HWY PALMER AVE
Carrying HWY PALMER AVE over OTHER SHINING SEA BIKEWY
.1M N OF SIPPEWISSETT RD, Barnstable, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HWY PALMER AVE in Barnstable, Massachusetts is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1896, 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:F030084BMDOT634
PRE-1950 · TIMBER · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- TIMBER Wood or timber
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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 PALMER AVE
The HWY PALMER AVE bridge in Barnstable, Massachusetts carries HWY PALMER AVE over OTHER SHINING SEA BIKEWY. It was built in 1896, making it 130 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2016, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of wood or timber and spans 1 section, stretching 11.6 meters (38 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,929 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 8/9, superstructure at 8/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How HWY PALMER AVE compares
Age against the county: built in 1896, earlier than 105 of Barnstable's 107 bridges with a recorded construction year (98%), 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).
HWY PALMER AVE vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
75 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
- 1896
- Last Reconstructed
- 2016
- Material
- Wood or Timber
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 11.6 m (38 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,929 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- F030084BMDOT634
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (8/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • At 8/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
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 PALMER AVE 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 PALMER AVE 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 HWY PALMER AVE?
HWY PALMER AVE in Barnstable, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HWY PALMER AVE inspected?
HWY PALMER AVE'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 3,929 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HWY PALMER AVE 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 PALMER AVE?
HWY PALMER AVE has an NBI inventory load rating of 74.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HWY PALMER AVE?
HWY PALMER AVE is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is HWY PALMER AVE and does age affect safety?
HWY PALMER AVE was built in 1896, making it 130 years old and last reconstructed in 2016.
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.