Hwy Main St over Water Merrimack River
Essex County, Massachusetts · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Hwy Main St over Water Merrimack River in Essex County, Massachusetts, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the substructure, rated 6 (satisfactory condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1850 and reconstructed in 2012, making it 175 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 16,700 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2021).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 270 of the 397 inventoried bridges in Essex County rated fair (68.0%); 66 (16.6%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is open, no restriction (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Status change: its 2024 load posting has been removed.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated November 2024, on a 24-month routine inspection cycle.
- It has fracture-critical members (NBI item 92A): steel tension members without a redundant load path, which get their own scheduled inspections.
- A fair rating means the lowest-rated major component scores 5 or 6 on FHWA's 0-9 scale: some deterioration or minor section loss, but the structure is sound. It is the middle class, not a warning.
View this bridge on a map → (42.83537, -70.90743)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 7 | 7 | Good condition |
| Superstructure | 7 | 7 | Good condition |
| Substructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel movable swing |
| Length | about 427 ft |
| Location | at Merrimack River |
| NBI structure number | A070102Y9DOTNBI |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Open, no restriction |
| Last inspection (item 90) | November 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 5: foundations stable, scour within the limits of the footing or piles |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Massachusetts department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Essex County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 93 over ST213 WB | 1959 | 186,800 | Fair |
| I 93 over Hwy Dascomb Rd | 1957 | 145,580 | Fair |
| I 93 over ST213 EB | 1959 | 144,946 | Fair |
| I 95 /ST128 over I 95 Ramp J | 1988 | 144,936 | Fair |
| I 95 /ST128 over Hwy Main St | 1948 | 143,473 | Fair |
| US 1 Newbrprt Tpk over I 95 /ST128 | 1963 | 140,655 | Poor |
All bridges nearby: Essex County, MA bridge conditions · every bridge in Essex County · Massachusetts bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.