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.
Fair-condition bridges (243)
HWY NEWCOMB ST
FairOver: I 495
.4 M N OF JCT N.WASHINGTN, Bristol, MA
Built 1978 Load: 45.1 t ADT: 1,300
HWY S MAIN ST
FairOver: RR MACRR
MP QNF 5.65, Bristol, MA
Built 1986 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 6,465
HWY MILLIKEN BLV
FairOver: COMB I 195 & RAMPS
AT I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1961 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 11,542
HWY BAY ST
FairOver: I 495
.4 MI E OF NORTON T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1980 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 11,267
HWY STEVENS ST
FairOver: ST140
.5 MI S OF ST 24, Bristol, MA
Built 1959 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 8,200
HWY POWER ST
FairOver: WATER BARROWSVILLE POND
.2 MI N OF S WORCESTER ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1997 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 928
ST138 COUNTY ST
FairOver: WATER MUDDY COVE BROOK
.1 MI.S OF MAIN ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1963 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 6,983
HWY COPICUT RD
FairOver: ST 24
AT COPICUT RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1951 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 1,034
ST140 TAUNTON AVE
FairOver: RR CSX/MACRR
MP QN 6.64, Bristol, MA
Built 1966 Load: 47.7 t ADT: 5,714
HWY PLEASANT ST
FairOver: I 495
0.5 M S OF RTE 24, Bristol, MA
Built 1983 Load: 47.8 t ADT: 6,000
HWY DAVIS RD
FairOver: I 195
.6 MI E OF ST 88, Bristol, MA
Built 1965 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 1,950
ST 24 NB (LINE B)
FairOver: ST 24 SB (LINE C)
RAMP 195E TO 24N @ WATUPA, Bristol, MA
Built 1961 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 16,221
HWY DANFORTH ST
FairOver: WATER MILL RIVER
.75 MI NE OF RTE 140, Bristol, MA
Built 1850 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 3,466
HWY COUNTY ST
FairOver: COMB ST140&STEVEN STEXT
AT MALL FORMER W STEVENS, Bristol, MA
Built 1991 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 2,300
ST136 J REYNOLDS
FairOver: I 195
.4 MI.NE OF US 6, Bristol, MA
Built 2007 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 10,500
ST123 COUNTY ST
FairOver: WATER TEN MILE RIVER
IN ATTL. CENTER, Bristol, MA
Built 1967 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 12,369
HWY LAMB ST
FairOver: WATER TEN MILE RIVER
1.8MI E OF RT.95, Bristol, MA
Built 1905 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 4,571
ST140
FairOver: RR AMTRAK/MBTA
1.5 MI NW OF I 495, Bristol, MA
Built 1980 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 19,746
HWY PLEASANT ST
FairOver: WATER BROAD COVE
DIGHTON/SOMERSET LINE, Bristol, MA
Built 1938 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 1,286
ST 79 S MAIN ST
FairOver: WATER ASSONET RIVER
.9 MI NE OF RTE 24, Bristol, MA
Built 1886 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 11,300
HWY WEST ST
FairOver: I 495
.4 MI NW OF I 95, Bristol, MA
Built 1976 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 5,900
HWY HODGES ST
FairOver: WATER TEN MILE RIVER
.2 MI NW OF RTE 123, Bristol, MA
Built 1995 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 2,974
HWY THACHER ST
FairOver: WATER TEN MILE RIVER
.1 MI N OF RTE 152, Bristol, MA
Built 1994 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 7,241
US 44 CAPE HWY
FairOver: WATER TAUNTON RIVER
AT TAUNTON TL, Bristol, MA
Built 1932 Load: 54.5 t ADT: 19,544
HWY RICHARDSN AV
FairOver: WATER WADING RIVER
2 MI NORTH OF ST123, Bristol, MA
Built 1978 Load: 56.9 t ADT: 6,408
HWY GOULART MEM
FairOver: WATER NASKETUCKET BAY
.7 MI E OF SCONTICUT NECK, Bristol, MA
Built 1920 Load: 57.5 t ADT: 2,785
ST 24 NB (LINE B)
FairOver: I 195 WB
AT WATTUPPA POND, Bristol, MA
Built 1961 Load: 60.0 t ADT: 16,426
HWY COUNTY RD
FairOver: WATER FALL BROOK
AT JCT WASHBURN RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1941 Load: 60.0 t ADT: 6,900
US 6 STATE RD
FairOver: WATER WESTPORT RIV SPL
.5 MI. WEST OF REED RD, Bristol, MA
Built 1850 Load: 62.9 t ADT: 10,390
ST 79 ELM ST
FairOver: WATER ASSONET RIVER
.1 MI EAST OF ASSONET CTR, Bristol, MA
Built 1822 Load: 65.6 t ADT: 8,895
HWY SPRING ST
FairOver: WATER THREE MILE RIVER
@ TAUNTON TOWN LINE, Bristol, MA
Built 1959 Load: 69.1 t ADT: 4,600
HWY DANFORTH ST
FairOver: WATER PALMER RIVER
.25 MI NW OF RTE 44, Bristol, MA
Built 1936 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 1,423
HWY CLUB ST
FairOver: RR (ABANDONED)
INTERSECTION BAY & CLUB S, Bristol, MA
Built 1912 Load: 73.8 t ADT: 500
HWY BRYTN PNT RD
FairOver: I 195
1.3MI W OF FALL RIVER C.L, Bristol, MA
Built 1960 Load: 74.2 t ADT: 2,300
HWY HIXBRIDGE RD
FairOver: WATER E BR WESTPORT RIV
.7 MI E OF RTE 88, Bristol, MA
Built 2005 Load: 76.8 t ADT: 4,571
ST140 TAUNTON AVE
FairOver: WATER WADING RIVER
1.6 MI NW OF TAUNTON T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1941 Load: 78.5 t ADT: 9,000
HWY HORTON ST
FairOver: WATER SEGREGANSET RIVER
.2 MI W OF WILLIAM ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1930 Load: 87.4 t ADT: 2,800
HWY CENTRAL ST
FairOver: WATER QUEQUECHAN RIVER
NEAR I 195, Bristol, MA
Built 1903 Load: 93.0 t ADT: 5,560
I 295
FairOver: WATER TEN MILE RIVER
.1 MI.W OF I-95, Bristol, MA
Built 1967 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 36,214
HWY RCK DNDEE RD
FairOver: WATER PASKAMANSETT RIVER
0.1 MI S OF TANNERY LANE, Bristol, MA
Built 1962 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,500
HWY WILLIAMS ST
FairOver: WATER SEGREGANSET RIVER
2.8 MI. S OF TAUNTON T.L., Bristol, MA
Built 1965 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 4,714
HWY SULL & MECH
FairOver: WATER QUESET BROOK
0.1MI N OF MAIN ST, Bristol, MA
Built 1969 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,800
ST 24 @ STA 91
FairOver: WATER INTERCEPTOR DRAIN
0.3 MI N OF I-195, Bristol, MA
Built 1955 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 34,261
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.