WARD STREET
Carrying WARD STREET over PEDDIE LAKE
NEXT TO PEDDIE SCHOOL, Mercer, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
WARD STREET in Mercer, New Jersey sits above 1% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (3 t), while its 1896 build year is earlier than 98% of Mercer's recorded-year cohort (412 bridges).
WARD STREET in Mercer, 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:1100034
PRE-1950 · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · TIED-CTRL · ARTERIAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- TIED-CTRL Tied control
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: WARD STREET
The WARD STREET bridge in Mercer, New Jersey carries WARD STREET over PEDDIE LAKE. It was built in 1896, making it 130 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 2002, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 77.7 meters (255 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,115 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of New Jersey bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 5/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How WARD STREET compares
Age against the county: built in 1896, earlier than 403 of Mercer's 412 bridges with a recorded construction year (98%), against a county median build year of 1981. 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).
WARD STREET vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
3 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.
Mercer inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 414 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
- 2002
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 77.7 m (255 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.9 m (23 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,115 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1100034
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in fair condition (5/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 5/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
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 WARD STREET 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 WARD STREET against other structures in Mercer 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 WARD STREET?
WARD STREET in Mercer, New Jersey has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 5/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is WARD STREET inspected?
WARD STREET'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 3,115 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. WARD STREET 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 WARD STREET?
WARD STREET has an NBI inventory load rating of 2.7 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining WARD STREET?
WARD STREET is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is WARD STREET and does age affect safety?
WARD STREET was built in 1896, making it 130 years old and last reconstructed in 2002.
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.