Total bridges
527
Public highway bridges in New Castle County
County profile · official public datasets
New Castle County, DE
527 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 34.9% rated Good, 64.1% Fair, 0.9% Poor.
- 527
- Public bridges
- 34.9%
- Good condition
- 0.9%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
New Castle County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across large county bridge inventory.
- Top 33%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 0.9%
- Poor-condition share
- 527
- public highway bridges
- 1976
- avg year built
Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.
New Castle County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, New Castle County ranks #1 of 3 Delaware counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 0.9%). New Castle County, Delaware contains 527 public highway bridges. Roughly 34.9% are rated “Good,” 64.1% “Fair,” and 0.9% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.
Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.
Good condition
34.9%
184 of 527 rated 7-9
Fair condition
64.1%
338 of 527 rated 5-6
Poor condition
0.9%
5 of 527 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#1 of 3
Among Delaware counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 527 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 34.9% (184)
Fair 64.1% (338)
Poor 0.9% (5)
New Castle County's Poor-condition bridges carry 16,646 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.2% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 0.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 3,329 crossings a day against 13,982 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.
Computed over the 527 of 527 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
46.1% of New Castle County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
243 of the 527 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 34.9% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.
Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
One structure carries 63.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
DUPONT PKW/US13 SB over BLACKBIRD CREEK, built 1920, carries 10,619 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 5-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 16,646 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When New Castle County's bridges were built
527 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- pre-1900 3
Built before 1900
3 bridges
- 1900s 6
1900–1909
6 bridges
- 1910s 7
1910–1919
7 bridges
- 1920s 21
1920–1929
21 bridges
- 1930s 25
1930–1939
25 bridges
- 1940s 10
1940–1949
10 bridges
- 1950s 31
1950–1959
31 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
103 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
88 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
42 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
91 bridges
- 2000s 28
2000–2009
28 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
60 bridges
- 2020s 12
2020–2029
12 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 103 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 19.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1976) matches the Delaware average (1977).
How New Castle County compares with Delaware's closest counties by inventory size
The 2 Delaware counties nearest New Castle County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 0.9% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 3. Its average build year of 1976 against a peer-group mean of 1979 is in line with the group.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle County (this page) | 527 | 34.9% | 64.1% | 0.9% | 1976 |
| Kent County | 192 | 55.7% | 42.7% | 1.6% | 1983 |
| Sussex County | 153 | 40.5% | 57.5% | 2% | 1974 |
Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to New Castle County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year
Two NBI-derived peer sets for New Castle County, both outside Delaware so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside DE (527 bridges here).
- Merced County, CA · 528 bridges
- LaSalle County, IL · 528 bridges
- Nueces County, TX · 528 bridges
- Marathon County, WI · 530 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside DE (1976 here).
- Marion County, IN · avg 1976 · 958 bridges
- Mohave County, AZ · avg 1976 · 641 bridges
- Comanche County, OK · avg 1976 · 593 bridges
- Prince George's County, MD · avg 1976 · 576 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Good-condition bridges (184)
I95/SR1SB-SR7 RAMP
GoodOver: STANTON CHRISTIANA RD
CHRISTINA MALL, New Castle, DE
Built 2014 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 4,783
POLE BRIDGE RD.
GoodOver: SR1/KOREAN WAR VET MEM H
EAST OF BOYDS CORNER, New Castle, DE
Built 1999 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 1,245
SIXTH ST
GoodOver: I 95 RAMP 6154
WILMINGTON, New Castle, DE
Built 1964 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 238
EAGLE RUN RD
GoodOver: TRIB TO CHRISTINA RIVER
NORTH OF CHRISTIANA, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,002
KIRKWOOD/ST GEORGE
GoodOver: SR1
ST. GEORGES, New Castle, DE
Built 1995 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,092
MAYFIELD FALLS
GoodOver: TRIB TO MUDDY RUN
WEST OF GLASGOW, New Castle, DE
Built 2022 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 99
SR 9 / RIVER RD
GoodOver: ARMY CREEK
SOUTH OF NEW CASTLE, New Castle, DE
Built 1993 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 6,460
VALLEY RD
GoodOver: MILL CREEK
S.W. OF HOCKESSIN, New Castle, DE
Built 1994 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 10,078
US301 RAMP F
GoodOver: SANDY BRANCH
WEST OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 650
I 495 NB
GoodOver: 84" SEWER PIPE
WILMINGTON, New Castle, DE
Built 1976 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 35,603
I 495 SB
GoodOver: 84"PIPE/DRAINAGE SWALE
WILMINGTON, New Castle, DE
Built 1976 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 51,844
NEWPORT RD.
GoodOver: CSX
N/W OF NEWPORT, New Castle, DE
Built 2012 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 3,224
I95NB - SR7NB RAMP
GoodOver: STANTON CHRISTIANA RD
CHRISTIANA MALL, New Castle, DE
Built 2014 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 5,556
US301 SB
GoodOver: TRIB TO SANDY BRANCH
WEST OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 5,811
BASIN RD/SR 141 SB
GoodOver: I 95 & 6089
NEWPORT, New Castle, DE
Built 2020 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 61,997
SR1 NORTHBOUND
GoodOver: CHRISTINA RIVER
EAST OF CHRISTIANA, New Castle, DE
Built 1992 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 33,277
KOREAN WAR MEM HGY
GoodOver: CHRISTINA RIVER
NORTH OF CHRISTIANA, New Castle, DE
Built 1992 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 43,443
SR273/OGLETOWN RD.
