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 57 WB

Good

Over: ST159 MAIN ST

4.75 MI E OF SOUTHWICK, Hampden, MA

Built 2002 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 16,427

ST 57 EB

Good

Over: ST159 MAIN ST

MM 44.0 ON ST 57, Hampden, MA

Built 2002 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 13,707

I 95 NB

Good

Over: WATER TEN MILE RIVER

.1 M N OF CLFTN ST OVRPS, Bristol, MA

Built 1960 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 77,844

I 495 NB

Good

Over: RR MBTA/BMRR

50 FT S OF WOBURN ST EXIT, Middlesex, MA

Built 2011 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 61,500

HWY ASBURY ST

Good

Over: WATER IPSWICH RIVER

SOUTH IPSWICH ROAD, Essex, MA

Built 2008 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 6,190

I 90 RAMP D

Good

Over: OTHER GARAGE RAMP

EXIT 22 TOWARD STUART ST., Suffolk, MA

Built 1981 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 9,569

HWY SHEFFIELD RD

Good

Over: WATER HUBBARD BROOK

500 E OF RT 41 & 23, Berkshire, MA

Built 1999 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 675

HWY WESTON RD

Good

Over: RR CSX/MBTA

0.8 KM N RTE 135, Norfolk, MA

Built 1997 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 17,069

ST129 LOWELL ST

Good

Over: WATER MAPLE MEADOW BROOK

0.85 KM E OF JCT ST38, Middlesex, MA

Built 2008 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 28,600

HWY MCKEON RD

Good

Over: ST146 /ST122A & NB ON RP

@MM19.9 / EXIT 20, Worcester, MA

Built 2005 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 16,555

HWY UNION AVE

Good

Over: WATER SUDBURY RIVER

.4 MI S OF MAIN ST, Middlesex, MA

Built 1985 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 14,143

ST140 RDMPTN ROCK

Good

Over: WATER WACHUSETT BROOK

.5 MILE NORTH OF ST 62, Worcester, MA

Built 2003 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 9,398

US 7 SIMONDS RD

Good

Over: WATER BROAD BROOK

.1 MI N OF SAND SPRGS RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 2005 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 5,857

US 44

Good

Over: HWY BROOK ST

1.4 MI E OF ST 58, Plymouth, MA

Built 2004 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 47,069

HWY ROCKY LA

Good

Over: RR MBTA

200 FT S OF N MAIN ST, Norfolk, MA

Built 2006 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 1,810

HWY MT WARNER RD

Good

Over: WATER MILL RIVER

N.HADLEY @ LAKE WARNER, Hampshire, MA

Built 2002 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 660

HWY MINERAL ST

Good

Over: RR MBTA/BMRR

0.32 KM NE SUMMER AVE, Middlesex, MA

Built 1997 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 4,100

HWY RAMP K

Good

Over: OTHER RELIEF

MASS AVE. INT., Suffolk, MA

Built 2002 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 45,000

I 190 NB

Good

Over: HWY DANA HILL RD

MM9.7 0.4 N OF 140, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 16,694

I 190 SB

Good

Over: HWY DANA HILL RD

MM9.7 0.4 N OF 140, Worcester, MA

Built 1979 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 16,555

ST 68 GARDNER RD

Good

Over: WATER BR OTTER RIVER

.7M NW OF GARDNER T.L., Worcester, MA

Built 2002 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 6,724

HWY MAIN ST

Good

Over: RR MACRR

0.7 M S OF RTE 195, Plymouth, MA

Built 1985 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 19,525

HWY WEST ST

Good

Over: RR MBTA/CSX

BTWN PLAIN ST & CEDAR ST, Norfolk, MA

Built 1991 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 5,560

ST122 WORCESTER RD

Good

Over: WATER PARKERS BROOK

JUST SOUTH COLDBROOK RD, Worcester, MA

Built 1938 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 49,313

HWY LOWR WEST ST

Good

Over: WATER BUCK RIVER

.5 MI W. OF STATE RTE 57, Berkshire, MA

Built 1956 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 129

ST 7 A/ASHLEY FLS

Good

Over: WATER KONKAPOT RIVER

400 S OF RANNAPO ROAD, Berkshire, MA

Built 2005 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 1,293

HWY WINDSOR BUSH

Good

Over: WATER WINDSOR JAMBS BRK

.6 MI EAST OF WINDIGO RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 1940 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 129

