HWY BALCOM ST
Carrying HWY BALCOM ST over WATER WADING RIVER
.4 MI NE OF GILBERT ST, Bristol, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HWY BALCOM ST in Bristol, Massachusetts sits above 69% of rated Massachusetts bridges on inventory load rating (43 t), while its 1910 build year is earlier than 90% of Bristol's recorded-year cohort (384 bridges).
HWY BALCOM ST in Bristol, Massachusetts is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1910, 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:M030033JFMUNNBI
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: HWY BALCOM ST
The HWY BALCOM ST bridge in Bristol, Massachusetts carries HWY BALCOM ST over WATER WADING RIVER. It was built in 1910, making it 116 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1935, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 8.5 meters (28 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 1,540 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Massachusetts bridges. It is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure at 3/9, substructure at 5/9. 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 HWY BALCOM ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1910, earlier than 344 of Bristol's 384 bridges with a recorded construction year (90%), 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 BALCOM ST vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
43 Top 31% higher than 69% 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
- 1910
- Last Reconstructed
- 1935
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 8.5 m (28 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.8 m (22 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 1,540 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- M030033JFMUNNBI
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 3/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • At 5/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
HWY BALCOM ST 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 HWY BALCOM ST 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 BALCOM ST?
HWY BALCOM ST in Bristol, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 5/9, superstructure rating of 3/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HWY BALCOM ST inspected?
HWY BALCOM ST'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 1,540 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HWY BALCOM ST 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 HWY BALCOM ST?
HWY BALCOM ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 43.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HWY BALCOM ST?
HWY BALCOM ST is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is HWY BALCOM ST and does age affect safety?
HWY BALCOM ST was built in 1910, making it 116 years old and last reconstructed in 1935.
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.