BIA RTE 1531
Carrying BIA RTE 1531 over MATTAMISCONTIS STREAM
4.15 KM NW OF I-95 INTERC, Penobscot, Maine
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BIA RTE 1531 in Penobscot, Maine is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 2004, 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 ME:0000S50018B0041
POST-2000 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · TRACE-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- POST-2000 2000+
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- TRACE-ADT Trace 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: BIA RTE 1531
The BIA RTE 1531 bridge in Penobscot, Maine carries BIA RTE 1531 over MATTAMISCONTIS STREAM. It was built in 2004, making it 22 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 12.0 meters (39 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 15 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Maine bridges. It is owned and maintained by Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 5/9, 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 BIA RTE 1531 compares
Age against the county: built in 2004, earlier than 49 of Penobscot's 301 bridges with a recorded construction year (16%), against a county median build year of 1966. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Maine bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (2,518 rated).
BIA RTE 1531 vs every rated Maine bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
29 Top 78% higher than 22% of 2,518 bridges
rated Maine 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.
Penobscot inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 301 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
- 2004
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.0 m (39 ft)
- Deck Width
- 5.0 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 15 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0000S50018B0041
Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • At 5/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
BIA RTE 1531 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 BIA RTE 1531 against other structures in Penobscot and across Maine. Maine 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 BIA RTE 1531?
BIA RTE 1531 in Penobscot, Maine has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BIA RTE 1531 inspected?
BIA RTE 1531'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 15 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BIA RTE 1531 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 BIA RTE 1531?
BIA RTE 1531 has an NBI inventory load rating of 28.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BIA RTE 1531?
BIA RTE 1531 is owned and maintained by Bureau of Indian Affairs.
How old is BIA RTE 1531 and does age affect safety?
BIA RTE 1531 was built in 2004, making it 22 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.