POND BRIDGE RD
Carrying POND BRIDGE RD over NONQUIT POND
0.2 Mi W of JCT RI 77, Newport, Rhode Island
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
POND BRIDGE RD in Newport, Rhode Island sits above 2% of rated Rhode Island bridges on inventory load rating (8 t), while its 1935 build year is earlier than 92% of Newport's recorded-year cohort (37 bridges).
POND BRIDGE RD in Newport, Rhode Island is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1935, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 2. 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 RI:000000000002920
PRE-1950 · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- PRE-1950 Pre-1950
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- LIGHT-LOAD Light 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: POND BRIDGE RD
The POND BRIDGE RD bridge in Newport, Rhode Island carries POND BRIDGE RD over NONQUIT POND. It was built in 1935, making it 91 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 12.2 meters (40 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 957 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Rhode Island bridges. It is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure at 2/9, substructure at 3/9. 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 POND BRIDGE RD compares
Age against the county: built in 1935, earlier than 34 of Newport's 37 bridges with a recorded construction year (92%), against a county median build year of 1968. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Rhode Island bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (783 rated).
POND BRIDGE RD vs every rated Rhode Island bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
8 Top 98% higher than 2% of 783 bridges
rated Rhode Island 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.
Newport inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 37 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
- 1935
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 12.2 m (40 ft)
- Deck Width
- 6.9 m (23 ft)
- Owner
- Town/Township Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 957 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000002920
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • At 2/9, the superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in critical shape, with severe wear recorded for this vintage.
- • At 3/9, the substructure (piers and abutments) is in poor shape, with advanced wear on file for this vintage.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
POND BRIDGE 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 POND BRIDGE RD against other structures in Newport and across Rhode Island. Rhode Island 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 POND BRIDGE RD?
POND BRIDGE RD in Newport, Rhode Island has a deck rating of 4/9, superstructure rating of 2/9, and substructure rating of 3/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is POND BRIDGE RD inspected?
POND BRIDGE 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 957 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. POND BRIDGE 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 POND BRIDGE RD?
POND BRIDGE RD has an NBI inventory load rating of 8.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining POND BRIDGE RD?
POND BRIDGE RD is owned and maintained by Town/Township Highway Agency.
How old is POND BRIDGE RD and does age affect safety?
POND BRIDGE RD was built in 1935, making it 91 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.
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.