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.

Total bridges

384

Public highway bridges in Bristol County

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

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).

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

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.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Bristol County and the 5 Massachusetts counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Berkshire County 450 7.8%
Hampden County 428 7.5%
Essex County 395 17.2%
Bristol County (this page) 384 6.5%
Norfolk County 343 5%
Franklin County 314 11.1%

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 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).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside MA (1962 here).

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

All 384 Good 116 Fair 243 Poor 25

Good-condition bridges (116)

US 6 NW RAMP

Good

Over: ST 79

500FT N OF VET MEM BRIDGE, Bristol, MA

Built 2011 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 1,500

HWY BROOK ST

Good

Over: WATER SEGREGANSET RIVER

0.2 MI W OF RT 138, Bristol, MA

Built 2014 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 428

HWY WATER ST CON

Good

Over: OTHER ACCESS TO MACRR

0.504 KM EAST OF WATER ST, Bristol, MA

Built 2015 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,600

HWY MAIN ST

Good

Over: WATER LEES RIVER

AT JCT GARDNERS NECK, Bristol, MA

Built 1984 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,286

HWY HUNTS BRG RD

Good

Over: WATER ABBOTT RUN RIVER

.5MI E OF MENDON RD, Bristol, MA

Built 2007 Load: 42.9 t ADT: 3,500

HWY THACHER ST

Good

Over: RR AMTRAK/MBTA

RR AMTRAK MP 196.36, Bristol, MA

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 13,578

HWY MECHANICS ST

Good

Over: WATER CANAL

.25 MI W OF RTE 152, Bristol, MA

Built 1921 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 3,620

ST103 WILBUR AVE

Good

Over: WATER LEES RIVER

AT SWANSEA T.L., Bristol, MA

Built 2009 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 27,300

I 95 NB

Good

Over: WATER TEN MILE RIVER

.1 M N OF CLFTN ST OVRPS, Bristol, MA

Built 1960 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 77,844

I 495 NB

Good

Over: WATER SNAKE RIVER

1.7 MI E OF NORTON TL, Bristol, MA

Built 1980 Load: 44.8 t ADT: 32,214

HWY ROY AVE

Good

Over: WATER SEVEN MILE RIVER

.2 MI E OF ST123, Bristol, MA

Built 2005 Load: 45.1 t ADT: 300

HWY RESERVOIR ST

Good

Over: WATER RUMFORD RIVER

1 MI N OF RTE 140, Bristol, MA

Built 1955 Load: 45.1 t ADT: 3,362

US 44 WINTHROP ST

Good

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

.1 MI W OF TAUNTON GREEN, Bristol, MA

Built 1850 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 16,500

HWY ELM ST

Good

Over: WATER TAUNTON RIVER

OVER TAUNTON AT DIGHTON, Bristol, MA

Built 2015 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 6,071

HWY CEDAR RD

Good

Over: WATER TEN MILE RIVER

.1 MI E OF CLIFTON ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1978 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 786

ST 24

Good

Over: WATER TAUNTON RIVER

AT TAUNTON TL, Bristol, MA

Built 1951 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 67,109

I 495 SB

Good

Over: WATER SNAKE RIVER

1.7 MI E OF NORTON TL, Bristol, MA

Built 1980 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 39,058

HWY ELM ST

Good

Over: WATER SEGREGANSET RIVER

.5 MI N OF MAIN ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1956 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 1,000

ST123 /ST138/WSHNG

Good

Over: WATER QUESET BROOK

.1 MI NW OF DEPOT ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1988 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 16,292

HWY CRANE ST

Good

Over: WATER THREE MILE RIVER

.2 MI N OF OLD TAUNTON RD, Bristol, MA

Built 2001 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 1,552

ST 24

Good

Over: HWY BEDFORD ST

1.0 MI N OF I 195, Bristol, MA

Built 1955 Load: 46.4 t ADT: 37,000

ST 1 A/NEWPRT AV

Good

Over: COMB RR AMTRAK/MBTA RD

.2 MI SO I 95 INTERCHANGE, Bristol, MA

Built 2011 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 34,933

US 6

Good

Over: ST138 RIVERSIDE AVE

WEST OF TAUNTON RIVER, Bristol, MA

Built 2011 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 50,690

ST106 EAST ST

Good

Over: WATER CANOE RIVER

0.1 MI. W. OF FRANKLIN ST, Bristol, MA

Built 2007 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 34,400

HWY ELM ST

Good

Over: WATER MUDDY COVE BROOK

.2 MI S OF MAIN ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1959 Load: 48.2 t ADT: 2,457

