I-78
Carrying I-78 over BEAVER BROOK
1 MI EAST OF RT 31, Hunterdon, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
I-78 in Hunterdon, New Jersey sits above 96% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (90 t), while its 1941 build year is earlier than 54% of Hunterdon's recorded-year cohort (373 bridges).
I-78 in Hunterdon, New Jersey is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1941, it carries 1 rated component 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:1017163
PRE-1950 · CONCRETE · SINGLE-SPAN · CULVERT-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- CONCRETE Concrete
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- CULVERT-LED Culvert-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: I-78
The I-78 bridge in Hunterdon, New Jersey carries I-78 over BEAVER BROOK. It was built in 1941, making it 85 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1968, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 1 section, stretching 9.1 meters (30 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 128,249 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of New Jersey bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show culvert at 4/9. 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 I-78 compares
Age against the county: built in 1941, earlier than 203 of Hunterdon's 373 bridges with a recorded construction year (54%), 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).
I-78 vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
90 Top 4% higher than 96% 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.
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
- 1941
- Last Reconstructed
- 1968
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.1 m (30 ft) 0
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 128,249 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1017163
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
I-78 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 I-78 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 I-78?
I-78 in Hunterdon, New Jersey on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is I-78 inspected?
I-78'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 128,249 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. I-78 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 I-78?
I-78 has an NBI inventory load rating of 89.8 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining I-78?
I-78 is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is I-78 and does age affect safety?
I-78 was built in 1941, making it 85 years old and last reconstructed in 1968.
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.