National Bridge Inventory: Massachusetts



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 4,998 bridges.
  • This compares to 4,898 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Massachusetts will receive a total of $1.2 billion in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Massachusetts currently has access to $974.1 million of that total, and has committed $677.9 million towards 30 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 5,311 bridges in the state, 501, or 9.4 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 456 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 11.4 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in Massachusetts

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Norfolk 1957 204,310 Urban other principal arterial St 3 over Hwy Union St N Rotary
Middlesex 1957 200,824 Urban Interstate I 93 over I 95 /St128
Middlesex 1950 192,672 Urban Interstate I 95 /St128 over RR MBTA/BMRR
Middlesex 1960 182,420 Urban Interstate I 93 over St 16 Myst Val Pky
Middlesex 1950 142,579 Urban Interstate I 95 St128 over Hwy Quinobequin Rd
Essex 1963 140,655 Urban other principal arterial US 1 Newbrprt Tpk over I 95 /St128
Essex 1963 124,334 Urban Interstate I 495 over Hwy Massachusetts Ave
Essex 1959 119,818 Urban Interstate I 93 over Water Merrimack River
Middlesex 1957 114,872 Urban Interstate I 90 over RR CSX
Norfolk 1958 101,100 Urban Interstate I 93 NB/US1SB over St 24 NB
Middlesex 1905 96,206 Urban other principal arterial St 9 Boylston St over Tr Green Line D
Essex 1962 95,100 Urban Interstate I 495 SB over St 28 SB/N Main St
Middlesex 1950 93,600 Urban freeway/expressway I 95 SB/St128 SB over St 3 A/Cambridge St
Essex 1961 93,469 Urban Interstate I 495 SB over Comb BMRR & Little Riv
Essex 1961 93,469 Urban Interstate I 495 NB over Comb BMRR & Little Riv
Middlesex 1950 92,706 Urban Interstate I 95 SB/St128 SB over Hwy S Bedford St
Essex 1934 85,600 Urban other principal arterial St 1 A/Lynnway over Water Saugus River
Middlesex 1962 84,000 Urban other principal arterial St 3 A/Gorham St over I 495
Middlesex 1957 80,100 Urban Interstate I 90 Ramps A & B over Water Charles River
Essex 1962 79,000 Urban minor arterial I 495 & Access Rps over Water Merrimack River
Suffolk 1927 78,900 Urban other principal arterial Hwy Morrssey Blv over Water Dorchester Bay
Essex 1964 78,446 Urban Interstate I 495 NB over St110 Amesbury Rd
Hampden 1967 78,178 Urban Interstate I 291 Conn B & C over Hwy Dwight St
Suffolk 1970 77,596 Urban Interstate I 93 Bt SB4-N Abt over Hwy Connectors D & K
Suffolk 1965 76,373 Urban Interstate I 90 EB over RR MBTA

Bridge Inventory: Massachusetts

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 87 53,225 2,371,961 4 2,618 145,474
Rural arterial 50 46,856 543,556 5 13,386 70,518
Rural minor arterial 110 41,408 569,848 9 1,633 57,637
Rural major collector 234 60,396 612,396 35 8,237 75,042
Rural minor collector 121 26,347 168,312 7 1,110 10,219
Rural local road 464 63,042 204,724 40 5,505 21,284
Urban Interstate 933 1,489,653 50,157,956 72 136,643 4,533,291
Urban freeway/expressway 462 472,472 18,344,495 43 70,536 1,234,224
Urban other principal arterial 723 810,082 17,405,067 89 108,867 2,510,638
Urban minor arterial 978 618,232 13,373,819 100 76,239 1,236,207
Urban collector 527 262,953 3,332,220 52 31,893 337,844
Urban local road 622 227,015 1,826,011 45 18,767 77,655
Total 5,311 4,171,681 108,910,365 501 475,434 10,310,033

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 492 $4,642 5,515,669 341,163
Widening & rehabilitation 1,817 $9,227 29,558,741 998,461
Rehabilitation 2,373 $22,149 56,031,359 2,221,179
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 25 $356 1,190,640 31,566
Other structural work 291 $2,944 9,807,156 278,460
Total 4,998 $39,318 102,100,000 3,870,829

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on August 20, 2024. 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 2023 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.

13
Compared to 14 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
12. Illinois 10.0%
13. Massachusetts 9.0%
14. Missouri 9.0%

26
Compared to 27 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
25. Alabama 545
26. Massachusetts 501
27. Virginia 485

5
Compared to 6 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
4. Rhode Island 12.0%
5. Massachusetts 11.0%
6. Illinois 11.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on August 20, 2024. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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