SOUTHERN BAY RD
Carrying SOUTHERN BAY RD over WINSLOW STREAM
0.1 MI N JCT RTE 177, Hancock, Maine
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
SOUTHERN BAY RD in Hancock, Maine sits above 88% of rated Maine bridges on inventory load rating (58 t), while its 1936 build year is earlier than 80% of Hancock's recorded-year cohort (70 bridges).
SOUTHERN BAY RD in Hancock, Maine is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1936, 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:3297
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- 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: SOUTHERN BAY RD
The SOUTHERN BAY RD bridge in Hancock, Maine carries SOUTHERN BAY RD over WINSLOW STREAM. It was built in 1936, making it 90 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 7.2 meters (24 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 2,051 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Maine bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How SOUTHERN BAY RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1936, earlier than 56 of Hancock's 70 bridges with a recorded construction year (80%), against a county median build year of 1958. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Maine bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (2,518 rated).
SOUTHERN BAY RD vs every rated Maine bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
58 Top 12% higher than 88% 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.
Hancock inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 70 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
- 1936
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 7.2 m (24 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.5 m (41 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 2,051 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 3297
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • 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 fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
SOUTHERN BAY 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 SOUTHERN BAY RD against other structures in Hancock 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 SOUTHERN BAY RD?
SOUTHERN BAY RD in Hancock, Maine has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is SOUTHERN BAY RD inspected?
SOUTHERN BAY 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 2,051 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. SOUTHERN BAY 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 SOUTHERN BAY RD?
SOUTHERN BAY RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 57.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining SOUTHERN BAY RD?
SOUTHERN BAY RD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is SOUTHERN BAY RD and does age affect safety?
SOUTHERN BAY RD was built in 1936, making it 90 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.