National Bridge Inventory: Connecticut



  • Of the 4,353 bridges in the state, 225, or 5.2 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 308 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2018.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 7.2 percent of total deck area on all structures.
  • 21 of the structurally deficient bridges are on the Interstate Highway System. A total of 76.4 percent of the structurally deficient bridges are not on the National Highway System, which includes the Interstate and other key roads linking major airports, ports, rail and truck terminals.
  • 178 bridges are posted for load, which may restrict the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.
  • The state has identified needed repairs on 385 bridges at an estimated cost of $3.2 billion.
  • This compares to 421 bridges that needed work in 2018.

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
New Haven 1956 137,300 Urban Interstate Interstate-95 over Metro North Railroad
Fairfield 1958 127,300 Urban Interstate I-95 & I-95 Ramps over MNRR & Local Roads
Fairfield 1957 121,600 Urban Interstate Interstate-95 over Route 33
Fairfield 1953 76,300 Urban Interstate I-84 Eastbound & W over Housatonic River
Fairfield 1938 68,420 Urban freeway/expressway Route 15 over Saugatuck River
New Haven 1967 64,750 Urban Interstate Interstate-84 EB over I-84WB,Rte8,Naugatuck Rv
New Haven 1967 64,750 Urban Interstate Interstate 84 WB over Rte 8, Naug Riv, M-N RR
New London 1958 59,100 Urban Interstate Interstate-95 over Route 161
Middlesex 1950 57,300 Urban freeway/expressway Route 9 over P&W Railroad & Union St
Hartford 1964 47,400 Urban Interstate Interstate-91 SB over Csorr, SR 598WB & Tr803
New London 1943 42,600 Urban Interstate Interstate 95 Nort over Thames Rv,RR,Local Roads
Hartford 1942 42,200 Urban freeway/expressway Route 15 & U.S. 5 over P&W RR & Hartford Ave
Hartford 1958 40,300 Urban Interstate I-291 & King St. over Podunk River
Middlesex 1938 34,400 Urban other principal arterial Route 66 over P&W RR Rt9 Conn River
Fairfield 1968 34,050 Urban Interstate Interstate 684 NB over Byram River
New London 1958 31,500 Urban Interstate Interstate-395 over Bishop Crossing Rd
New London 1964 31,250 Urban Interstate Interstate-95 SB over Route 12
New Haven 1966 30,450 Urban freeway/expressway Route 8 Northbound over Route 8 SB & Local Roads
Fairfield 1958 30,400 Urban Interstate Interstate-395 over Moosup River & Route 14
New Haven 1946 29,600 Urban freeway/expressway Route 15 NB over Quinnipiac River
New Haven 1966 27,300 Urban freeway/expressway Route 8 Southbound over Naugatuck Rv-Local Roads
New Haven 1966 27,300 Urban freeway/expressway Route 8 Northbound over Metro-North Railroad
Fairfield 1910 27,000 Urban other principal arterial US Route 1 over Yellow Mill Channel
New Haven 1948 24,929 Urban minor arterial Skiff Street over Route 15
Hartford 1966 22,600 Urban other principal arterial Route 190 over Conn River & Amtrak RR
Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 78 115,530 2,065,850 0 0 0
Rural arterial 124 68,994 1,656,152 2 1,743 17,700
Rural minor arterial 95 35,139 569,635 2 2,160 21,400
Rural major collector 247 70,120 827,213 9 1,162 19,115
Rural minor collector 82 18,517 110,097 3 776 3,258
Rural local road 507 85,620 287,978 44 5,201 22,476
Urban Interstate 749 1,389,255 44,072,879 21 117,111 971,371
Urban freeway/expressway 563 620,177 16,891,710 16 32,350 419,120
Urban other principal arterial 339 283,943 5,080,109 14 38,401 219,222
Urban minor arterial 500 328,223 5,124,737 31 23,946 321,675
Urban collector 454 219,298 2,262,099 36 14,218 184,319
Urban local road 615 188,395 1,163,436 47 8,699 72,547
Total 4,353 3,423,212 80,111,895 225 245,767 2,272,203
Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 142 $700 1,292,532 83,762
Widening & rehabilitation 6 $93 242,971 15,642
Rehabilitation 215 $2,307 3,177,126 397,419
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 4 $11 20,166 2,221
Other structural work 18 $111 193,212 21,079
Total 385 $3,223 4,926,007 520,122

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on February 1, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2021 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

31
Compared to 30 in 2021

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. West Virginia 20.0%
30. Kansas 5.0%
31. Connecticut 5.0%
32. Idaho 5.0%

40
Compared to 40 in 2021

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,604
39. Idaho 234
40. Connecticut 225
41. Wyoming 205

15
Compared to 14 in 2021

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. Rhode Island 17.0%
14. Wyoming 7.0%
15. Connecticut 7.0%
16. New Jersey 7.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on February 1, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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