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 9 BOYLSTON ST

Fair

Over: WATER HEMLOCK GORGE

AT QUINOBEQUIN RD, Middlesex, MA

Built 1932 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 56,450

I 90

Fair

Over: HWY CHARLES ST

.1 MI E.CHARLES RV S10, Middlesex, MA

Built 1964 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 86,719

ST 2 STATE RD

Fair

Over: WATER NOTCH BROOK

JCT. W/BRAYTON HILL TERR., Berkshire, MA

Built 1959 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 25,216

HWY HINES BRG RD

Fair

Over: WATER FIVE MILE RIVER

2.3 MI. E OF ST. 67, Worcester, MA

Built 1945 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 650

ST 10 BERNARDSTON

Fair

Over: WATER BENNETT BROOK

.1 M. E. OF GILL ROAD, Franklin, MA

Built 1969 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 9,569

HWY CLARA BTN RD

Fair

Over: WATER FRENCH RIVER

0.2 MI WEST OF RTE-12, Worcester, MA

Built 1891 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,000

HWY OLD WEBSTER

Fair

Over: WATER LITTLE RIVER

200 FT S. BUFFEM DAM RD, Worcester, MA

Built 1860 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 4,900

I 90

Fair

Over: WATER FRENCH RIVER

MM 87.6, Worcester, MA

Built 1957 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 106,021

US 20 WILBRAHAM ST

Fair

Over: WATER QUABOAG RIVER

.3 M W OF INT W N.MAIN ST, Hampden, MA

Built 1910 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 13,981

HWY N VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: WATER AMETHYST BROOK

