HIGH ST
Carrying HIGH ST over LEHIGH CANAL + NORFORK
1 MILE EAST OF LR48010, Northampton, Pennsylvania
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
HIGH ST in Northampton, Pennsylvania sits above 1% of rated Pennsylvania bridges on inventory load rating (0 t), while its 1910 build year is earlier than 94% of Northampton's recorded-year cohort (356 bridges).
HIGH ST in Northampton, Pennsylvania is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1910, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 1. 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 PA:000000000028923
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · TRACE-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- TRACE-LOAD Trace 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: HIGH ST
The HIGH ST bridge in Northampton, Pennsylvania carries HIGH ST over LEHIGH CANAL + NORFORK. It was built in 1910, making it 116 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1949, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 41.8 meters (137 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 80 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 1/9, substructure at 4/9. The weakest component sits in critical 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 HIGH ST compares
Age against the county: built in 1910, earlier than 334 of Northampton's 356 bridges with a recorded construction year (94%), against a county median build year of 1970. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Pennsylvania bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (23,297 of 23,299 rated).
HIGH ST vs every rated Pennsylvania bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
0 Top 99% higher than 1% of 23,297 bridges
rated Pennsylvania 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.
Northampton inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 356 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
- 1910
- Last Reconstructed
- 1949
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 41.8 m (137 ft)
- Deck Width
- 7.6 m (25 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 80 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000028923
Condition Analysis
- • At 4/9, the deck (driving surface) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates critical at 1/9, with severe deterioration on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
HIGH ST 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 HIGH ST against other structures in Northampton and across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania 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 HIGH ST?
HIGH ST in Northampton, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 1/9, and substructure rating of 4/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is HIGH ST inspected?
HIGH ST'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 80 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. HIGH ST 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 HIGH ST?
HIGH ST has an NBI inventory load rating of 0.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining HIGH ST?
HIGH ST is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is HIGH ST and does age affect safety?
HIGH ST was built in 1910, making it 116 years old and last reconstructed in 1949.
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.