GoodOver: COOL RUN
OLGETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 1997 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 12,857
SR273/OGLETOWN RD.
GoodOver: COOL RUN
OGLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 1997 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 12,857
KOREAN VET MEM HWY
GoodOver: BLACKBIRD CREEK
S.E. OF TOWNSEND, New Castle, DE
Built 2003 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 21,017
KOREAN VET MEM HWY
GoodOver: BLACKBIRD CREEK
S/E OF TOWNSEND, New Castle, DE
Built 2003 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 21,017
GUYENCOURT RD
GoodOver: WATERWAY
S/E OF CENTREVILLE, New Castle, DE
Built 2011 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 308
SR 1 NORTHBOUND
GoodOver: DRAGON CREEK
N/W OF ST. GEORGES, New Castle, DE
Built 1995 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 36,078
SR 1 SB
GoodOver: DRAGON CREEK
N/W OF ST. GEORGES, New Castle, DE
Built 1995 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 36,078
KOREAN VET MEM HWY
GoodOver: DUPONT PKY&SANDOM BRNCH
BLACKBIRD AREA, New Castle, DE
Built 2003 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 21,017
PADDOCK RD.
GoodOver: SR 1
NORTH OF SMYRNA, New Castle, DE
Built 1990 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 3,520
SR 1
GoodOver: SR7 / BEAR-CORBIT RD.
NORTH OF WRANGLE HILL, New Castle, DE
Built 1995 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 38,437
GREENBANK RD
GoodOver: RED CLAY CREEK
N.W. OF PRICES CORNER, New Castle, DE
Built 1975 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 9,704
ROAD A
GoodOver: SR1
CHRISTIANA FASHION CENTER, New Castle, DE
Built 2020 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,556
I95SB - SR1SB RAMP
GoodOver: I95 JFK MEM HWY
WEST OF CHRISTIANA MALL, New Castle, DE
Built 2014 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 29,239
I 95
GoodOver: LITTLE MILL CREEK
SOUTH OF WILMINGTON, New Castle, DE
Built 1962 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 64,249
RAMP 6338 TO SR1
GoodOver: EAGLE RUN
NORTH OF CHRISTIANA, New Castle, DE
Built 1992 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 8,710
OLD DUPONT RD.
GoodOver: LITTLE MILL CREEK
ELSMERE, New Castle, DE
Built 1926 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 5,558
US301 NB
GoodOver: SANDY BRANCH
WEST OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 5,811
US301 SB
GoodOver: SANDY BRANCH
WEST OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 5,811
RAMP; I95NB-US202N
GoodOver: CONCORD PIKE
NORTH OF WILMINGTON, New Castle, DE
Built 2013 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 24,797
SR 1
GoodOver: SR 7 / BEAR-CORBIT RD.
NORTH OF WRANGLE HILL, New Castle, DE
Built 1995 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 38,437
SR 9/TAYLORS BR RD
GoodOver: HANGMAN RUN
S.E. OF ODESSA, New Castle, DE
Built 1996 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 686
STRAWBERRY LANE
GoodOver: US 301
SOUTHWEST OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 772
CLAYTON/DELANEY RD
GoodOver: CYPRESS BRANCH
N.W. OF CLAYTON, New Castle, DE
Built 1964 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 454
JAMISON CORNER RD
GoodOver: US 301
NORTH OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2017 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 1,654
BEECH HILL DR
GoodOver: PIKE CREEK
WEST OF PIKE CREEK, New Castle, DE
Built 2009 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 99
KOREAN VET MEM HWY
GoodOver: DUPONT PKY&SANDOM BRNCH
BLACKBIRD AREA, New Castle, DE
Built 2003 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 21,017
RAMP 6332 TO SR1
GoodOver: EAGLE RUN
CHRISTIANA, New Castle, DE
Built 1992 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 1,934
MCQUAIL RD
GoodOver: CORKS POINT DITCH
N.E. OF SMYRNA, New Castle, DE
Built 1994 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 107
LANCASTER PK/SR48
GoodOver: RED CLAY CREEK
SOUTH OF WOODDALE, New Castle, DE
Built 2002 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 21,003
CHAPMAN RD
GoodOver: I95 SB
E. OF NEWARK, New Castle, DE
Built 2022 Load: 48.0 t ADT: 11,941
OLD NEWARK RD
GoodOver: COOL RUN
S/E OF NEWARK, New Castle, DE
Built 2017 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 2,706
LEVELS RD / SR299
GoodOver: US301
SOUTHWEST OF MIDDLETOWN, New Castle, DE
Built 2018 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 8,343
BASIN RD/SR 141 NB
GoodOver: I 95 & 6089
NEWPORT, New Castle, DE
Built 2020 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 61,997
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.