Zoological Avenue
Carrying Zoological Avenue over Future Rail
W of 34th Street 28B09, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Zoological Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is rated Fair in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Built in 1930, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 6. 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 PA:000000000039467
PRE-1950 · STEEL · LONG-SPAN-RUN · SUB-LED · ARTERIAL-ADT · HEAVY-LOAD · CAT-FAIR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- LONG-SPAN-RUN 6 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: Zoological Avenue
The Zoological Avenue bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania carries Zoological Avenue over Future Rail. It was built in 1930, making it 96 years old today. It was last reconstructed in 1989, extending its service life. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 6 sections, stretching 41.1 meters (135 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 5,500 vehicles, placing it in the moderately-trafficked tier of Pennsylvania bridges. It is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 7/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in fair condition. None of this bridge's reported major components fall into the Poor condition range.
How Zoological Avenue compares
Age against the county: built in 1930, earlier than 429 of Philadelphia's 584 bridges with a recorded construction year (73%), against a county median build year of 1964. 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).
Zoological Avenue vs every rated Pennsylvania bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
43 Top 32% higher than 68% 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.
Philadelphia inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 585 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
- 1930
- Last Reconstructed
- 1989
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 6
- Structure Length
- 41.1 m (135 ft)
- Deck Width
- 13.4 m (44 ft)
- Owner
- City/Municipal Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 5,500 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000039467
Condition Analysis
- • At 7/9, the deck (driving surface) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • At 7/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in good shape and shows no significant wear.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) is in fair condition (6/9), with minor deterioration that may require routine maintenance.
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 Zoological Avenue 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 Zoological Avenue against other structures in Philadelphia 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 Zoological Avenue?
Zoological Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 7/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is Zoological Avenue inspected?
Zoological Avenue'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 5,500 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. Zoological Avenue 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 Zoological Avenue?
Zoological Avenue has an NBI inventory load rating of 42.6 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining Zoological Avenue?
Zoological Avenue is owned and maintained by City/Municipal Highway Agency.
How old is Zoological Avenue and does age affect safety?
Zoological Avenue was built in 1930, making it 96 years old and last reconstructed in 1989.
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.