Total bridges
1,014
Public highway bridges in Worcester County
County profile · official public datasets
Worcester County, MA
1,014 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 25.5% rated Good, 66.9% Fair, 7.6% Poor.
- 1,014
- Public bridges
- 25.5%
- Good condition
- 7.6%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Worcester County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across large county bridge inventory.
- 7th
- of 13 on Poor share
- 7.6%
- Poor-condition share
- 1,014
- public highway bridges
- 1963
- 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.
Worcester County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Worcester County ranks #7 of 13 Massachusetts counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 7.6%). Worcester County, Massachusetts contains 1,014 public highway bridges. Roughly 25.5% are rated “Good,” 66.9% “Fair,” and 7.6% “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
25.5%
259 of 1,014 rated 7-9
Fair condition
66.9%
678 of 1,014 rated 5-6
Poor condition
7.6%
77 of 1,014 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#7 of 13
Among Massachusetts counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 1,014 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 25.5% (259)
Fair 66.9% (678)
Poor 7.6% (77)
Worcester County's Poor-condition bridges carry 959,932 vehicle crossings a day
That is 6.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 7.6% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 12,467 crossings a day against 11,673 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 1,013 of 1,014 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
65.6% of Worcester County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
665 of the 1,014 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 25.5% 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 6.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
I 290 EB over HWY E CENTRAL ST, built 1958, carries 65,611 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 77-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 959,932 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Worcester County's bridges were built
1,014 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- pre-1900 29
Built before 1900
29 bridges
- 1900s 42
1900–1909
42 bridges
- 1910s 11
1910–1919
11 bridges
- 1920s 15
1920–1929
15 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
107 bridges
- 1940s 40
1940–1949
40 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
224 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
167 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
124 bridges
- 1980s 62
1980–1989
62 bridges
- 1990s 61
1990–1999
61 bridges
- 2000s 63
2000–2009
63 bridges
- 2010s 53
2010–2019
53 bridges
- 2020s 16
2020–2029
16 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1950s, when 224 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 22.1% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 65 to 74 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1963) matches the Massachusetts average (1961).
How Worcester County compares with Massachusetts's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Massachusetts counties nearest Worcester County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 7.6% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1963 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County (this page) | 1,014 | 25.5% | 66.9% | 7.6% | 1963 |
| Middlesex County | 818 | 20.7% | 68.2% | 11.1% | 1958 |
| Suffolk County | 489 | 22.7% | 67.7% | 9.6% | 1967 |
| 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 |
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 Worcester 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 Worcester County, both outside Massachusetts so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside MA (1,014 bridges here).
- Lane County, OR · 1,010 bridges
- Wayne County, MI · 1,026 bridges
- Denton County, TX · 991 bridges
- Miami-Dade County, FL · 1,057 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside MA (1963 here).
- Honolulu County, HI · avg 1963 · 682 bridges
- Chester County, PA · avg 1963 · 680 bridges
- Essex County, NJ · avg 1963 · 505 bridges
- Passaic County, NJ · avg 1963 · 333 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (678)
I 190 NB
FairOver: HWY PROSPECT ST
0.5 MI N OF EXIT 4, Worcester, MA
Built 1979 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 17,114
I 190 SB
FairOver: HWY PROSPECT ST
.8 MI WEST OF ST-12, Worcester, MA
Built 1979 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 13,071
HWY BROTHERTON W
FairOver: WATER DARK BROOK
0.1 MI S OF ST-12, Worcester, MA
Built 1962 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 2,697
ST 12 STHBRIDGE ST
FairOver: WATER DUNNS POND OUTLET
.1 MI W OF AUBURN ST, Worcester, MA
Built 1957 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 10,308
HWY HEMLOCK ST
FairOver: WATER TINKERVILLE BROOK
.3MI. S.W. OF ST-96, Worcester, MA
Built 2014 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 150
HWY MILL ST
FairOver: WATER BAKER BROOK
0.2 MI SW OF ROUTE 68, Worcester, MA
Built 1998 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 250
ST 32 WHEELWRIGHT
FairOver: WATER WARE RIVER
JCT OF ADAMS ROAD, Worcester, MA
Built 1938 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 2,455
I 190 SB
FairOver: HWY MALDEN ST
AT CITY OF WORCESTER T.L., Worcester, MA
Built 1975 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 15,680
HWY MAIN&CURTIS
FairOver: WATER BEAVER BROOK
