Total bridges
193
Public highway bridges in Cecil County
County profile · official public datasets
Cecil County, MD
193 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 32.1% rated Good, 63.7% Fair, 4.1% Poor.
- 193
- Public bridges
- 32.1%
- Good condition
- 4.1%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Cecil County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- Top 42%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 4.1%
- Poor-condition share
- 193
- public highway bridges
- 1972
- 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.
Cecil County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Cecil County ranks #10 of 24 Maryland counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 4.1%). Cecil County, Maryland contains 193 public highway bridges. Roughly 32.1% are rated “Good,” 63.7% “Fair,” and 4.1% “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
32.1%
62 of 193 rated 7-9
Fair condition
63.7%
123 of 193 rated 5-6
Poor condition
4.1%
8 of 193 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#10 of 24
Among Maryland counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 193 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 32.1% (62)
Fair 63.7% (123)
Poor 4.1% (8)
Cecil County's Poor-condition bridges carry 8,460 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 4.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 1,058 crossings a day against 3,703 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 193 of 193 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
51.8% of Cecil County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
100 of the 193 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 32.1% 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 56% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
MECHANICS VALLEY R over CSX RAILROAD, built 1975, carries 4,734 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 8-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 8,460 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Cecil County's bridges were built
193 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- pre-1900 4
Built before 1900
4 bridges
- 1900s 4
1900–1909
4 bridges
- 1910s 2
1910–1919
2 bridges
- 1920s 2
1920–1929
2 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
21 bridges
- 1940s 14
1940–1949
14 bridges
- 1950s 6
1950–1959
6 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
41 bridges
- 1970s 11
1970–1979
11 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
21 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
22 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
23 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
20 bridges
- 2020s 2
2020–2029
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 41 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1972) matches the Maryland average (1972).
How Cecil County compares with Maryland's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Maryland counties nearest Cecil County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 4.1% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1972 against a peer-group mean of 1971 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 23 Maryland counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harford County | 275 | 38.2% | 57.1% | 4.7% | 1973 |
| Allegany County | 245 | 36.7% | 57.1% | 6.1% | 1971 |
| Carroll County | 205 | 28.3% | 66.3% | 5.4% | 1968 |
| Cecil County (this page) | 193 | 32.1% | 63.7% | 4.1% | 1972 |
| Garrett County | 139 | 20.1% | 68.3% | 11.5% | 1970 |
| Wicomico County | 99 | 27.3% | 66.7% | 6.1% | 1975 |
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 Cecil 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 Cecil County, both outside Maryland so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside MD (193 bridges here).
- Jo Daviess County, IL · 193 bridges
- Blue Earth County, MN · 193 bridges
- Jasper County, MS · 193 bridges
- Cooper County, MO · 193 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside MD (1972 here).
- Santa Clara County, CA · avg 1972 · 964 bridges
- Madison County, AL · avg 1972 · 710 bridges
- Kern County, CA · avg 1972 · 668 bridges
- York County, PA · avg 1972 · 569 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (123)
TAWES DRIVE
FairOver: BIG ELK CREEK
2 MI. N OF MD RTE 273, Cecil, MD
Built 1860 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 10
BELL MANOR RD
FairOver: CONOWINGO CREEK
0.03 MI N OF OLD CON RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1885 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 136
NEW BRIDGE RD
FairOver: OCTORARO CREEK
0.02 MI W OF HORSESHOE RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1884 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 1,279
MCCAULEY ROAD
FairOver: BASIN RUN
0.01 MI NE OF DR JACK RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1884 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 526
NEW VALLEY ROAD
FairOver: BASIN RUN
0.03 MI N OF BASIN RUN RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1977 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 109
PRINCIPIO ROAD
FairOver: PRINCIPIO CREEK
0.12 MI S OF RED TOAD RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1980 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 834
MD 272 SB
FairOver: NORTHEAST CREEK
0.1 MILE NORTH OF MD 7C, Cecil, MD
Built 1945 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 6,302
BASIN RUN ROAD
FairOver: BASIN RUN
0.01 MI W OF HARMONY C DR, Cecil, MD
Built 1983 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 157
MD 213
FairOver: BOHEMIA RIVER
2.3 MILES SOUTH OF MD 310, Cecil, MD
Built 1988 Load: 23.1 t ADT: 6,317
MD 316
FairOver: BR OF BIG ELK CREEK
0.24 MILE NORTH OF MD 279, Cecil, MD
