National Bridge Inventory: New Jersey



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 2,582 bridges.
  • This compares to 2,478 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, New Jersey will receive a total of $1.2 billion in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • New Jersey currently has access to $984.5 million of that total, and has committed $572.2 million towards 76 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 6,825 bridges in the state, 392, or 5.7 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is down from 482 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 5.9 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in New Jersey

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Hudson 1951 152,276 Urban freeway/expressway NJ495EB &Rmps B, J over NJ 3 EB & US 1 Ramp
Passaic 1969 139,551 Urban Interstate I-80 over Pas Riv,Mcbride & Rvrvw
Essex 1970 134,566 Urban Interstate Njtpk Snw&Nsw Rwy over Passaic Riv,Pcrr,Crr,Con
Hunterdon 1941 130,244 Urban Interstate I-78 over Beaver Brook
Bergen 1931 113,043 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 17 over NYS & W RR
Bergen 1932 113,043 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 17 over NYS & W RR Spur
Bergen 1931 113,005 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 17 over West Central Avenue
Bergen 1931 93,416 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 4 over Teaneck Road
Middlesex 1932 93,321 Urban other principal arterial US 1 over Forrestal Road
Bergen 1931 92,076 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 4 over Hackensack Rivr & Road
Bergen 1931 90,670 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 4 over Palsd Av,Wndsr Rd&CSX RR
Hudson 1932 88,138 Urban freeway/expressway US 1&9 over Hcksck & Pssc Rvrs, Rds
Hudson 1954 87,045 Urban other principal arterial US1+9T over Hackensack River
Essex 1932 85,904 Urban freeway/expressway US 1&9 over Passaic R,Njtpk,RR,1&9T
Essex 1972 84,700 Urban Interstate I-78EB Outer,Ramps over Conrail (Mp 11.33)
Bergen 1931 83,252 Urban freeway/expressway NJ 4 over Grand Ave. (NJ 93,CR501)
Essex 1973 83,060 Urban Interstate I-78 WB Ramps over Conrail Mp 11.25
Bergen 1969 82,873 Urban Interstate Turnpike Sn95 over Bergen - Tpk Utilities
Hudson 1927 78,626 Urban other principal arterial NJ 139 over Conrail (Aban Eirie-LAc)
Camden 1956 73,907 Urban Interstate I-676 NB & Ramp Fn over Newton Creek
Union 1929 73,690 Urban other principal arterial US 22 over Echo Lake
Burlington 1925 72,151 Urban other principal arterial US 130 over Pompeston Creek
Camden 1925 71,176 Urban other principal arterial US 30 over Chandlers Run
Bergen 1936 70,812 Urban other principal arterial US 46 over Erie-LAckawanna Railroad
Burlington 1971 65,291 Urban Interstate I-295 SB over Burlingtn-Jacksonvlle Rd

Bridge Inventory: New Jersey

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 55 98,242 2,517,963 1 689 60,048
Rural arterial 80 187,830 1,889,244 10 7,558 197,474
Rural minor arterial 94 52,922 684,730 14 5,951 90,735
Rural major collector 155 50,279 541,054 11 2,836 35,614
Rural minor collector 77 18,946 166,398 6 541 6,776
Rural local road 500 83,204 400,268 26 2,540 12,080
Urban Interstate 1,081 2,755,477 62,288,689 28 116,147 1,608,728
Urban freeway/expressway 867 1,456,203 43,368,271 19 122,743 1,308,013
Urban other principal arterial 923 1,287,209 27,429,736 78 73,580 2,136,236
Urban minor arterial 1,212 875,663 14,783,233 98 89,686 1,234,386
Urban collector 752 355,576 4,895,435 49 15,802 283,270
Urban local road 1,029 381,298 3,757,552 52 12,651 135,373
Total 6,825 7,602,846 162,722,573 392 450,724 7,108,733

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 709 $4,014 11,330,524 460,394
Widening & rehabilitation 626 $3,193 11,097,230 529,879
Rehabilitation 217 $3,963 5,011,379 651,319
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 115 $782 3,082,292 129,594
Other structural work 915 $8,181 21,472,371 1,355,928
Total 2,582 $20,132 51,993,796 3,127,113

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.

26
Compared to 27 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
25. Mississippi 6.0%
26. New Jersey 6.0%
27. Hawaii 6.0%

33
Compared to 31 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
32. Maine 392
33. New Jersey 392
34. Montana 388

19
Compared to 19 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
18. Kentucky 6.0%
19. New Jersey 6.0%
20. Arkansas 6.0%
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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