Tawes Drive over Big Elk Creek
Cecil County, Maryland · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Tawes Drive over Big Elk Creek in Cecil County, Maryland, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 5 (fair condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1860 and reconstructed in 1992, making it 165 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 10 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2010).
- It is one of 125 of the 193 inventoried bridges in Cecil County rated fair (64.8%); 6 (3.1%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is posted for load (NBI item 41).
- Its condition class and component ratings are unchanged from the 2024 inventory.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated July 2024, on a 24-month routine inspection cycle.
- 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 → (39.70963, -75.83742)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 6 | 6 | Satisfactory condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Timber through truss |
| Length | about 67 ft |
| Location | 2 Mi. N of Md Rte 273 |
| NBI structure number | 300000CENR03010 |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | July 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 24 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 5: foundations stable, scour within the limits of the footing or piles |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Maryland department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Cecil County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-95 over Mill Creek | 1963 | 89,058 | Fair |
| I-95 over Stream | 1963 | 89,058 | Fair |
| I-95 over Principio Creek | 1963 | 83,628 | Fair |
| I-95 over Md 824 | 1964 | 80,402 | Fair |
| I-95 over Northeast Creek | 1963 | 78,625 | Fair |
| I-95 over Little Northeast Creek | 1963 | 78,625 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Cecil County, MD bridge conditions · every bridge in Cecil County · Maryland bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.