
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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 32
The MA ROUTE 32 bridge in Worcester, Massachusetts carries MA ROUTE 32 over SPILLWAY CHANNEL. It was built in 1948, making it 78 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 20.6 meters (68 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,000 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Massachusetts bridges. It is owned and maintained by Army Corps of Engineers.
The latest FHWA inspection records show superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How MA ROUTE 32 compares
Age against the county: built in 1948, earlier than 776 of Worcester's 1,014 bridges with a recorded construction year (77%), 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).
MA ROUTE 32 vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
84 Top 4% higher than 96% 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.
Worcester inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 1,014 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
- 1948
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 20.6 m (68 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,000 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- CEPNEDMA2510009
Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • 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
This page shows what the last federal inspection recorded, not whether MA ROUTE 32 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 32 against other structures in Worcester 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 32?
MA ROUTE 32 in Worcester, Massachusetts, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is MA ROUTE 32 inspected?
MA ROUTE 32'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 1,000 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. MA ROUTE 32 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 32?
MA ROUTE 32 has an NBI inventory load rating of 83.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining MA ROUTE 32?
MA ROUTE 32 is owned and maintained by Army Corps of Engineers.
How old is MA ROUTE 32 and does age affect safety?
MA ROUTE 32 was built in 1948, making it 78 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.