HOWE HILL RD
Carrying HOWE HILL RD over ALDER RIVER
200 FT S OF JCT RTE 26, Oxford, Maine
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HOWE HILL RD in Oxford, Maine sits above 92% of rated Maine bridges on inventory load rating (65 t), while its 1980 build year is earlier than 35% of Oxford's recorded-year cohort (252 bridges).
HOWE HILL RD in Oxford, Maine is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1980, it carries 1 rated component 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:0679
LATE-CENTURY · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · LOCAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- LATE-CENTURY 1980–1999
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local 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: HOWE HILL RD
The HOWE HILL RD bridge in Oxford, Maine carries HOWE HILL RD over ALDER RIVER. It was built in 1980, making it 46 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 6.2 meters (20 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 991 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Maine bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert 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 HOWE HILL RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1980, earlier than 88 of Oxford's 252 bridges with a recorded construction year (35%), against a county median build year of 1964. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Maine bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (2,518 rated).
HOWE HILL RD vs every rated Maine bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
65 Top 8% higher than 92% 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.
Oxford inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 252 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
- 1980
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 6.2 m (20 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 991 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 0679
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
HOWE HILL RD 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 HOWE HILL RD against other structures in Oxford 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 HOWE HILL RD?
HOWE HILL RD in Oxford, Maine on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HOWE HILL RD inspected?
HOWE HILL RD'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 991 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HOWE HILL RD 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 HOWE HILL RD?
HOWE HILL RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 64.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HOWE HILL RD?
HOWE HILL RD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is HOWE HILL RD and does age affect safety?
HOWE HILL RD was built in 1980, making it 46 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.