Built 1931 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 4,331
MD RT 213
FairOver: C&D CANAL
14 MI WEST OF REEDY PT., Cecil, MD
Built 1948 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 13,615
MD 591B
FairOver: LOVE RUN
0.75 MILE SOUTH OF US 1, Cecil, MD
Built 1917 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 199
MD 316
FairOver: BR OF BIG ELK CREEK
0.56 MILE NORTH OF MD 279, Cecil, MD
Built 1931 Load: 26.8 t ADT: 4,331
MD 213
FairOver: PERCH CREEK
2.14 MILES SOUTH OF US 40, Cecil, MD
Built 1949 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 12,732
MERRY KNOLL LANE
FairOver: BRANCH OF OCTORARO CREEK
0.07 MI N OF US 1, Cecil, MD
Built 1983 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 298
MD 273
FairOver: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK
1.81 MILES EAST OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1931 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 6,982
NORTH EAST ISLES D
FairOver: STONY RUN
0.1 MI S OF MD 7, Cecil, MD
Built 1992 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 547
CROTHERS ROAD
FairOver: NORTHEAST CREEK
1.52 MI N OF MD 274, Cecil, MD
Built 1964 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 370
KENNEL ROAD
FairOver: MD RTE 273
0.75MI EAST OF MD RTE 213, Cecil, MD
Built 1960 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 100
MD 277
FairOver: BIG ELK CREEK
0.47 MILE WEST OF MD 316, Cecil, MD
Built 1969 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 3,150
MD 272 NB
FairOver: BR OF NORTHEAST CREEK
0.41 MILE SOUTH OF MD 7C, Cecil, MD
Built 1968 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 8,302
US 40 EB
FairOver: NORTHEAST CREEK
0.54 MILE EAST OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1939 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 14,917
US 40 WB
FairOver: NORTHEAST CREEK
0.54 MILE EAST OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1939 Load: 31.7 t ADT: 14,332
MD 7C
FairOver: STONY RUN
0.56 MILE SOUTH OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1931 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,360
US 40
FairOver: PRINCIPIO CREEK
1.0 MILE WEST OF MD 7B, Cecil, MD
Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25,400
US 40 EB
FairOver: BIG ELK CREEK
0.34 MILE WEST OF MD 213, Cecil, MD
Built 1939 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 15,537
US 40 WB
FairOver: BIG ELK CREEK
0.34 MILE WEST OF MD 213, Cecil, MD
Built 1939 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 16,172
MD 273
FairOver: NORTHEAST CREEK
1.18 MILES WEST OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1931 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,542
MD 7C
FairOver: BR OF NORTHEAST CREEK
0.63 MILE NORTH OF MD 267, Cecil, MD
Built 1900 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,360
SPRINGFIELD DRIVE
FairOver: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK
0.2 MI. S. OF SR 273, Cecil, MD
Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 379
WHEATLEY ROAD
FairOver: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK
2.48 MILES NE OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 355
I-95
FairOver: MILL CREEK
MILEPOST M93.6, Cecil, MD
Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 89,058
BREWSTER BRIDGE RO
FairOver: BIG ELK CREEK
0.71 MI E OF ELK MILLS RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1972 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,763
WINCH ROAD
FairOver: I-95
Milepost M95.2, Cecil, MD
Built 1964 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 242
MD 7D
FairOver: BIG ELK CREEK
0.12 MILE EAST OF MD 281, Cecil, MD
Built 1932 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 7,988
UNION CHURCH ROAD
FairOver: I-95
M102.4, Cecil, MD
Built 1964 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 2,408
MD 222
FairOver: CSX TRANS.
0.32 MILE NORTH OF US 40, Cecil, MD
Built 1990 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 13,680
US 40 EB
FairOver: AMTRAK
0.31 MILE EAST OF MD 279, Cecil, MD
Built 1992 Load: 34.9 t ADT: 17,906
I-95
FairOver: MD 824
Milepost M93.5, Cecil, MD
Built 1964 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 80,402
BOUCHELLE ROAD
FairOver: I-95
Milepost 100.8, Cecil, MD
Built 1963 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 2,486
OLD TELEGRAPH ROAD
FairOver: BACK CREEK
0.6 MI S OF MD 286, Cecil, MD
Built 1930 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 525
BELVIDERE ROAD
FairOver: I-95
Milepost M96.0, Cecil, MD
Built 1963 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 1,435
MD 273
FairOver: LITTLE ELK CREEK
1.03 MILE WEST OF MD 213, Cecil, MD
Built 1973 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 8,002
GLEBE RD
FairOver: SCOTCHMAN CREEK
0.32 MI NW OF MD 213, Cecil, MD
Built 1985 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 1,465
MD 267
FairOver: AMTRAK
0.06 MILE EAST OF MD 7C, Cecil, MD
Built 1967 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 1,680
BASIN RUN ROAD
FairOver: BASIN RUN
0.1 MI E OF DR JACK RD, Cecil, MD
Built 1900 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 165
DEAVER ROAD
FairOver: I-95
Milepost M103.5, Cecil, MD
Built 1964 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 954
US 40 EB
FairOver: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK
0.65 MILE EAST OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1939 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 14,917
US 40 WB
FairOver: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK
0.65 MILE EAST OF MD 272, Cecil, MD
Built 1939 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 14,332
MD 327
FairOver: AMTRAK
0.17 MILE EAST OF MD 7B, Cecil, MD
Built 1942 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 499
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.