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.

Total bridges

193

Public highway bridges in Cecil County

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

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).

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

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.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Cecil County and the 5 Maryland counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Harford County 275 4.7%
Allegany County 245 6.1%
Carroll County 205 5.4%
Cecil County (this page) 193 4.1%
Garrett County 139 11.5%
Wicomico County 99 6.1%

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).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MD (1972 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 193 Good 62 Fair 123 Poor 8

All bridges (193)

COUDON BOULEVARD

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO MILL CREEK

1 MI. N PRINCIPIO FURNACE, Cecil, MD

Built 2003 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 1,890

OLDFIELD POINT RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE ELK CREEK

CORP LMTS OF ELKTON, Cecil, MD

Built 1999 Load: 59.4 t ADT: 5,242

IRON HILL ROAD

Fair

Over: AMTRAK

0.37 MI S OF MD 279, Cecil, MD

Built 1981 Load: 59.4 t ADT: 1,236

MD 272 NB

Fair

Over: NORTHEAST CREEK

0.1 MILE NORTH OF MD 7C, Cecil, MD

Built 1968 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 6,802

I-95 SB

Fair

Over: FRENCHTOWN RD

0.8 MI N OF SUSQUEHANNA R, Cecil, MD

Built 1963 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 46,815

I-95

Fair

Over: STREAM

Milepost M98.6, Cecil, MD

Built 1963 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 89,058

OLDFIELD POINT RD

Fair

Over: PLUM CREEK

2.5 + S OF ELKTON, Cecil, MD

Built 1986 Load: 63.9 t ADT: 9,301

OLD TELEGRAPH RD

Fair

Over: SANDY BRANCH

0.35 MI S OF BUNKER HI RD, Cecil, MD

Built 2000 Load: 63.9 t ADT: 948

I-95 NB

Fair

Over: FRENCHTOWN RD

0.8 MI N OF SUSQUEHANNA R, Cecil, MD

Built 1963 Load: 65.8 t ADT: 38,081

US 1

Fair

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR

0.02 MILE NORTH OF MD 222, Cecil, MD

Built 1931 Load: 66.2 t ADT: 9,652

MD 7B

Fair

Over: PRINCIPO CREEK

0.62 MILE SOUTH OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 1995 Load: 66.7 t ADT: 1,700

BLUE BALL RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK

0.01 MI N OF WHEATLEY RD, Cecil, MD

Built 2007 Load: 66.7 t ADT: 3,291

MD 267

Fair

Over: AMTRAK

0.12 MILE WEST OF MD 7C, Cecil, MD

Built 1974 Load: 68.5 t ADT: 1,680

RICKETTS MILL RD

Fair

Over: BIG ELK CREEK

0.25 MI NW OF MD 316, Cecil, MD

Built 1965 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 1,318

OLD TELEGRAPH ROAD

Fair

Over: GREAT BOHEMIA CREEK

0.04 MI N OF BUNKER HI R, Cecil, MD

Built 2002 Load: 77.5 t ADT: 1,456

US 40

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.83 MILE EAST OF MD 222, Cecil, MD

Built 1941 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 22,280

MD 222

Fair

Over: OCTORARO CREEK

0.88 MILE SOUTH OF US 1, Cecil, MD

Built 1900 Load: 78.5 t ADT: 2,959

MD 272

Fair

Over: HANCE POINT CREEK

3.05 MILES SOUTH OF MD 7C, Cecil, MD

Built 1957 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 2,650

MD 7C

Fair

Over: NORTHEAST CREEK

0.27 MILE SOUTH OF MD 272, Cecil, MD

Built 1921 Load: 89.3 t ADT: 2,360

MD 7C

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.84 MILES SOUTH OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 1987 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 4,860