200 FT W OF ST-12, Worcester, MA
Built 1958 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 11,455
ST 68 TIMPANY BLVD
FairOver: WATER BAKER BROOK
.3 MI.STH OF ST.2A, Worcester, MA
Built 1968 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 16,300
I 90 & WB RAMPS
FairOver: WATER HOBBS BROOK
1-90 MM 78.25, Worcester, MA
Built 1957 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 35,946
US 20 STURBRDGE RD
FairOver: WATER LITTLE RIVER
.5 MI W OF OXFORD T.L., Worcester, MA
Built 1957 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 24,099
ST122 PROVDENCE RD
FairOver: RR PWRR
.5 MI. N OF UXBRIDGE TL., Worcester, MA
Built 1941 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 8,063
ST146 NB
FairOver: HWY MAIN ST
100 FT N. OF SUTTON TL, Worcester, MA
Built 1950 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 18,954
ST 32 LOWER RD
FairOver: WATER MOOSE BROOK
250 FT SO. OF BARRE ROAD, Worcester, MA
Built 1959 Load: 50.0 t ADT: 5,797
HWY LITTLETON RD
FairOver: ST 2
1.5 MI E OF RT 110, Worcester, MA
Built 1950 Load: 50.0 t ADT: 1,083
HWY DEPOT ST
FairOver: WATER BLACKSTONE RIVER
JUST W OF RTE 122, Worcester, MA
Built 1925 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 3,319
HWY NEW BSTN RD
FairOver: I 90
AT I-90 MM 77.2, Worcester, MA
Built 1957 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 3,265
HWY BLOOD RD
FairOver: WATER KEENAN BROOK
.3 MI N OF SAUNDERDALE RD, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 250
HWY SMITHVLLE RD
FairOver: WATER SEVEN MILE RIVER
0.5 M W OF ST-31, Worcester, MA
Built 1992 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 1,000
HWY DEPOT RD
FairOver: RR GWRR
1.M S. JCT. ST 68, Worcester, MA
Built 1992 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 3,500
I 190 NB
FairOver: HWY MALDEN ST
AT WORC. CITY LINE, Worcester, MA
Built 1975 Load: 50.7 t ADT: 15,881
HWY WALLUM LK RD
FairOver: RR PCRR (ABANDONED)
.9 MI S OF SW MAIN ST., Worcester, MA
Built 1864 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 400
HWY MORAN RD
FairOver: WATER MOOSE BROOK
W OF RT32 BY BARRE RD, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 100
HWY GREENWOOD AV
FairOver: I 90
I-90 MM 93.57, Worcester, MA
Built 1997 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 4,900
ST 31 NB RLLSTN ST
FairOver: HWY BROAD ST
.2 MI. SOUTH OF MAIN ST, Worcester, MA
Built 1997 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 5,686
ST146 NB
FairOver: HWY LACKEY DAM RD
1 MI. N. OF HARTFORD AVE, Worcester, MA
Built 1950 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 16,714
HWY ROBINSON RD
FairOver: WATER FIVE MILE RIVER
.5 MI. E. OF N. BRKFLD RD, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 1,200
ST 30 MAIN ST
FairOver: WATER WACH AQUEDUCT
.2 MI. E. OF I-495, Worcester, MA
Built 1962 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 5,693
US 20 WASHNGTON ST
FairOver: RR PWRR
1.25 MI E OF I-290, Worcester, MA
Built 1931 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 19,645
HWY ATHOL RD
FairOver: WATER LAWRENCE BROOK
.6 MI N OF ATHOL LINE, Worcester, MA
Built 1930 Load: 52.5 t ADT: 738
HWY HWY E HARTFO
FairOver: WATER WATER W RIVER
600 E OF CONNOR PASS, Worcester, MA
Built 1990 Load: 52.8 t ADT: 5,756
ST 12 SOBRDGE ST
FairOver: RR PWRR
.1MI. N. OF AUBURN ST., Worcester, MA
Built 1934 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 10,298
HWY BOLTON RD
FairOver: WATER NASHUA RIVER
.25 MI W OF ST-110, Worcester, MA
Built 1990 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 4,300
ST 67 /ST19/BOSTON
FairOver: WATER NAULTAUG BROOK
0.85 MI S OF ST 9, Worcester, MA
Built 1958 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 3,620
HWY W RIVER RD
FairOver: WATER NORTH BROOK
.2 MI. N. OF I 290, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 53.4 t ADT: 9,211
HWY GOLD NUGGET
FairOver: WATER TURKEY HILL BROOK
.1 MI. WEST OF PAXTON RD., Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 100
HWY SAUNDERSDALE
FairOver: WATER KEENAN BROOK
100 FT SE OF BLOOD RD, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 54.4 t ADT: 3,150
HWY MILL ST
FairOver: WATER ASNEBUMSKIT RIVER
0.7 MI. S. RT. 31, Worcester, MA
Built 1989 Load: 54.7 t ADT: 100
HWY FOWLER ST
FairOver: WATER WARREN BROOK
0.5M N OF RT140VIA MECNIC, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 54.8 t ADT: 300
HWY TYLER RD
FairOver: WATER MILL BROOK
270 E OF WKBG VLY RD, Worcester, MA
Built 1939 Load: 54.9 t ADT: 50
I 84 EB EXT RAMP
FairOver: WATER HOBBS BROOK
EXIT 9 EB ON RAMP, Worcester, MA
Built 1957 Load: 55.1 t ADT: 24,152
I 395 RAMP A
FairOver: WATER WELLINGTON BROOK
ON RAMP SOUTH EXIT 5, Worcester, MA
Built 1976 Load: 55.2 t ADT: 1,322
ST 12 SPRING ST
FairOver: WATER MILLERS RIVER
ST 12 SPRING ST/MILLERS R, Worcester, MA
Built 1927 Load: 55.3 t ADT: 16,680
HWY AUBURN ST
FairOver: WATER DUNN BROOK
.1 MILE SOUTH OF I-290, Worcester, MA
Built 1960 Load: 55.5 t ADT: 13,406
HWY JACKSON RD
FairOver: WATER NASHUA RIVER
@EXIT 106/0.1 MI N OF ST2, Worcester, MA
Built 1942 Load: 55.9 t ADT: 9,200
HWY EXCHANGE ST
FairOver: WATER MONOOSNOC BROOK
0.3 MI W. OF WEST ST., Worcester, MA
Built 1936 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 2,200
HWY MILL ST
FairOver: WATER QUINAPOXET RIVER
0.1 MI W OF ST-31, Worcester, MA
Built 2009 Load: 57.3 t ADT: 200
HWY GRAFTON ST
FairOver: WATER DOROTHY BROOK
.1 MI EAST OF RIVERLIN RD, Worcester, MA
Built 1983 Load: 58.5 t ADT: 6,321
HWY HARTFORD AVE
FairOver: WATER WEST RIVER
500 FT E OF GLEN AVE, Worcester, MA
Built 1956 Load: 59.7 t ADT: 490
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.