State profile · Near median Poor share

Massachusetts bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Massachusetts.

5,295
Public bridges
25.1%
Good condition
8.9%
Poor condition

Massachusetts holds 5,295 public highway bridges (#35 of 52 by inventory) with a 8.88% Poor share (#14 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 8.9% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 39 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

5,295

Public highway bridges in Massachusetts

Good Condition

25.1%

1,331 bridges rated 7-9

-24.9pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

8.9%

470 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

1.4pp vs national avg 7.5%

Massachusetts vs national bridge condition

Massachusetts - Good condition share 25.1%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Massachusetts - Poor-condition share 29.6%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Massachusetts in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Massachusetts has 5,295 bridges and a 8.9% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #39 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Massachusetts has 5,295 bridges and a 8.9% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #39 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Massachusetts vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

5,295 35th of 54 higher than 19 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Massachusetts

The highlighted point is Massachusetts: 5,295 bridges and 8.88% in Poor condition, rank #39 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Massachusetts on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Alaska: 1,685 bridges · 7.89% Poor
  • Nebraska: 15,398 bridges · 7.90% Poor
  • Massachusetts: 5,295 bridges · 8.88% Poor
  • Missouri: 24,618 bridges · 8.95% Poor
  • Illinois: 26,928 bridges · 9.35% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Massachusetts

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 5,295 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Massachusetts’s inventory

State agency holds 67.9% of the 5,295 public highway bridges filed under Massachusetts in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Massachusetts’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 26.1% of the 5,295 bridges with a recorded original year in Massachusetts. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Massachusetts25.1%66%8.9%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Massachusetts (FHWA NBI)

Counties (14)

Barnstable 107 Berkshire 450 Bristol 384 Dukes 5 Essex 395 Franklin 314 Hampden 428 Hampshire 259 Middlesex 818 Nantucket 2 Norfolk 343 Plymouth 287 Suffolk 489 Worcester 1014

Massachusetts vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below Massachusetts on the same metric.

AK

Alaska

7.89% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$1,685

NE

Nebraska

7.90% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$15,398
Selected

MA

Massachusetts

8.88% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,295

MO

Missouri

8.95% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,618

IL

Illinois

9.35% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$26,928

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Massachusetts

Six lowest-condition bridges in Massachusetts, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

HWY PINEDALE AVE

Poor

Over: WATER E BR TULLY RIVER

ATHOL/ORANGE TOWN LINE, Worcester, MA

Built 1937 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,293

US 20 EB/WSHNGTN

Poor

Over: I 395

.3 MI S OF I-90, Worcester, MA

Built 1965 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10,144

HWY BRIDGE ST

Poor

Over: WATER BASS RIVER

.1 MILE WEST OF RIVER ST, Essex, MA

Built 1929 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 21,300

HWY RIVER ST

Poor

Over: RR AMTRAK/MBTA

.8 KM SW OF MATTAPAN SQ., Suffolk, MA

Built 1883 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 24,000

HWY DORCHSTR AVE

Poor

Over: COMB MBTA & RED LN

OVER RED LINE, Suffolk, MA

Built 1924 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 11,800

HWY STORRW DR WB

Poor

Over: HWY STORROW DR EB

.1 N OF BEACON ST, Suffolk, MA

Built 1951 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 57,770

All Bridges in Massachusetts

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: HWY AMESBURY LINE RD

3.2 KM N ST110, Essex, MA

Built 1964 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 28,211

ST119 /ST2 A

Poor

Over: WATER NASHOBA BROOK

0.25 MI S OF 27 & 2A, Middlesex, MA

Built 1940 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 12,463

I 495 NB & ON-RAMP

Poor

Over: RR MBTA/BMRR

2.6 MI N OF I-93, Essex, MA

Built 1962 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 106,800

US 20 STURBRDGE RD

Poor

Over: WATER CADY BROOK

50 FT E OF ST-169, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 28,000

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: ST110 AMESBURY RD

3.7 KM N ST125, Essex, MA

Built 1964 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 37,519

I 495 NB

Poor

Over: HWY W MAIN ST

1.1 MI S OF ST-135, Middlesex, MA

Built 1966 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 48,152

ST 2 A/MAIN ST

Poor

Over: RR GWRR

.1 M W JCT CHSNT HILL RD., Worcester, MA

Built 1938 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 10,649

HWY TRMNT-ARLNGT

Poor

Over: RR AMTRAK/MBTA

.16 KM S OF I90, Suffolk, MA

Built 1979 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 30,400

HWY SCADDING ST

Poor

Over: WATER SNAKE RIVER

.2 MI S OF FIELD ST, Bristol, MA

Built 1967 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 1,034

I 95 NB

Poor

Over: ST 62 MAPLE ST

1.6 MI N ST114, Essex, MA

Built 1972 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 36,201

I 195

Poor

Over: HWY COUNTY&STATE STS

.1 MI W OF ST 18, Bristol, MA

Built 1965 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 63,995

I 95 /ST128

Poor

Over: RR MBTA/BMRR

1.6 KM W OF I-93 & I-95, Middlesex, MA

Built 1950 Load: 34.1 t ADT: 192,672

I 95 NB

Poor

Over: HWY CENTRAL ST

.7 MI NE OF ST 140, Norfolk, MA

Built 1963 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 53,000

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: HWY W MAIN ST

MM 54.6, Middlesex, MA

Built 1966 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 42,766

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: ST110 /ST113/MERRIMACK

AT MERRIMAC RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1963 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 58,366

I 495 NB

Poor

Over: ST110 /ST113/MERRIMACK

AT MERRIMAC RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1963 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 57,825

