HORSESHOE BEND RD
Carrying HORSESHOE BEND RD over COPPER CREEK
0.9 MI SOUTH OF NJ 12, Hunterdon, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HORSESHOE BEND RD in Hunterdon, New Jersey sits above 6% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (20 t), while its 1896 build year is earlier than 93% of Hunterdon's recorded-year cohort (373 bridges).
HORSESHOE BEND RD in Hunterdon, New Jersey is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1896, it carries 2 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 NJ:1000079
PRE-1950 · MAT-OTHER · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- MAT-OTHER Other
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard 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: HORSESHOE BEND RD
The HORSESHOE BEND RD bridge in Hunterdon, New Jersey carries HORSESHOE BEND RD over COPPER CREEK. It was built in 1896, making it 130 years old today. The structure is built primarily of masonry and spans 1 section, stretching 6.4 meters (21 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 160 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of New Jersey bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. 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 HORSESHOE BEND RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1896, earlier than 348 of Hunterdon's 373 bridges with a recorded construction year (93%), against a county median build year of 1953. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across New Jersey bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (6,826 of 6,827 rated).
HORSESHOE BEND RD vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
20 Top 94% higher than 6% of 6,826 bridges
rated New Jersey 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.
Hunterdon inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 373 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
- 1896
- Material
- Masonry
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 6.4 m (21 ft)
- Deck Width
- 5.5 m (18 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 160 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1000079
Condition Analysis
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
HORSESHOE BEND 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 HORSESHOE BEND RD against other structures in Hunterdon and across New Jersey. New Jersey 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 HORSESHOE BEND RD?
HORSESHOE BEND RD in Hunterdon, New Jersey, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HORSESHOE BEND RD inspected?
HORSESHOE BEND 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 160 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HORSESHOE BEND 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 HORSESHOE BEND RD?
HORSESHOE BEND RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 20.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HORSESHOE BEND RD?
HORSESHOE BEND RD is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is HORSESHOE BEND RD and does age affect safety?
HORSESHOE BEND RD was built in 1896, making it 130 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.
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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.