1400 N OF INT AMHERST RD, Hampshire, MA

Built 1953 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,646

HWY ANN DR EXT

Fair

Over: WATER SACKETT BROOK

SOUTH END ANN DRIVE, Berkshire, MA

Built 1976 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 129

HWY COMMERCE WAY

Fair

Over: HWY PA LANDERS ACCESS

.2MI N OF US44, Plymouth, MA

Built 2003 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 21,000

ST 68 WARWICK RD

Fair

Over: WATER E BR TULLY RIVER

1 MI SE OF RTE 32, Worcester, MA

Built 1948 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 129

HWY BRCH HL D RD

Fair

Over: WATER BEAVER BROOK

0.2 MI EAST RT 68, Worcester, MA

Built 1941 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 129

HWY TOWNSEND RD

Fair

Over: WATER MULPUS BROOK

.1 MI N OF ST-2A, Middlesex, MA

Built 1961 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,050

US202 GRANBY RD

Fair

Over: WATER BUTTERY BROOK

250 W RT 202/116 BRDG, Hampshire, MA

Built 1958 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 16,552

HWY FOMER RD

Fair

Over: WATER MANHAN RIVER

2 M W OF CROOKED LEDGE, Hampshire, MA

Built 1960 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 130

ST 30 BOSTON RD

Fair

Over: WATER SUDBURY RESERVOIR

600 FT E OF FRAMINGHAM RD, Worcester, MA

Built 1895 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 11,137

I 190

Fair

Over: HWY AGRICLTRL UNDRPS

AT MI. MARKER 10.4, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 35,354

US 20 MAIN ST

Fair

Over: WATER LONG POND

100 FT E OF BRIMFIELD TL, Worcester, MA

Built 1958 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 7,843

HWY BRIDGE ST

Fair

Over: WATER SHAWSHEEN RIVER

1 MI NW OF WILMINGTON, Middlesex, MA

Built 1979 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 3,800

US 1 NEWBRPRT TPK

Fair

Over: WATER IPSWICH RIVER

.8 MI S ST97, Essex, MA

Built 1850 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 16,700

HWY CANAL ST

Fair

Over: WATER SQUANNACOOK RIVER

.1 MI. N. OF RT. 119, Middlesex, MA

Built 1850 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 4,350

ST119 RIVER RD

Fair

Over: WATER WILLARD BROOK

100 FT WEST OF WHEELER RD, Middlesex, MA

Built 1908 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,048

ST119 RIVER RD

Fair

Over: WATER WILLARD BROOK

0.25 MI E OF ASHBY T.L., Middlesex, MA

Built 1908 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,048

ST119 RIVER RD

Fair

Over: WATER WILLARD BROOK

AT STATE FOREST HEADQUTRS, Middlesex, MA

Built 1908 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 2,294

HWY HECLA ST

Fair

Over: WATER WEST RIVER

.75 M S OF RT-16, Worcester, MA

Built 1930 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,184

ST 16 MENDON ST

Fair

Over: WATER WEST RIVER

1.1 MI. E. OF ST-122, Worcester, MA

Built 1912 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 10,157

ST 16 MENDON ST

Fair

Over: WATER ROCK MEADOW BROOK

.3 MI W OF MENDON TL, Worcester, MA

Built 1949 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 11,221

HWY WASHNGTON ST

Fair

Over: WATER NEPONSET RIVER

.4 MI S OF NORWOOD, Norfolk, MA

Built 1875 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 16,785

HWY NEWTON ST

Fair

Over: WATER CHARLES RIVER

0.35 MI SOUTH RTE 20, Middlesex, MA

Built 1877 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 16,601

HWY MAIN ST

Fair

Over: WATER WEWEANTIC RIVER

.8 MI SE OF ROCHESTER, Plymouth, MA

Built 1978 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,571

ST 78 ORANGE RD

Fair

Over: WATER ORCUTT BROOK

1.5 MI N OF RTE 2A, Franklin, MA

Built 2009 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 647

HWY CHEQUSST NCK

Fair

Over: WATER HERRING RIVER

3 MI W OF RTE 6, Barnstable, MA

Built 1973 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,034

I 90

Fair

Over: WATER BALDWIN BROOK

AT MILE MARKER 0.95, Berkshire, MA

Built 1957 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 23,916

I 90

Fair

Over: WATER MOOSE MEADOW BROOK

.7 MI E. US 20 E1C, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 30,066

I 90

Fair

Over: WATER COOLEY BROOK

1.5MI N.WESTFIELD RV E2C, Hampden, MA

Built 1957 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 48,370

HWY LOCKHOUSE RD

Fair

Over: WATER ARM BROOK

.2 M. S.E. I-90, Hampden, MA

Built 1980 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 10,000

HWY SOUTHMPTN RD

Fair

Over: WATER SODOM BROOK

2.7 MI N OF SOUTHAMPTON, Hampshire, MA

Built 1960 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,034

HWY ASH ST

Fair

Over: WATER WESTON RESERVOIR

.9 MI N OF I 90, Middlesex, MA

Built 1902 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 1,810

I 90 RAMPS A & B

Fair

Over: OTHER MWRA AQUEDUCT

MTA NO. L-52 & S-8, Middlesex, MA

Built 1957 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 109,700

ST 18 MAIN ST

Fair

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

.16 KM N OF ST 3, Norfolk, MA

Built 1957 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 43,000

I 290

Fair

Over: HWY ENDICOTT ST

.1 MILE WEST OF ST 122-A, Worcester, MA

Built 1959 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 126,972

I 290

Fair

Over: WATER MIDDLE RIVER

.1M S OF CAMBRIDGE ST., Worcester, MA

Built 1966 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 43,750

HWY TAYLOR ST

Good

Over: I 495

0.25 MI S. ST. RTE 2, Middlesex, MA

Built 2015 Load: 1.1 t ADT: 3,000

HWY REG DAM RD

Good

Over: WATER QUABBIN RES

.4 MI SW OF ST122 GATE 31, Franklin, MA

Built 1940 Load: 9.4 t

HWY RIVER RD

Good

Over: WATER M BR WESTFIELD RIV

1.9 MI S. OF ROUTE 143, Hampshire, MA

Built 1954 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 129

HWY SHAW RD

Good

Over: WATER SWIFT RIVER

500 N OF INT/RT9 NEAR TL, Hampshire, MA

Built 1939 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 1,940

HWY PARK ST

Good

Over: RR MBTA

1.9 KM NE OF JCTSR109&RT1, Suffolk, MA

Built 1900 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 3,362

HWY ORCHARD RD

Good

Over: WATER E BR HOUSATONIC R

.5 MILES SOUTH OF ROUTE 9, Berkshire, MA

Built 1952 Load: 15.7 t ADT: 2,069

Showing 3,451-3,500 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.