MD 222

Fair

Over: HAPPY VALLEY BRANCH

1.52 MILE NORTH OF MD 275, Cecil, MD

Built 1932 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,701

BLUE BALL RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK

0.36 MI S OF MD 273, Cecil, MD

Built 1900 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 4,014

I-95

Fair

Over: PRINCIPIO CREEK

Milepost M95.3, Cecil, MD

Built 1963 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 83,628

BLACK BRIDGE ROAD

Good

Over: BIG ELK CREEK

2 MI N OF MD RTE 273, Cecil, MD

Built 2002 Load: 26.8 t ADT: 100

MD 272

Good

Over: NORTHEAST CREEK

0.62 MILE NORTH OF MD 274, Cecil, MD

Built 2001 Load: 31.3 t ADT: 10,462

MD 279

Good

Over: BR OF BIG ELK CREEK

0.15 MILE NORTH OF MD 316, Cecil, MD

Built 1959 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 12,410

OLD ELK NECK ROAD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.46 MI S OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,054

BOHEMIA CHURCH ROA

Good

Over: LITTLE BOHEMIA CREEK

3.1 MI E OF MD-213, Cecil, MD

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 500

PERRYVILLE COMMUNI

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

.3 MILES SE OF MD 7, Cecil, MD

Built 1989 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 124

WEST CREEK VILLAGE

Good

Over: WEST BRANCH OF CHRISTINA

0.3 MI NORTH OF MD 277, Cecil, MD

Built 2008 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 3,184

BARON RD

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.16 MI N OF NAZARENE RD, Cecil, MD

Built 2015 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 535

MD 272

Good

Over: I-95

Milepost M99.7, Cecil, MD

Built 1991 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 23,120

US 40 WB

Good

Over: AMTRAK

0.31 MILE EAST OF MD 279, Cecil, MD

Built 1992 Load: 34.9 t ADT: 18,638

COUDON BOULEVARD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2 MI SOUTH OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 2003 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 1,890

CALVERT ROAD

Good

Over: NORTHEAST CREEK

0.95 MI N OF MD 274, Cecil, MD

Built 1994 Load: 35.8 t ADT: 1,342

POST ROAD

Good

Over: PRINCIPIO CREEK

1.32 MILES S OF MD 274, Cecil, MD

Built 1992 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 1,431

COOL SPRINGS ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB TO NORTHEAST RIVER

0.5 MI N OF MD 7, Cecil, MD

Built 2007 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 561

MECHANICS VALLEY R

Good

Over: LITTLE NORTHEAST CREEK

0.41 MI N OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 2016 Load: 37.9 t ADT: 5,436

MD 281

Good

Over: BIG ELK CREEK

0.39 MILE EAST OF MD 7D, Cecil, MD

Built 1960 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 6,681

MD 7B

Good

Over: PRINCIPIO CREEK

0.64 MILE SOUTH OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 1995 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 1,700

WAIBEL RD

Good

Over: BRANCH OF BASIN RUN

1.06 MILES N OF MD 276, Cecil, MD

Built 2016 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 205

OLD ELK NECK ROAD

Good

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.65 MI N of Turkey Point, Cecil, MD

Built 2015 Load: 39.2 t ADT: 1,710

FIRETOWER ROAD

Good

Over: BASIN RUN

0.19 MI S OF WAYNE ST, Cecil, MD

Built 2012 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 1,219

MD 273

Good

Over: BIG ELK CREEK

2.14 MI W OF DELAWARE, Cecil, MD

Built 2020 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 8,500

COLORA ROAD

Good

Over: BASIN RUN

0.52 MI N OF RUSSELL RD, Cecil, MD

Built 2001 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 383

THEODORE ROAD

Good

Over: STONY RUN

0.55 MI W OF MD 274, Cecil, MD

Built 2006 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 2,510

LIBERTY GROVE ROAD

Good

Over: BASIN RUN

0.5 MI N OF DR. JACK RD., Cecil, MD

Built 1929 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 910

CARPENTERS PT ROAD

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

0.68 MI S OF MD 267, Cecil, MD

Built 2013 Load: 42.2 t ADT: 755

ROWLAND ROAD

Good

Over: BASIN RUN

0.26 MI S OF COLORA RD, Cecil, MD

Built 2011 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 331

RAZOR STRAP ROAD

Good

Over: STONY RUN

0.47 MI W OF US 40, Cecil, MD

Built 2017 Load: 42.4 t ADT: 1,613

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

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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.