BELL AVENUE
Carrying BELL AVENUE over SPRUCE RUN
0.5 MI NORTH OF NJ 31, Hunterdon, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BELL AVENUE in Hunterdon, New Jersey sits above 1% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (14 t), while its 1896 build year is earlier than 93% of Hunterdon's recorded-year cohort (373 bridges).
BELL AVENUE in Hunterdon, New Jersey is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1896, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 5. 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 NJ:10XXG62
PRE-1950 · MAT-OTHER · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- MAT-OTHER Other
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: BELL AVENUE
The BELL AVENUE bridge in Hunterdon, New Jersey carries BELL AVENUE over SPRUCE RUN. It was built in 1896, making it 130 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1992, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of aluminum/iron and spans 1 section, stretching 25.6 meters (84 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 753 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 a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. No reported major component scores in the Poor range under the current federal condition thresholds.
How BELL AVENUE 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).
BELL AVENUE vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
14 Top 99% higher than 1% 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
- Last Reconstructed
- 1992
- Material
- Aluminum/Iron
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 25.6 m (84 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.9 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 753 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 10XXG62
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • At 6/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
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 BELL AVENUE 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 BELL AVENUE 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 BELL AVENUE?
BELL AVENUE in Hunterdon, New Jersey has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BELL AVENUE inspected?
BELL AVENUE'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 753 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BELL AVENUE 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 BELL AVENUE?
BELL AVENUE has an NBI inventory load rating of 13.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BELL AVENUE?
BELL AVENUE is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is BELL AVENUE and does age affect safety?
BELL AVENUE was built in 1896, making it 130 years old and last reconstructed in 1992.
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.