Total bridges
153
Public highway bridges in Sussex County
County profile · official public datasets
Sussex County, DE
153 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 40.5% rated Good, 57.5% Fair, 2% Poor.
- 153
- Public bridges
- 40.5%
- Good condition
- 2%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Sussex County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- 3rd
- of 3 on Poor share
- 2%
- Poor-condition share
- 153
- public highway bridges
- 1974
- 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.
Sussex County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Sussex County ranks #3 of 3 Delaware counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 2%). Sussex County, Delaware contains 153 public highway bridges. Roughly 40.5% are rated “Good,” 57.5% “Fair,” and 2% “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
40.5%
62 of 153 rated 7-9
Fair condition
57.5%
88 of 153 rated 5-6
Poor condition
2%
3 of 153 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#3 of 3
Among Delaware counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 153 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 40.5% (62)
Fair 57.5% (88)
Poor 2% (3)
Sussex County's Poor-condition bridges carry 7,832 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.8% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,611 crossings a day against 5,414 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 153 of 153 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
50.3% of Sussex County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
77 of the 153 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 40.5% 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 96.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
SR 54 over ASSAWOMAN BAY, built 1957, carries 7,555 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 3-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 7,832 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Sussex County's bridges were built
153 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1910s 6
1910–1919
6 bridges
- 1920s 7
1920–1929
7 bridges
- 1930s 9
1930–1939
9 bridges
- 1940s 7
1940–1949
7 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
16 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
24 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
12 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
25 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
13 bridges
- 2000s 9
2000–2009
9 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
19 bridges
- 2020s 6
2020–2029
6 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 25 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 16.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1974) matches the Delaware average (1977).
How Sussex County compares with Delaware's closest counties by inventory size
The 2 Delaware counties nearest Sussex County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 2% Poor share is the 3rd-lowest of these 3. Its average build year of 1974 against a peer-group mean of 1980 is 6 years older.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Castle County | 527 | 34.9% | 64.1% | 0.9% | 1976 |
| Kent County | 192 | 55.7% | 42.7% | 1.6% | 1983 |
| Sussex County (this page) | 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 Sussex 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 Sussex County, both outside Delaware so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside DE (153 bridges here).
- Jefferson County, IN · 153 bridges
- Harrison County, KY · 153 bridges
- Roger Mills County, OK · 153 bridges
- Perry County, TN · 153 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside DE (1974 here).
- Knox County, TN · avg 1974 · 588 bridges
- Summit County, OH · avg 1974 · 563 bridges
- Onondaga County, NY · avg 1974 · 472 bridges
- Orange County, NY · avg 1974 · 472 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (88)
FLEETWOOD POND RD
FairOver: FLEETWOOD POND SPILLWAY
EAST OF SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1967 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 454
WOODLAND RD
FairOver: CHAPEL BRANCH
S.W. OF SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1966 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,274
COASTAL HGWY /SR1
FairOver: BROADKILL RIVER
EAST OF MILTON, Sussex, DE
Built 1967 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 17,782
GODWIN SCHOOL RD.
FairOver: INGRAM POND
WEST OF MILLSBORO, Sussex, DE
Built 1957 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 746
STEIN HWY/SR20
FairOver: NORFOLK SOUTHERN
SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1985 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 6,968
POPLAR ST/ RD 535B
FairOver: WILLIAMS POND
SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1954 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 847
SYCAMORE RD
FairOver: ELLIOT POND BRANCH
NEOF LAUREL, Sussex, DE
Built 2012 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 1,436
BRIDGEVILLE HGWY
FairOver: CLEAR BROOK
NORTH SEAFORD LIMITS, Sussex, DE
Built 1919 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 4,272
OLD FURNACE RD.
FairOver: GRAVELLY FORK
N.E. OF SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1999 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 4,937
MT PLEASANT RD
FairOver: TUSSOCKY BRANCH
SW OF LAUREL, Sussex, DE
Built 1986 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 1,539
REDDEN RD.
