ST181 PALMER ST
Carrying ST181 PALMER ST over WATER WARE RIVER
0.4 MI N OF MAIN ST, Hampden, Massachusetts
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ST181 PALMER ST in Hampden, Massachusetts sits above 13% of rated Massachusetts bridges on inventory load rating (25 t), while its 1938 build year is earlier than 80% of Hampden's recorded-year cohort (428 bridges).
ST181 PALMER ST in Hampden, Massachusetts is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1938, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. 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:P0101319RDOTNBI
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: ST181 PALMER ST
The ST181 PALMER ST bridge in Hampden, Massachusetts carries ST181 PALMER ST over WATER WARE RIVER. It was built in 1938, making it 88 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 48.5 meters (159 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 11,897 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 4/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How ST181 PALMER ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1938, earlier than 341 of Hampden's 428 bridges with a recorded construction year (80%), against a county median build year of 1957. 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).
ST181 PALMER ST vs every rated Massachusetts bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
25 Top 87% higher than 13% 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.
Hampden inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 428 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
- 1938
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 48.5 m (159 ft)
- Deck Width
- 11.5 m (38 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 11,897 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- P0101319RDOTNBI
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • 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
ST181 PALMER 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 ST181 PALMER ST against other structures in Hampden 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 ST181 PALMER ST?
ST181 PALMER ST in Hampden, Massachusetts has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ST181 PALMER ST inspected?
ST181 PALMER 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 11,897 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ST181 PALMER 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 ST181 PALMER ST?
ST181 PALMER ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 25.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ST181 PALMER ST?
ST181 PALMER ST is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ST181 PALMER ST and does age affect safety?
ST181 PALMER ST was built in 1938, making it 88 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.
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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.