National Bridge Inventory: Maine



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 413 bridges.
  • This compares to 333 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Maine will receive a total of $225.0 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Maine currently has access to $180.0 million of that total, and has committed $18.6 million towards 56 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 2,542 bridges in the state, 392, or 15.4 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 314 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 9.7 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in Maine

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Cumberland 1959 27,320 Urban Interstate I 295 NB over Route 88 (Lafayette St)
Cumberland 1959 27,080 Urban Interstate I 295 SB over Route 88 (Lafayette St)
Penobscot 1960 25,340 Urban Interstate I 95 over Route 15 (Broadway)
Penobscot 1960 25,150 Urban Interstate I 95 SB over Stillwater Avenue
Penobscot 1960 25,120 Urban Interstate I 95 NB over Stillwater Avenue
Cumberland 1989 24,013 Urban other principal arterial Congress St over Stroudwater River
Androscoggin 1975 19,242 Urban other principal arterial Main St over pedestrian walkway
Kennebec 1955 16,934 Urban minor arterial Western Av over Interstate 95 NB & SB
Cumberland 1931 16,790 Urban minor arterial Main St over Androscoggin River
Hancock 1923 16,449 Rural arterial Main St over Union River
York 1958 14,260 Urban minor arterial Alfred Rd over Mousam River
Cumberland 1959 14,042 Rural minor arterial Tandberg Trl over ditch Brook
Cumberland 1989 13,750 Rural arterial Roosevelt Trl over Pleasant River
Aroostook 1944 13,721 Urban collector North St over Meduxnekeag River
Kennebec 1934 13,526 Urban minor arterial Mount Vernon Av over Bond Brook
Cumberland 1936 12,879 Urban collector Lower Main St over M C RR
Oxford 1929 11,655 Rural minor arterial Main St over Tannery (Bird) Brook
Penobscot 1929 11,561 Urban other principal arterial Independent St over Kenduskeag Stream
Knox 1931 11,473 Rural arterial Main St over Megunticook River
York 1938 10,523 Urban minor arterial One St over Piscataqua River
Piscataquis 1912 10,496 Rural minor arterial E Main St over Piscataquis River
Cumberland 1958 10,320 Urban collector Route 1 over Interstate 295 NB & SB
Somerset 1963 10,232 Rural arterial Oxbow Rd over Interstate 95 NB & SB
Penobscot 1985 10,212 Urban minor arterial Parkway S over I-395
Oxford 1952 10,165 Urban other principal arterial Main St over Swift River

Bridge Inventory: Maine

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 162 122,822 1,599,570 11 12,967 65,500
Rural arterial 149 107,330 1,089,984 15 5,968 111,324
Rural minor arterial 188 101,177 1,050,854 23 6,797 144,221
Rural major collector 480 178,321 1,086,740 68 21,093 125,094
Rural minor collector 269 74,707 346,548 43 10,570 46,178
Rural local road 796 134,066 373,790 170 17,076 56,941
Urban Interstate 142 205,882 2,414,417 7 6,982 137,047
Urban freeway/expressway 23 47,137 237,620 1 558 7,825
Urban other principal arterial 52 86,532 732,333 8 4,314 95,101
Urban minor arterial 82 140,381 916,392 13 19,361 136,933
Urban collector 114 69,190 664,490 17 14,562 96,294
Urban local road 85 24,881 116,409 16 5,108 14,151
Total 2,542 1,292,424 10,629,147 392 125,354 1,036,609

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 5 $6 1,913 1,003
Widening & rehabilitation 1 $2 799 532
Rehabilitation 404 $488 1,079,951 128,812
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 1 $0 5 40
Other structural work 2 $1 255 253
Total 413 $497 1,082,923 130,640

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.

4
Compared to 4 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
3. South Dakota 16.0%
4. Maine 15.0%
5. Puerto Rico 14.0%

32
Compared to 32 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
31. Colorado 417
32. Maine 392
33. New Jersey 392

7
Compared to 7 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
6. Illinois 11.0%
7. Maine 10.0%
8. South Dakota 8.0%
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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