RI 78 WEST BY-PASS
Carrying RI 78 WEST BY-PASS over RI 91 BRDFRD RD & AMTRAK
1.9 Mi N of JCT US 1, Washington, Rhode Island
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS in Washington, Rhode Island sits above 2% of rated Rhode Island bridges on inventory load rating (11 t), while its 1975 build year is earlier than 40% of Washington's recorded-year cohort (145 bridges).
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS in Washington, Rhode Island is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1975, 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 RI:000000000008560
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · MULTI-SPAN · SUPER-LED · HEAVY-ADT · LIGHT-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- MULTI-SPAN 2 spans
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- HEAVY-ADT Heavy 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: RI 78 WEST BY-PASS
The RI 78 WEST BY-PASS bridge in Washington, Rhode Island carries RI 78 WEST BY-PASS over RI 91 BRDFRD RD & AMTRAK. It was built in 1975, making it 51 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel continuous and spans 2 sections, stretching 81.7 meters (268 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 12,829 vehicles, placing it in the heavily-trafficked tier of Rhode Island bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 5/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
How RI 78 WEST BY-PASS compares
Age against the county: built in 1975, earlier than 58 of Washington's 145 bridges with a recorded construction year (40%), against a county median build year of 1968. This is one of the newer structures in its county.
Live comparison across Rhode Island bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (783 rated).
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS vs every rated Rhode Island bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
11 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.
Washington inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 145 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
- 1975
- Material
- Steel Continuous
- Number of Spans
- 2
- Structure Length
- 81.7 m (268 ft)
- Deck Width
- 18.7 m (61 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 12,829 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000008560
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) is in poor condition (4/9), showing advanced deterioration on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale.
- • 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
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS 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 RI 78 WEST BY-PASS against other structures in Washington 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 RI 78 WEST BY-PASS?
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS in Washington, Rhode Island has a deck rating of 6/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 5/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is RI 78 WEST BY-PASS inspected?
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS'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 12,829 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. RI 78 WEST BY-PASS 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 RI 78 WEST BY-PASS?
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS has an NBI inventory load rating of 11.0 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining RI 78 WEST BY-PASS?
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is RI 78 WEST BY-PASS and does age affect safety?
RI 78 WEST BY-PASS was built in 1975, making it 51 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.