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 291 LINE K

Fair

Over: I 91

BET I-91 SB & MAIN ST., Hampden, MA

Built 1969 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 27,000

US202 ST10/ELM SB

Fair

Over: WATER WESTFIELD RIVER

JCT MEADOW ST., Hampden, MA

Built 1938 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 27,300

ST 8 A/HODGS CRSS

Fair

Over: WATER S BR HOOSIC RIVER

0.2 MI E OF JCT W/ RTE 8, Berkshire, MA

Built 1966 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 12,414

I 295 NB

Fair

Over: HWY MT HOPE ST

1.2 MI W OF I 95, Bristol, MA

Built 1967 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 15,429

I 295 SB

Fair

Over: HWY MT HOPE ST

1.2 MI W OF I 95, Bristol, MA

Built 1967 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 26,000

I 90 EB

Fair

Over: ST 32 THORNDIKE ST

MM 63.3 ON I-90 EB, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 23,956

ST107 BRIDGE ST

Fair

Over: RR MBTA (MAIN LINE)

.32 KM N SALEM CENTER, Essex, MA

Built 1949 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 24,000

HWY LEES RIV AVE

Fair

Over: I 195

.1 MI N OF ST 103, Bristol, MA

Built 1960 Load: 35.4 t ADT: 7,400

I 90 WB

Fair

Over: HWY OXFORD ST

I-90 MM 90.4, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 43,966

ST112 ASHFIELD RD

Fair

Over: WATER CLESSON BROOK

100S OF INT W/ HODGEN RD, Franklin, MA

Built 1955 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 2,974

I 90 EB

Fair

Over: HWY ADAMS RD

MM 100.9, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 43,740

I 90 WB

Fair

Over: HWY ADAMS RD

100.9 MM OF RT 90, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 43,581

ST 2 EB RAMP

Fair

Over: I 91 NB

MM 45.8 ON I-91 NB, Franklin, MA

Built 1965 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 2,974

I 495 NB

Fair

Over: ST135 WOOD ST

MM 55.3, Middlesex, MA

Built 1966 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 48,152

HWY MERRIAM RD

Fair

Over: I 90

I-90 MM 87.1, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 200

I 90 EB

Fair

Over: ST181 N MAIN ST

MM 62.0 ON I-90 EB, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 27,210

I 90 WB

Fair

Over: ST181 N MAIN ST

MM 62.0 ON I-90 EB, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 27,570

HWY FRN BRK PKWY

Fair

Over: I 93 /US1/ST3

1.6 KM N JCT ST 128&I93, Norfolk, MA

Built 1955 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 8,276

HWY MONTGOMRY RD

Fair

Over: I 90

MM 38.9 ON I-90, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 6,892

I 93 NB

Fair

Over: RR MBTA/BMRR

.6 KM NLY RT 129, Middlesex, MA

Built 1958 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 85,100

HWY MAIN ST

Fair

Over: WATER WEDGE POND OTLT

BTN. WEDGEPND & RR, Middlesex, MA

Built 1935 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 14,483

HWY WORTHNGTN RD

Fair

Over: WATER ALDER MEADOW BROOK

@ INT W/ PIERCE RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 1939 Load: 35.5 t ADT: 1,681

HWY CONCORD RD

Fair

Over: WATER NASHOBA BROOK

.1 MI W OF RTE 2A, Middlesex, MA

Built 1994 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,000

I 95 NB

Fair

Over: ST110

.9 MI N MERRIMAC RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1967 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 59,700

I 95 SB

Fair

Over: ST110

.9 MI N MERRIMAC RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1967 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 55,200

HWY TURNPIKE RD

Fair

Over: WATER TRAPFALL BROOK

.4 MI. EST. OF ST-31, Middlesex, MA

Built 1940 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,100

HWY SUMMER ST

Fair

Over: HWY A ST

.16 KM SE FT PT CHANNEL, Suffolk, MA

Built 1918 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 12,931

HWY WESTERN AVE

Fair

Over: HWY SOLDIERS FIELD RD

.1 MI N OF BIRMINGHAM PKW, Suffolk, MA

Built 1968 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 26,900

HWY ON RAMP F

Fair

Over: HWY RAMP C (Q ADAMS)

.3MI CAPENS CIRCLE RD C, Norfolk, MA

Built 1978 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 9,992

HWY HUNT RD

Fair

Over: I 495

0.25 MI N RT 110 & HUNT, Middlesex, MA

Built 1961 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 10,100

I 90 EB

Fair

Over: ST 33 MEMORIAL DR

MM 49.2 ON I-90 EB, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 32,675

ST 2 CONCORD TPK

Fair

Over: RR MBTA/BMRR

2.6 KM SE OF RTE 62, Middlesex, MA

Built 1991 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 46,900

OLD ROUTE 8

Fair

Over: FARMINGTON RIVER

6.44 KM N OF COLEBROOK MA, Berkshire, MA

Built 1927 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 40

ST 10 NORTHMPTN ST

Fair

Over: WATER MANHAN RIVER

1.3 M S EASTHAMPTON T.L., Hampshire, MA

Built 1951 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 31,100

HWY MT WASHNGTON

Fair

Over: WATER FENTON BROOK

1.5M W OF JCT RTS23&41, Berkshire, MA

Built 1956 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 1,293

HWY WICKFORD RD

Fair

Over: WATER SUDBURY RIVER

.1 MI N OF I-90, Middlesex, MA

Built 1956 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,725

HWY W HARTLND RD

Fair

Over: WATER HUBBARD RIVER

1 MI SOUTH OF ROUTE 57, Hampden, MA

Built 1939 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 258

HWY BRIDGE ST

Fair

Over: RR CSX

0.3 MI W OF ST 8 142.02, Berkshire, MA

Built 2013 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 2,845

HWY SB LOWLL CON

Fair

Over: HWY INDSTRIAL AVE EAST

0.3 MI N OF I-495, Middlesex, MA

Built 1960 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 35,000

I 90 WB

Fair

Over: RR ABANDONED PWRR

I-90 MM 96.6, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 43,598

I 90 EB

Fair

Over: HWY MILLBURY AVE

I 90 MM 95.3, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 48,906

HWY HIGH ROCK ST

Fair

Over: RR BCRR

.3 MI NW OF CHESTNUT ST, Norfolk, MA

Built 1916 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 5,400

I 90 WB

Fair

Over: WATER QUABOAG RIVER

MM 61.8 ON I-90 WB, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 31,621

ST 3 SB/PLGRM HWY

Fair

Over: US 44 SAMOSET ST

1.5 M S OF KINGSTON TL, Plymouth, MA

Built 1992 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 40,000

I 291 CONN A

Fair

Over: HWY DWIGHT ST

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

Built 1967 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 11,800

ST 24

Fair

Over: RR MBTA/CSX

CSX MP QNB 14.29 N OF 140, Bristol, MA

Built 1950 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 68,317

ST 9 TURNPIKE RD

Fair

Over: ST135 MILK ST

.8MI. W. OF LYMAN ST., Worcester, MA

Built 1930 Load: 35.6 t ADT: 37,691

HWY FRONT ST

Fair

Over: WATER SUDBURY RIVER

.1 MI. N. OF ST-135, Middlesex, MA

Built 1880 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 7,170

ST 1 A

Fair

Over: HWY CHELSEA & BREMEN S

1000FT NE OF CALLHAN TUN., Suffolk, MA

Built 1951 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 56,250

ST 97 KILLAM HILL

Fair

Over: I 95

4.2 MI N IPSWICH RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1974 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 16,100

Showing 1,751-1,800 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.