HWY LANDING RD

Good

Over: WATER STONY BROOK

JUST SW OF RTE 3, Plymouth, MA

Built 1954 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 2,655

HWY TAYLOR ST

Good

Over: ST 2

.2 MI WEST OF I-495, Middlesex, MA

Built 2006 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 5,036

ST140 RDMPTN RCK T

Good

Over: WATER STILLWATER RIVER

1 MILE NORTH OF ST-62, Worcester, MA

Built 2003 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 8,152

ST 2 MOHAWK TRAIL

Good

Over: ST 63 LESTER MOORE ST

1 MILE EAST OF CONN. RIV., Franklin, MA

Built 2008 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 8,936

HWY NORFOLK RD

Good

Over: WATER SANDY BROOK

200 WST SANDY BRK TP, Berkshire, MA

Built 2009 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 129

HWY HASKINS RD#1

Good

Over: WATER WESTFIELD RIVER

AT JCT RTS 8A & 116, Berkshire, MA

Built 2004 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 120

ST146 NB

Good

Over: ST146 A/QUAKER HWY

1.1MI.NTH. OF R.I.ST.LINE, Worcester, MA

Built 1984 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 15,941

US 7 /ST2/CLD SPR

Good

Over: WATER HEMLOCK BROOK

.7 MI S. OF BEE HILL RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 2006 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 7,055

I 290 EB

Good

Over: HWY ASHMONT AVE

.2 MI E OF COLLEGE SQ, Worcester, MA

Built 1959 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 61,452

I 290 WB

Good

Over: HWY ASHMONT AVE

.2 MI. E. OF C0LLEGE SQ., Worcester, MA

Built 1959 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 63,618

HWY MARSTN ST NB

Good

Over: I 495 RAMP J

1/2 MI. S. OF CMMNWLTH DR, Essex, MA

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 4,500

HWY MCAULEY RD

Good

Over: WATER HUDSON BROOK

0.1 MI N OF ROUTE 8, Berkshire, MA

Built 2003 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 120

HWY POMEROY AVE

Good

Over: WATER E BR HOUSATONIC R

.7 MI NW OF HOLMES RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 1936 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 3,400

HWY HYDE PARK AV

Good

Over: WATER MOTHER BROOK

.48 KM S OF CLEARY SQ, Suffolk, MA

Built 1991 Load: 44.6 t ADT: 16,600

HWY GATES ST

Good

Over: RR CSX

@ CORNER OF WALPOLE ST, Worcester, MA

Built 2003 Load: 44.6 t ADT: 1,050

HWY REIL LANE

Good

Over: WATER E BR NORTH RIVER

@ ROUTE 112 INTERSECTION, Franklin, MA

Built 1988 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 129

ST 23 /ST41/MAPLE

Good

Over: WATER GREEN RIVER

0.2M E OF W. SHEFFIELD RD, Berkshire, MA

Built 2004 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 10,345

I 495 SB

Good

Over: WATER CONCORD RIVER

3.2KM SOUTH OF RT 38, Middlesex, MA

Built 2011 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 64,400

HWY WAREHAM ST

Good

Over: WATER NEMASKET RIVER

.2 MI SE OF RTE 105, Plymouth, MA

Built 1964 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 10,474

ST 1 A/RP E-1ASB

Good

Over: I 90 WB & SR-14

SEGMENT 2, Suffolk, MA

Built 2002 Load: 44.8 t

I 93 RAMP X

Good

Over: I 90 & RAMPS CC & KK

I93/I90 INTERCHANGE, Suffolk, MA

Built 2004 Load: 44.8 t ADT: 2,066

I 495 NB

Good

Over: WATER SNAKE RIVER

1.7 MI E OF NORTON TL, Bristol, MA

Built 1980 Load: 44.8 t ADT: 32,214

ST146 SB

Good

Over: ST146 A/QUAKER HWY

1.1MI.NTH OF R.I. ST.LINE, Worcester, MA

Built 1984 Load: 44.8 t ADT: 14,523

Showing 4,151-4,200 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.