FairOver: GUM BRANCH
EAST OF BRIDGEVILLE, Sussex, DE
Built 1957 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 3,013
STEIN HWY/SR20
FairOver: NORFOLK SOUTHERN
SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1940 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 15,824
THOMPSONVILLE RD.
FairOver: BETTS POND
NW OF MILLSBORO, Sussex, DE
Built 2003 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 3,914
BROADKILL RD.
FairOver: TRIB. OF BROADKILL RIVER
WEST OF BROADKILL BEACH, Sussex, DE
Built 1989 Load: 41.1 t ADT: 2,301
PILOT TOWN RD
FairOver: CANARY CREEK
LEWES, Sussex, DE
Built 1986 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 2,514
SUSSEX HGWY / US13
FairOver: GRAVELLY RUN
EAST OF BRIDGEVILLE, Sussex, DE
Built 1951 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 23,386
GRIFFITHS LAKE DR
FairOver: GRIFFITH LAKE SPILLWAY
WEST OF MILFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1988 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 1,421
CENTRAL AVE
FairOver: BROAD CREEK
LAUREL, Sussex, DE
Built 1923 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 5,984
US113/DUPONT BLVD
FairOver: BETTS POND
BETTS POND, Sussex, DE
Built 1912 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 24,039
US113/DUPONT BLVD.
FairOver: GRAVELLY BRANCH
NORTH OF GEORGETOWN, Sussex, DE
Built 1993 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 17,549
SLAUGHTER BEACH RD
FairOver: SLAUGHTER CREEK
S. OF SLAUGHTER BCH, Sussex, DE
Built 1975 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 533
WOODLAND RD
FairOver: BUTLER MILL BRANCH
S.W. OF SEAFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1975 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 895
OLD MILL BRIDGE RD
FairOver: DIRICKSON CREEK
EAST OF JOHNSON, Sussex, DE
Built 1961 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 3,548
SR 36
FairOver: CEDAR CREEK
SLAUGHTER BEACH, Sussex, DE
Built 1949 Load: 48.0 t ADT: 2,846
OLD FURNACE RD.
FairOver: DEEP CREEK
OLD FURNACE MILL, Sussex, DE
Built 1933 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 3,412
JOHN J WILLIAMS HY
FairOver: INDIAN RIVER
N. MILLSBORO LIMITS, Sussex, DE
Built 1981 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 16,930
SR 36 / SHAWNEE RD
FairOver: JOHNSON BRANCH
SOUTHWEST OF MILFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1947 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 3,486
MILLSBORO HWY/SR26
FairOver: GUM BRANCH
GUMBORO, Sussex, DE
Built 2013 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 5,657
NEW RD
FairOver: CANARY CREEK
WEST OF LEWES, Sussex, DE
Built 1989 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 4,677
MULBERRY ST
FairOver: BROADKILL CREEK
MILTON, Sussex, DE
Built 1992 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 4,042
ARMORY RD.
FairOver: VINES CREEK
WEST OF OMAR, Sussex, DE
Built 1982 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 4,458
COASTAL HWY/SR1 SB
FairOver: CEDAR CREEK
S/E OF MILFORD, Sussex, DE
Built 1972 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 12,515
SR1 SB/COASTAL HWY
FairOver: WAPLES POND
NORTH OF MILTON, Sussex, DE
Built 1973 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 9,151
REDDEN RD.
FairOver: NANTICOKE RIVER
EAST OF BRIDGEVILLE, Sussex, DE
Built 1957 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 3,013
JOHN WILLIAMS HGWY
FairOver: LOVE CREEK
WEST OF REHOBOTH BEACH, Sussex, DE
Built 1992 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 15,735
FAWN RD
FairOver: NANTICOKE RIVER
NE OF BRIDGEVILLE, Sussex, DE
Built 1930 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 931
ROUND POLE BRIDGE
FairOver: BEAVERDAM CREEK
EAST OF MILTON, Sussex, DE
Built 1985 Load: 66.1 t ADT: 129
COUNTY SEAT HY/US9
FairOver: TYNDALL BRANCH
S/W OF GEORGETOWN, Sussex, DE
Built 1920 Load: 87.5 t ADT: 6,883
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.