HWY SLOCUM ST

Good

Over: WATER ACUSHNET RIVER

200 FT E OF RIV RD N BEDF, Bristol, MA

Built 2002 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 6,846

I 195

Good

Over: HWY RIVER AVE

.2 M E OF NEW BEDFORD, Bristol, MA

Built 1972 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 57,285

HWY RAMP E

Good

Over: HWY POCASSET ST

RT79/RT138 TO I-195EB, Bristol, MA

Built 2016 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 9,400

HWY INGELL ST

Good

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

JUST S OF ST140, Bristol, MA

Built 2000 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 6,571

HWY GULF RD

Good

Over: WATER SW BR APPONAGANSET

1.1 MI E OF TUCKER RD, Bristol, MA

Built 2010 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 4,247

I 195

Good

Over: ST140

1/2MI N OF BUTTONWOOD PK, Bristol, MA

Built 2011 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 80,368

HWY SPRING ST

Good

Over: WATER THREE MILE RIVER

WEST OF D08020 (3JA), Bristol, MA

Built 1956 Load: 50.0 t ADT: 4,600

ST140 SUMMER ST

Good

Over: RR MACRR

.4 MI SE OF DEAN ST US 44, Bristol, MA

Built 1850 Load: 50.7 t ADT: 15,776

HWY WATER ST

Good

Over: WATER TEN MILE RIVER

0.1 KM FROM WEST ST., Bristol, MA

Built 2002 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 2,143

US 44 CAPE HWY

Good

Over: WATER FORGE RIVER

.3 MI E OF TAUNTON C.L., Bristol, MA

Built 1932 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 24,357

HWY CENTRAL ST

Good

Over: RR MACRR

MM QNF 11, Bristol, MA

Built 1904 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 5,948

HWY PADELFORD ST

Good

Over: ST 24

E OF PINE ST, Bristol, MA

Built 2014 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 8,000

HWY CENTRAL ST

Good

Over: WATER QUESET BROOK

0.1 M WEST OF RTE. 138, Bristol, MA

Built 2008 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 14,500

HWY HERMAN ST

Good

Over: ST 79

1.4 MI S OF ST 24, Bristol, MA

Built 1958 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 4,300

HWY BAY ST

Good

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

BAY STREET AT SABBATIA LA, Bristol, MA

Built 2013 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 15,500

US 44 WINTHROP ST

Good

Over: WATER THREE MILE RIVER

.1 MI NE OF NO WALKER ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1954 Load: 51.9 t ADT: 14,186

HWY HOLLOWAY ST

Good

Over: ST140 NB

.9 MI NW OF LAKEVILLE TL, Bristol, MA

Built 1959 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 1,163

HWY COUNTY ST

Good

Over: RR AMTRAK/MBTA

AMTRAK MM 192.47, Bristol, MA

Built 2011 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 14,300

HWY NEWLAND ST

Good

Over: WATER CANOE RIVER

.2 MI W OF RTE 123, Bristol, MA

Built 1962 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 4,571

HWY CLARK ST

Good

Over: RR MACRR

.1 MI W OF N. MAIN ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1903 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 143

ST123 W MAIN ST

Good

Over: WATER WADING RIVER

IN CHARTLEY, Bristol, MA

Built 1999 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 17,800

ST 24

Good

Over: ST 79 S MAIN ST

ST 24 AT ST 79 (ASSONET), Bristol, MA

Built 1951 Load: 55.0 t ADT: 42,505

HWY RAMP A

Good

Over: HWY POCASSET ST

I-195EB TO RT-79/RT-138, Bristol, MA

Built 2016 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 4,655

HWY WHITTENTN ST

Good

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

AT WHITTENTON MILL, Bristol, MA

Built 1930 Load: 55.7 t ADT: 6,595

HWY GAL MALL DR

Good

Over: WATER COTLEY RIVER

AT SHOPPING MALL, Bristol, MA

Built 1991 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 357

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

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.