Total bridges
384
Public highway bridges in Bristol County
County profile · official public datasets
Bristol County, MA
384 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 30.2% rated Good, 63.3% Fair, 6.5% Poor.
- 384
- Public bridges
- 30.2%
- Good condition
- 6.5%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Bristol County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.
- Top 38%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 6.5%
- Poor-condition share
- 384
- public highway bridges
- 1962
- 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.
Bristol County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Bristol County ranks #5 of 13 Massachusetts counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 6.5%). Bristol County, Massachusetts contains 384 public highway bridges. Roughly 30.2% are rated “Good,” 63.3% “Fair,” and 6.5% “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
30.2%
116 of 384 rated 7-9
Fair condition
63.3%
243 of 384 rated 5-6
Poor condition
6.5%
25 of 384 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#5 of 13
Among Massachusetts counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 384 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 30.2% (116)
Fair 63.3% (243)
Poor 6.5% (25)
Bristol County's Poor-condition bridges carry 545,055 vehicle crossings a day
That is 7.5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 6.5% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 21,802 crossings a day against 16,119 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 384 of 384 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
70.3% of Bristol County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
270 of the 384 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 30.2% 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 12.2% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
I 195 over ST 18 ASHLEY BLVD, built 1965, carries 66,254 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 25-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 545,055 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Bristol County's bridges were built
384 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- pre-1900 23
Built before 1900
23 bridges
- 1900s 14
1900–1909
14 bridges
- 1910s 5
1910–1919
5 bridges
- 1920s 5
1920–1929
5 bridges
- 1930s 12
1930–1939
12 bridges
- 1940s 9
1940–1949
9 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
62 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
117 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
53 bridges
- 1980s 14
1980–1989
14 bridges
- 1990s 12
1990–1999
12 bridges
- 2000s 25
2000–2009
25 bridges
- 2010s 31
2010–2019
31 bridges
- 2020s 2
2020–2029
2 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 117 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 30.5% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1962) matches the Massachusetts average (1961).
How Bristol County compares with Massachusetts's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Massachusetts counties nearest Bristol County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 6.5% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1962 against a peer-group mean of 1960 is in line with the group.
Showing the 5 closest of 12 Massachusetts counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire County | 450 | 34.7% | 57.6% | 7.8% | 1961 |
| Hampden County | 428 | 17.1% | 75.5% | 7.5% | 1956 |
| Essex County | 395 | 15.9% | 66.8% | 17.2% | 1957 |
| Bristol County (this page) | 384 | 30.2% | 63.3% | 6.5% | 1962 |
| Norfolk County | 343 | 23.6% | 71.4% | 5% | 1962 |
| Franklin County | 314 | 34.4% | 54.5% | 11.1% | 1964 |
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 Bristol 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 Bristol County, both outside Massachusetts so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside MA (384 bridges here).
- Custer County, OK · 384 bridges
- Payne County, OK · 384 bridges
- Lee County, MS · 385 bridges
- Hillsborough County, NH · 385 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside MA (1962 here).
- Berks County, PA · avg 1962 · 667 bridges
- Pecos County, TX · avg 1962 · 470 bridges
- Ottawa County, KS · avg 1962 · 295 bridges
- Tillman County, OK · avg 1962 · 284 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (384)
HWY PITAS AVE
FairOver: WATER SEVEN MILE RIVER
.3 MI E OF NEWPRT AV 1 A, Bristol, MA
Built 1850 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 500
HWY ORCHARD ST
FairOver: ST 24
.3M NW OF ST 44, Bristol, MA
Built 1952 Load: 8.8 t ADT: 10,345
HWY OTIS ST
FairOver: WATER WADING RIVER
1 MI SE OF JCT SCHOOL ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1900 Load: 14.0 t ADT: 1,422
HWY GEORGE ST
FairOver: HWY COPLAND DR
NEXT TO RAIL; OLD RTE 140, Bristol, MA
Built 1954 Load: 14.6 t ADT: 857
HWY MERIDIAN ST
FairOver: ST 24
AT ST 24, Bristol, MA
Built 1955 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 3,486
ST140 NB
FairOver: HWY BRALEY RD
.9 MI SE OF FREETOWN T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1955 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 23,309
ST138 WEIR ST
FairOver: WATER MILL RIVER
.1 MI S OF US 44, Bristol, MA
Built 1947 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 16,422
ST140 TREMONT ST
FairOver: WATER THREE MILE RIVER
.2 MI E OF DUNBAR ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1936 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 18,300
HWY PRESIDENT AV
FairOver: ST 24
2.4 M NO. OF I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1955 Load: 18.5 t ADT: 8,635
HWY PLEASANT ST
FairOver: WATER MUDDY COVE BROOK
AT INT OF MUDDY COVE LN, Bristol, MA
