DORSEY RUN ROAD
Carrying DORSEY RUN ROAD over DORSEY RUN
0.5 MI S OF MD RTE 175, Howard, Maryland
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
DORSEY RUN ROAD in Howard, Maryland sits above 71% of rated Maryland bridges on inventory load rating (57 t), while its 1955 build year is earlier than 87% of Howard's recorded-year cohort (309 bridges).
DORSEY RUN ROAD in Howard, Maryland is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1955, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Fair 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:200000HO0012010
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-FAIR Fair
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: DORSEY RUN ROAD
The DORSEY RUN ROAD bridge in Howard, Maryland carries DORSEY RUN ROAD over DORSEY RUN. It was built in 1955, making it 71 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 10.4 meters (34 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 6,745 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Maryland bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure at 6/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How DORSEY RUN ROAD compares
Age against the county: built in 1955, earlier than 269 of Howard's 309 bridges with a recorded construction year (87%), against a county median build year of 1975. 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).
DORSEY RUN ROAD vs every rated Maryland bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
57 Top 29% higher than 71% 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
- 1955
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 10.4 m (34 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.0 m (26 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 6,745 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 200000HO0012010
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 DORSEY RUN ROAD 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 DORSEY RUN ROAD 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 DORSEY RUN ROAD?
DORSEY RUN ROAD in Howard, Maryland has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is DORSEY RUN ROAD inspected?
DORSEY RUN ROAD'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 6,745 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. DORSEY RUN ROAD is currently shown as Fair condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for DORSEY RUN ROAD?
DORSEY RUN ROAD has an NBI inventory load rating of 57.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining DORSEY RUN ROAD?
DORSEY RUN ROAD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is DORSEY RUN ROAD and does age affect safety?
DORSEY RUN ROAD was built in 1955, making it 71 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.