ST 38 NB SMITH RTY
Carrying ST 38 NB SMITH RTY over HWY LOWELL-LWRNCE BLVD
EAST BRIDGE SMITH RTY, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY in Middlesex, Massachusetts is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1954, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 3. 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:L150612PBDOTNBI
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: ST 38 NB SMITH RTY
The ST 38 NB SMITH RTY bridge in Middlesex, Massachusetts carries ST 38 NB SMITH RTY over HWY LOWELL-LWRNCE BLVD. It was built in 1954, making it 72 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2012, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 3 sections, stretching 43.9 meters (144 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 13,060 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 5/9, substructure at 3/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How ST 38 NB SMITH RTY compares
Age against the county: built in 1954, earlier than 551 of Middlesex's 818 bridges with a recorded construction year (67%), against a county median build year of 1960. 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).
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
42 Top 34% higher than 66% 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.
Middlesex inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 818 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
- 1954
- Last Reconstructed
- 2012
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 43.9 m (144 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.6 m (48 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 13,060 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- L150612PBDOTNBI
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 3/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY 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 ST 38 NB SMITH RTY against other structures in Middlesex 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 ST 38 NB SMITH RTY?
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY in Middlesex, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ST 38 NB SMITH RTY inspected?
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY'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 13,060 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ST 38 NB SMITH RTY 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 ST 38 NB SMITH RTY?
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY has an NBI inventory load rating of 42.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ST 38 NB SMITH RTY?
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ST 38 NB SMITH RTY and does age affect safety?
ST 38 NB SMITH RTY was built in 1954, making it 72 years old and last reconstructed in 2012.
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.