MD 216
Carrying MD 216 over US 29
.16 M N OF ICE CRYSTAL DR, Howard, Maryland
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
MD 216 in Howard, Maryland is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 2001, 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 MD:100000130152014
POST-2000 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · HEAVY-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- POST-2000 2000+
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 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: MD 216
The MD 216 bridge in Howard, Maryland carries MD 216 over US 29. It was built in 2001, making it 25 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 89.9 meters (295 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 17,672 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Maryland 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. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How MD 216 compares
Age against the county: built in 2001, earlier than 34 of Howard's 309 bridges with a recorded construction year (11%), against a county median build year of 1975. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Maryland bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,479 of 5,484 rated).
MD 216 vs every rated Maryland bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
32 Top 86% higher than 14% of 5,479 bridges
rated Maryland 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.
Howard inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 309 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
- 2001
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 89.9 m (295 ft)
- Deck Width
- 11.7 m (38 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 17,672 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 100000130152014
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.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
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 MD 216 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 MD 216 against other structures in Howard and across Maryland. Maryland 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 MD 216?
MD 216 in Howard, Maryland 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 MD 216 inspected?
MD 216'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 17,672 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. MD 216 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 MD 216?
MD 216 has an NBI inventory load rating of 31.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining MD 216?
MD 216 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is MD 216 and does age affect safety?
MD 216 was built in 2001, making it 25 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.
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.