E BLUE HILL
Carrying E BLUE HILL over MCHEARDS COVE
3 MI E JCT 172, Hancock, Maine
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
E BLUE HILL in Hancock, Maine sits above 3% of rated Maine bridges on inventory load rating (15 t), while its 1956 build year is earlier than 51% of Hancock's recorded-year cohort (70 bridges).
E BLUE HILL in Hancock, Maine is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1956, 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:3668
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 3 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: E BLUE HILL
The E BLUE HILL bridge in Hancock, Maine carries E BLUE HILL over MCHEARDS COVE. It was built in 1956, making it 70 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 3 sections, stretching 26.2 meters (86 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 756 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 a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How E BLUE HILL compares
Age against the county: built in 1956, earlier than 36 of Hancock's 70 bridges with a recorded construction year (51%), 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).
E BLUE HILL vs every rated Maine bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
15 Top 97% higher than 3% 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
- 1956
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 26.2 m (86 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.9 m (29 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 756 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 3668
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • At 4/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
E BLUE HILL 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 E BLUE HILL 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 E BLUE HILL?
E BLUE HILL 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 E BLUE HILL inspected?
E BLUE HILL'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 756 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. E BLUE HILL 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 E BLUE HILL?
E BLUE HILL has an NBI inventory load rating of 14.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining E BLUE HILL?
E BLUE HILL is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is E BLUE HILL and does age affect safety?
E BLUE HILL was built in 1956, making it 70 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.