HEAD TIDE RD
Carrying HEAD TIDE RD over SHEEPSCOT RIVER
0.2 MI NE OF JCT RTE 218, Lincoln, Maine
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HEAD TIDE RD in Lincoln, Maine sits above 23% of rated Maine bridges on inventory load rating (30 t), while its 1949 build year is earlier than 76% of Lincoln's recorded-year cohort (63 bridges).
HEAD TIDE RD in Lincoln, Maine is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1949, 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 ME:5179
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · DECK-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: HEAD TIDE RD
The HEAD TIDE RD bridge in Lincoln, Maine carries HEAD TIDE RD over SHEEPSCOT RIVER. It was built in 1949, making it 77 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 25.8 meters (85 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 528 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 6/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How HEAD TIDE RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1949, earlier than 48 of Lincoln's 63 bridges with a recorded construction year (76%), against a county median build year of 1961. 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).
HEAD TIDE RD vs every rated Maine bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
30 Top 77% higher than 23% 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.
Lincoln inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 63 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
- 1949
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 25.8 m (85 ft)
- Deck Width
- 8.4 m (28 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 528 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 5179
Condition Analysis
- • At 6/9, the deck (driving surface) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in good condition (7/9), showing no significant deterioration.
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 HEAD TIDE RD 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 HEAD TIDE RD against other structures in Lincoln 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 HEAD TIDE RD?
HEAD TIDE RD in Lincoln, Maine has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HEAD TIDE RD inspected?
HEAD TIDE 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 528 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HEAD TIDE RD 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 HEAD TIDE RD?
HEAD TIDE RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 29.5 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HEAD TIDE RD?
HEAD TIDE RD is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is HEAD TIDE RD and does age affect safety?
HEAD TIDE RD was built in 1949, making it 77 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.