BLUE HERON RD.
Carrying BLUE HERON RD. over NEW JERSEY 15
3.4 MILES NO. OF RT 181, Sussex, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
BLUE HERON RD. in Sussex, New Jersey sits above 80% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (58 t), while its 1973 build year is earlier than 33% of Sussex's recorded-year cohort (174 bridges).
BLUE HERON RD. in Sussex, 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:1913150
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · DECK-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- DECK-LED Deck-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial 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: BLUE HERON RD.
The BLUE HERON RD. bridge in Sussex, New Jersey carries BLUE HERON RD. over NEW JERSEY 15. It was built in 1973, making it 53 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 57.6 meters (189 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 3,455 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-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 4/9, superstructure at 6/9, 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 BLUE HERON RD. compares
Age against the county: built in 1973, earlier than 58 of Sussex's 174 bridges with a recorded construction year (33%), against a county median build year of 1960. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across New Jersey bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (6,826 of 6,827 rated).
BLUE HERON RD. vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
58 Top 20% higher than 80% 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.
Sussex inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 174 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 Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 57.6 m (189 ft)
- Deck Width
- 20.8 m (68 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 3,455 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 1913150
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
BLUE HERON 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 BLUE HERON RD. against other structures in Sussex 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 BLUE HERON RD.?
BLUE HERON RD. in Sussex, New Jersey has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is BLUE HERON RD. inspected?
BLUE HERON 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 3,455 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. BLUE HERON 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 BLUE HERON RD.?
BLUE HERON RD. has an NBI inventory load rating of 58.1 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining BLUE HERON RD.?
BLUE HERON RD. is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is BLUE HERON RD. and does age affect safety?
BLUE HERON RD. 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.