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

ST 63 FEDERAL ST

Fair

Over: WATER SAWMILL RIVER

JCT. ST 47, Franklin, MA

Built 1935 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 4,655

ST 27 N MAIN ST

Fair

Over: ST 9 WORCESTER ST

AT JCT OF RTES 9 & 27, Middlesex, MA

Built 1931 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 8,538

HWY PNDRGST C SO

Fair

Over: US 1 PROVDNCE HWY

SOUTH BRIDGE, Norfolk, MA

Built 1956 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 18,000

HWY PNDRGST C NO

Fair

Over: US 1 PROVDNCE HWY

NORTH BRIDGE, Norfolk, MA

Built 1956 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 14,250

HWY DAVIS RD

Fair

Over: I 195

.6 MI E OF ST 88, Bristol, MA

Built 1965 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 1,950

HWY SALEM ST

Fair

Over: I 93

0.7 MI S RTE 128, Middlesex, MA

Built 1957 Load: 48.3 t ADT: 15,400

ST 24 NB (LINE B)

Fair

Over: ST 24 SB (LINE C)

RAMP 195E TO 24N @ WATUPA, Bristol, MA

Built 1961 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 16,221

ST 2 WB RAMP 5S2W

Fair

Over: I 91 NB

MM 45.7 ON I-91 NB, Franklin, MA

Built 1965 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 5,524

HWY MCKEON RD

Fair

Over: WATER MIDDLE RIVER

250 FT S OF RIVERSIDE ST, Worcester, MA

Built 1924 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 10,100

I 190 NB

Fair

Over: ST 12 SB

.5MI.NTH.OF I-290, Worcester, MA

Built 1977 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 27,107

HWY NOTCH RD

Fair

Over: WATER SOUTH BROOK

.1 MI S OF WINDSOR RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 1939 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 259

ST 62 MAIN ST

Fair

Over: WATER ASSABET RIVER

2.4 KM SW RT 2, Middlesex, MA

Built 1978 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 17,300

HWY PLSNT ST CON

Fair

Over: COMB ST 9 WB & CSX

1 MI W OF JCT 90 & 9, Middlesex, MA

Built 1994 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 11,137

HWY CURVE ST

Fair

Over: RR CSX

.1 MI NE OF ST 27, Norfolk, MA

Built 1910 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 1,300

I 190 SB

Fair

Over: WATER STILLWATER RIVER

1 MILE NORTH OF ST-140, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 16,294

I 190 NB

Fair

Over: WATER STILLWATER RIVER

I-190 MM 10.2, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 18,117

HWY LT ISLAND RD

Fair

Over: WATER LOAGY BAY

1 MI W OF RTE 6, Barnstable, MA

Built 1920 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 357

I 190 NB

Fair

Over: HWY PROSPECT ST

0.5 MI N OF EXIT 4, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 17,114

I 190 SB

Fair

Over: HWY PROSPECT ST

.8 MI WEST OF ST-12, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 13,071

HWY MONTGOMRY RD

Fair

Over: WATER POWDER MILL BROOK

350 NW OF INT WITH N RD, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 48.5 t ADT: 2,715

HWY PELHAM RD

Fair

Over: WATER FORT RIVER

0.9 MI W PELHAM TL, Hampshire, MA

Built 1929 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 11,250

HWY BROTHERTON W

Fair

Over: 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

Fair

Over: WATER DUNNS POND OUTLET

.1 MI W OF AUBURN ST, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 10,308

