PRINCETON PIKE
Carrying PRINCETON PIKE over I-295 RAMPS B AND D
1 MI N OF US 1 & I295 JCT, Mercer, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
PRINCETON PIKE in Mercer, New Jersey sits above 85% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (63 t), while its 1973 build year is earlier than 58% of Mercer's recorded-year cohort (412 bridges).
PRINCETON PIKE in Mercer, New Jersey is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1973, it carries 3 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:1138171
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-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: PRINCETON PIKE
The PRINCETON PIKE bridge in Mercer, New Jersey carries PRINCETON PIKE over I-295 RAMPS B AND D. It was built in 1973, making it 53 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 85.3 meters (280 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 13,255 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 a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 7/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. Because at least one major component scores 4 or lower, this bridge falls in FHWA's Poor condition category. That category is not a closure order.
How PRINCETON PIKE compares
Age against the county: built in 1973, earlier than 241 of Mercer's 412 bridges with a recorded construction year (58%), 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).
PRINCETON PIKE vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
63 Top 15% higher than 85% 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
- 1973
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 85.3 m (280 ft)
- Deck Width
- 29.3 m (96 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 13,255 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1138171
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • At 7/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
PRINCETON PIKE 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 PRINCETON PIKE 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 PRINCETON PIKE?
PRINCETON PIKE in Mercer, New Jersey has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 7/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is PRINCETON PIKE inspected?
PRINCETON PIKE'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 13,255 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. PRINCETON PIKE 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 PRINCETON PIKE?
PRINCETON PIKE has an NBI inventory load rating of 62.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining PRINCETON PIKE?
PRINCETON PIKE is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is PRINCETON PIKE and does age affect safety?
PRINCETON PIKE was built in 1973, making it 53 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.