Built 1914 Load: 18.9 t ADT: 1,400
ST 88
FairOver: WATER WESTPORT RIVER
.8 MI S OF DRIFT RD., Bristol, MA
Built 1958 Load: 19.0 t ADT: 6,500
ST140 SB
FairOver: RR MACRR
CSX MP QN=26.89, Bristol, MA
Built 1969 Load: 19.8 t ADT: 26,508
HWY COHANNET ST
FairOver: WATER MILL RIVER
AT GAZZETTE BUILDING, Bristol, MA
Built 1850 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 5,357
HWY HART ST
FairOver: ST 24
.8 MI N OF ST 140, Bristol, MA
Built 1951 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 12,786
ST140
FairOver: HWY HATHAWAY RD
.4 MI N OF I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1963 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 54,568
HWY MAPLE AVE
FairOver: I 195
.5 MI NW OF US 6, Bristol, MA
Built 1959 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 10,076
HWY MASON ST
FairOver: I 195
.4 MI FROM SWANSEA T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1958 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,541
HWY GARDNRS NECK
FairOver: I 195
.8 MI SW OF US 6, Bristol, MA
Built 1960 Load: 21.9 t ADT: 9,400
HWY BAY RD
FairOver: WATER SNAKE BROOK
100 FT N OF TAUNTON LINE, Bristol, MA
Built 1943 Load: 22.6 t ADT: 9,051
HWY RUSSELLS MIL
FairOver: WATER PASKAMANSETT RIVER
.75 M W OF TUCKER RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1826 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 4,500
ST177 AMER LGN HWY
FairOver: WATER E BR WESTPORT RIV
.3 MI SW OF US 6, Bristol, MA
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 10,345
HWY MANSFLD AVE
FairOver: HWY N MAIN ST
0.2 MI. N. OF RT. 106, Bristol, MA
Built 1954 Load: 23.9 t ADT: 775
ST140 NB
FairOver: HWY WASHBURN RD
.9 MI S OF LAKEVIL TL, Bristol, MA
Built 1957 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 30,388
ST 18
FairOver: HWY LOGAN ST
.1 MI S OF I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1965 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 90,259
HWY FIELD ST
FairOver: WATER SNAKE RIVER
1 MI W OF RAYNHAM, Bristol, MA
Built 1943 Load: 24.7 t ADT: 6,465
HWY BRYANT ST
FairOver: ST 24
1.5 MI. S OF PADELFORD ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1950 Load: 25.2 t ADT: 1,681
HWY BRIDGE ST
FairOver: WATER APPONAGANSETT RIV
1.6 MI E OF TUCKER RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1935 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 7,554
ST 24 SB RAMP
FairOver: I 195 WB
@ WATTUPPA RAMP TO 195 EB, Bristol, MA
Built 1961 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 9,308
US 6 (WEST BRG)
FairOver: COMB ACUS RIV/LOC ST/RR
.7 MI W OF NBED C.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1901 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 32,200
HWY N WSHNGTN ST
FairOver: I 495
.5 MI SE OF MANSFLD T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1978 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,214
ST 88
FairOver: ST177 AMERICAN LGN HWY
1.5 MI. S. OF US 6, Bristol, MA
Built 1961 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 5,857
ST123 E MAIN ST
FairOver: WATER RUMFORD RIVER
.8 MI NE OF ST 140, Bristol, MA
Built 1958 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 12,239
HWY HILLMAN ST
FairOver: ST 18 & RAMP A
.2 MI NW OF US 6, Bristol, MA
Built 1973 Load: 26.8 t ADT: 13,500
HWY ALLEN AVE
FairOver: I 295
BEHIND EMERALD SQ MALL, Bristol, MA
Built 1966 Load: 27.0 t ADT: 3,879
HWY WALL ST
FairOver: WATER TEN MILE RIVER
.1 MI W OF RTE 123, Bristol, MA
Built 1976 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 1,857
HWY SHAWMUT AVE
FairOver: I 195
.5 MI E OF ST 140, Bristol, MA
Built 1963 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 10,715
HWY KING ST
FairOver: ST 24
1.3 MI NE OF US 44, Bristol, MA
Built 1953 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 1,500
HWY VINNICUM RD
FairOver: I 195
.9 MI SE OF JMS.REYNLS RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1959 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 2,457
US 6 GAR HWY
FairOver: I 195
US 6 AT I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1960 Load: 27.6 t ADT: 32,845
I 495 NB
FairOver: I 95 NB
I 495 AT I 95, Bristol, MA
Built 1965 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 43,329
I 495 SB
FairOver: I 95 NB
I 495 AT I 95, Bristol, MA
Built 1965 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 42,232
I 195
FairOver: COMB ST79 & TAUNTON RIV
FALL RIVER/SOMERSET LINE, Bristol, MA
Built 1965 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 81,260
I 95 NB
FairOver: HWY PLAIN ST
.2 MI SW OF MANSFLD T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1962 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 55,245
I 95 SB
FairOver: HWY PLAIN ST
.2 MI SW OF MANSFLD T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1962 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 47,072
US 6 STATE RD
FairOver: WATER WESTPORT RIVER
.5 MI. WEST OF REED RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1850 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 10,390
HWY FORGE RD
FairOver: WATER E BR WESTPORT RIV
.3 MI S OF RTE 177, Bristol, MA
Built 1938 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 857
ST 79 NB
FairOver: ST 24 SB
ST 79 AT ST 24, Bristol, MA
Built 1962 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 12,398
HWY HOLDEN ST
FairOver: RR AMTRAK/MBTA
.2MI.N OF ST 123, Bristol, MA
Built 1962 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 19,138
ST152 MAIN ST
FairOver: RR AMTRAK/MBTA
HEBRONVILLE RR #193.89, Bristol, MA
Built 1966 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 5,857
ST 88 NB
FairOver: US 6 STATE RD
.5 MI S OF I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1964 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 14,163
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.