FORT AVENUE
Carrying FORT AVENUE over CSX
0.2 MI. W. OF FT. MCHENRY, Baltimore city, Maryland
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FORT AVENUE in Baltimore city, Maryland sits above 69% of rated Maryland bridges on inventory load rating (55 t), while its 1923 build year is earlier than 91% of Baltimore city's recorded-year cohort (374 bridges).
FORT AVENUE in Baltimore city, Maryland is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1923, 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 MD:200000BC5405010
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 7 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- 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: FORT AVENUE
The FORT AVENUE bridge in Baltimore city, Maryland carries FORT AVENUE over CSX. It was built in 1923, making it 103 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1993, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 7 sections, stretching 188.4 meters (618 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,755 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Maryland bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How FORT AVENUE compares
Age against the county: built in 1923, earlier than 340 of Baltimore city's 374 bridges with a recorded construction year (91%), against a county median build year of 1972. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Maryland bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (5,479 of 5,484 rated).
FORT AVENUE vs every rated Maryland bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
55 Top 31% higher than 69% 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.
Baltimore city inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 374 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
- 1923
- Last Reconstructed
- 1993
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 7
- Structure Length
- 188.4 m (618 ft)
- Deck Width
- 14.7 m (48 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,755 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 200000BC5405010
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
FORT AVENUE 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 FORT AVENUE against other structures in Baltimore city 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 FORT AVENUE?
FORT AVENUE in Baltimore city, Maryland has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FORT AVENUE inspected?
FORT AVENUE'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 2,755 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FORT AVENUE 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 FORT AVENUE?
FORT AVENUE has an NBI inventory load rating of 55.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FORT AVENUE?
FORT AVENUE is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is FORT AVENUE and does age affect safety?
FORT AVENUE was built in 1923, making it 103 years old and last reconstructed in 1993.
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.