I 93 SB

Fair

Over: COMB RAMP LT& MILLERS R

I93/US INTERCHANGE, Suffolk, MA

Built 2002 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 97,000

HWY HEMLOCK ST

Fair

Over: WATER TINKERVILLE BROOK

.3MI. S.W. OF ST-96, Worcester, MA

Built 2014 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 150

HWY MILL ST

Fair

Over: WATER BAKER BROOK

0.2 MI SW OF ROUTE 68, Worcester, MA

Built 1998 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 250

ST213 EB

Fair

Over: WATER SPICKET RIVER

OVER SPICKET RIVER, Essex, MA

Built 1959 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 35,000

HWY BREAKNECK RD

Fair

Over: WATER HOP BROOK

NR LEE BET MAIN&JRSLM RDS, Berkshire, MA

Built 2004 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 120

HWY LAWSBROOK RD

Fair

Over: WATER FORT POND BROOK

100 FT SE OF SCHOOL ST, Middlesex, MA

Built 1928 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 2,885

HWY FORGE HLL RD

Fair

Over: WATER CHICKLEY RIVER

@ ROUTE 8A INTERSECTION, Franklin, MA

Built 1939 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 150

ST122 S MAIN ST

Fair

Over: WATER MILLERS RIVER

.2 M S ORANGE CENTER, Franklin, MA

Built 1937 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 13,600

ST107 BRIDGE ST

Fair

Over: RR MBTA (STORAGE TUN)

.32 KM N SALEM CENTER, Essex, MA

Built 1949 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 24,000

HWY HEATH RD

Fair

Over: WATER TAYLOR BROOK

400 W OF COLRAIN STAGE R, Franklin, MA

Built 1939 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 120

ST213 WB

Fair

Over: TR METHUEN RAIL TRAIL

.2 MI W ST28, Essex, MA

Built 1959 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 33,600

HWY PEABODY ST

Fair

Over: WATER BOSTON BROOK

1 MI. SW. OF BOXFORD, Essex, MA

Built 1957 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 3,233

HWY DANFORTH ST

Fair

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

.75 MI NE OF RTE 140, Bristol, MA

Built 1850 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 3,466

HWY WHATELY RD

Fair

Over: WATER BLOODY BROOK

AT JCT OF SO.MILL RIV.RD, Franklin, MA

Built 1950 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 776

HWY CUSHMAN RD

Fair

Over: WATER ROARING BROOK

.1 MI S OF SHUTESBURY RD., Franklin, MA

Built 1963 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 1,900

I 95 ON RAMP

Fair

Over: OTHER MDC AQUEDUCT

.16 KM NORTH OF RT 30, Middlesex, MA

Built 1950 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 4,914

HWY WORTHNGTN RD

Fair

Over: WATER WESTFIELD BROOK

@ OLD 9 & WORTH RD INT, Berkshire, MA

Built 1958 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 370

HWY HIGH ST

Fair

Over: WATER POWWOW RIVER

.5 MI N OF TOWN CENTER, Essex, MA

Built 1995 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 3,400

ST 32 WHEELWRIGHT

Fair

Over: WATER WARE RIVER

JCT OF ADAMS ROAD, Worcester, MA

Built 1938 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 2,455

I 93 RAMP K

Fair

Over: HWY RAMP MW & HOV EB

0.5 MI S. OF I-90, Suffolk, MA

Built 2002 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 11,583

I 93 HOV RAMP EB

Fair

Over: RR AMTRAK

0.8 KM S. OF I-90 EB, Suffolk, MA

Built 2002 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 2,316

I 93 RAMP KK

Fair

Over: HWY HOV RAMP EB

0.5 MI S. OF I-90, Suffolk, MA

Built 2002 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 16,461

ST 3

Fair

Over: HWY UNION ST S ROTARY

ST 3 AT UNION ST, Norfolk, MA

Built 1957 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 63,986

HWY WALNUT ST

Fair

Over: TR GREEN LINE D

OVER GREEN LINE, Middlesex, MA

Built 1906 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 24,569

I 190 SB

Fair

Over: HWY MALDEN ST

AT CITY OF WORCESTER T.L., Worcester, MA

Built 1975 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 15,680

ST 37 HOWARD ST

Fair

Over: RR MBTA/CSX

ADJACENT TO JCT ST 28, Plymouth, MA

Built 1997 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 21,983

HWY COUNTY ST

Fair

Over: COMB ST140&STEVEN STEXT

AT MALL FORMER W STEVENS, Bristol, MA

Built 1991 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 2,300

Showing 2,851-2,900 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.