HWY ST138 W FREX
Carrying HWY ST138 W FREX over COMB MACRR/QUECHAN RIVE
ST138 DAVOL/RR QUECHAN R, Bristol, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HWY ST138 W FREX in Bristol, Massachusetts sits above 7% of rated Massachusetts bridges on inventory load rating (22 t), while its 1905 build year is earlier than 91% of Bristol's recorded-year cohort (384 bridges).
HWY ST138 W FREX in Bristol, Massachusetts is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1905, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:F0201440ADOT634
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 6 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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 ST138 W FREX
The HWY ST138 W FREX bridge in Bristol, Massachusetts carries HWY ST138 W FREX over COMB MACRR/QUECHAN RIVE. It was built in 1905, making it 121 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2015, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 6 sections, stretching 193.6 meters (635 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 18,429 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Massachusetts bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 8/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. All reported major components score above the Poor range.
How HWY ST138 W FREX compares
Age against the county: built in 1905, earlier than 348 of Bristol's 384 bridges with a recorded construction year (91%), against a county median build year of 1964. 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 ST138 W FREX vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
22 Top 93% higher than 7% 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.
Bristol inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 384 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
- 1905
- Last Reconstructed
- 2015
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 6
- Structure Length
- 193.6 m (635 ft)
- Deck Width
- 20.3 m (67 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 18,429 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- F0201440ADOT634
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
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 HWY ST138 W FREX 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 HWY ST138 W FREX against other structures in Bristol 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 ST138 W FREX?
HWY ST138 W FREX in Bristol, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HWY ST138 W FREX inspected?
HWY ST138 W FREX'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 18,429 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HWY ST138 W FREX is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for HWY ST138 W FREX?
HWY ST138 W FREX has an NBI inventory load rating of 21.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HWY ST138 W FREX?
HWY ST138 W FREX is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is HWY ST138 W FREX and does age affect safety?
HWY ST138 W FREX was built in 1905, making it 121 years old and last reconstructed in 2015.
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.