FREEWAY DRIVE EAST
Carrying FREEWAY DRIVE EAST over GARDEN STATE PARKWAY
0.1 MILES SOUTH OF I-280, Essex, New Jersey
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST in Essex, New Jersey sits above 65% of rated New Jersey bridges on inventory load rating (47 t), while its 1964 build year is earlier than 55% of Essex's recorded-year cohort (505 bridges).
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST in Essex, New Jersey is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1964, 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:361471T
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUB-LED Substructure-led
- ARTERIAL-ADT Arterial ADT
- HEAVY-LOAD Heavy 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: FREEWAY DRIVE EAST
The FREEWAY DRIVE EAST bridge in Essex, New Jersey carries FREEWAY DRIVE EAST over GARDEN STATE PARKWAY. It was built in 1964, making it 62 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1985, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 2 sections, stretching 54.9 meters (180 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 7,898 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of New Jersey bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Toll Authority.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 6/9, 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 FREEWAY DRIVE EAST compares
Age against the county: built in 1964, earlier than 280 of Essex's 505 bridges with a recorded construction year (55%), against a county median build year of 1967. 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).
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST vs every rated New Jersey bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
47 Top 35% higher than 65% 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.
Essex inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 505 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
- 1964
- Last Reconstructed
- 1985
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 54.9 m (180 ft)
- Deck Width
- 19.5 m (64 ft)
- Owner
- State Toll Authority
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 7,898 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 361471T
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • At 6/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) shows fair condition, with minor wear flagged for upkeep.
- • 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 FREEWAY DRIVE EAST 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 FREEWAY DRIVE EAST against other structures in Essex 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 FREEWAY DRIVE EAST?
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST in Essex, New Jersey has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 6/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is FREEWAY DRIVE EAST inspected?
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST'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 7,898 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. FREEWAY DRIVE EAST 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 FREEWAY DRIVE EAST?
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST has an NBI inventory load rating of 47.3 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining FREEWAY DRIVE EAST?
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST is owned and maintained by State Toll Authority.
How old is FREEWAY DRIVE EAST and does age affect safety?
FREEWAY DRIVE EAST was built in 1964, making it 62 years old and last reconstructed in 1985.
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.