ESSEX ST
Carrying ESSEX ST over INTERSTATE 95 NB & SB
0.4 MI N STILLWATER AVE, Penobscot, Maine
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
ESSEX ST in Penobscot, Maine sits above 60% of rated Maine bridges on inventory load rating (40 t), while its 2008 build year is earlier than 14% of Penobscot's recorded-year cohort (301 bridges).
ESSEX ST in Penobscot, Maine is rated Good in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 2008, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 7. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Good 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:5822
POST-2000 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-GOOD
- POST-2000 2000+
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy load
- CAT-GOOD Good
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: ESSEX ST
The ESSEX ST bridge in Penobscot, Maine carries ESSEX ST over INTERSTATE 95 NB & SB. It was built in 2008, making it 18 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 1 section, stretching 53.1 meters (174 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 7,105 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 8/9, superstructure at 8/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in good condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How ESSEX ST compares
Age against the county: built in 2008, earlier than 43 of Penobscot's 301 bridges with a recorded construction year (14%), 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).
ESSEX ST vs every rated Maine bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
40 Top 40% higher than 60% 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
- 2008
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 53.1 m (174 ft)
- Deck Width
- 12.0 m (39 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 7,105 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 5822
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 8/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good condition (8/9), 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 ESSEX ST 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 ESSEX ST 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 ESSEX ST?
ESSEX ST in Penobscot, Maine has a deck rating of 8/9, superstructure rating of 8/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is ESSEX ST inspected?
ESSEX ST'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 7,105 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. ESSEX ST is currently shown as Good condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for ESSEX ST?
ESSEX ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 40.2 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining ESSEX ST?
ESSEX ST is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is ESSEX ST and does age affect safety?
ESSEX ST was built in 2008, making it 18 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.