US 20 WB/WSHNGTN

Poor

Over: I 395

EXIT 11A/B .3 MI S OF 90, Worcester, MA

Built 1965 Load: 34.4 t ADT: 10,027

ST 63 FEDERAL ST

Poor

Over: RR NECRR

AT SUNDERLAND T.L., Franklin, MA

Built 1938 Load: 34.4 t ADT: 3,200

I 90 EB RAMPS OFF

Poor

Over: RR MBTA/CSX

AT COPLEY PLACE S60, Suffolk, MA

Built 1965 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 16,878

ST 2 EB

Poor

Over: HWY AIRPORT RD

1 MI. W. OF RT-68, Worcester, MA

Built 1969 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 11,662

I 195 WB RAMP C

Poor

Over: OTHER RELIEF

I 195 AT ST 18, Bristol, MA

Built 1965 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 7,379

I 195 EB RAMP F

Poor

Over: COMB WELD ST & RELIEF

I 195 AT ST 18, Bristol, MA

Built 1965 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 9,695

HWY ARLINGTON ST

Poor

Over: COMB I 90 & AMTRAK

.32KM S.PUBLIC GARDEN S67, Suffolk, MA

Built 1965 Load: 34.6 t ADT: 25,800

ST 12 WATER ST

Poor

Over: WATER N NASHUA RIVER

AT CORNER OF WALNUT ST., Worcester, MA

Built 1937 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 13,348

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: ST 28 SB/N MAIN ST

2.4 MI N I93, Essex, MA

Built 1962 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 95,100

I 495 NB

Poor

Over: HWY RAMPS A & B

.3 MI N MERRIMAC RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1962 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 44,500

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: HWY RAMPS A & B

.3 MI N MERRIMAC RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1962 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 45,700

HWY GRAPEVINE RD

Poor

Over: ST128

1.2 MI N.STANDLEY ST., Essex, MA

Built 1952 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 1,140

I 90 EB OFF- RAMP

Poor

Over: I 90 WB & RAMPS F D L

AT TOLL PLAZAS S103, Suffolk, MA

Built 1964 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 22,500

HWY LWL CON B-11

Poor

Over: I 495

0.4 KM E RT 495 & RT 3, Middlesex, MA

Built 1959 Load: 35.0 t ADT: 8,952

I 90 EB

Poor

Over: COMB CNTRL MLBRY & PWRR

I-90 MM 91.4, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.2 t ADT: 41,235

I 495 SB RAMP L

Poor

Over: COMB MERRIMAC ST & MBTA

.16 KM W I495, Essex, MA

Built 1963 Load: 35.2 t ADT: 15,178

I 291 CONN B & C

Poor

Over: HWY DWIGHT ST

.1 M E JCT MAIN ST., Hampden, MA

Built 1967 Load: 35.2 t ADT: 78,178

I 95 SB

Poor

Over: ST 62 MAPLE ST

1.6 MI N ST114, Essex, MA

Built 1972 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 38,090

HWY BOWKER INT

Poor

Over: COMB I 90 & MBTA

.2 MI S OF ST RTE 2A, Suffolk, MA

Built 1965 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 69,700

HWY N HADLEY RD

Poor

Over: ST116

.4 M W AMHERST T.L., Hampshire, MA

Built 1958 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 9,429

I 93

Poor

Over: ST 16 MYST VAL PKY

1 MI S OF JCT I93 & SR60, Middlesex, MA

Built 1960 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 182,420

HWY PROSPECT AVE

Poor

Over: HWY RAMPS F/G & H

150 SOUTH OLD TOLL PLAZA, Hampden, MA

Built 1968 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,560

US 6 EB

Poor

Over: COMB ST18 & RELIEF

.75 MI W OF FAIRHAVEN TL, Bristol, MA

Built 1973 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 4,428

ST 12 NB

Poor

Over: HWY NEPONSET ST

.1 MI W OF I-190, Worcester, MA

Built 1977 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 6,488

I 495 SB

Poor

Over: COMB BMRR & LITTLE RIV

MILE MARKER 108.4, Essex, MA

Built 1961 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 93,469

I 495 NB

Poor

Over: COMB BMRR & LITTLE RIV

1 MI N OF ST-97, Essex, MA

Built 1961 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 93,469

HWY WILLIAMSVILL

Poor

Over: WATER BURNSHIRT RIVER

0.7 MI. N. OF BARRE LINE, Worcester, MA

Built 1939 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 1,038

US 5

Poor

Over: WATER WESTFIELD RIVER

US 5 AT WESTFIELD RIVER, Hampden, MA

Built 1953 Load: 36.1 t ADT: 30,366

HWY MASS AVE

Poor

Over: COMB I 90 & MBTA/CSX

.32 KM S. CHARLES RV S54, Suffolk, MA

Built 1965 Load: 36.1 t ADT: 21,206

I 290 WB

Poor

Over: HWY E CENTRAL ST

150 FT W OF MULBERRY ST, Worcester, MA

Built 1958 Load: 36.1 t ADT: 48,490

HWY HARRISON AVE

Poor

Over: COMB I 90 & AMTRAK/MBTA

.16 KM W. I93 S72, Suffolk, MA

Built 1965 Load: 36.2 t ADT: 7,500

ST 28 CHAS R DM RD

Poor

Over: WATER CHARLES RIVER

.2 MI NW OF NASHUA ST, Suffolk, MA

Built 1906 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 61,200

ST 78 WARWICK RD

Poor

Over: WATER ORCUTT BROOK

.6 M N JCT ST 2A & ST 78, Franklin, MA

Built 1937 Load: 36.4 t ADT: 922

I 90 WB

Poor

Over: ST 67 BOSTON RD

MM 66.5 ON I-90 WB, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 36.4 t ADT: 24,514

Showing 5,151-5,200 of 5,295 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

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

What to do with this

Use Massachusetts's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Massachusetts and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Massachusetts Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.