E Blue Hill over Mcheards Cove
Hancock County, Maine · rated Poor in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- E Blue Hill over Mcheards Cove in Hancock County, Maine, is rated in poor condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the deck, rated 4 (poor condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1956, making it 69 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 756 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2016).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 17 of the 69 inventoried bridges in Hancock County rated poor (24.6%); 17 (24.6%) 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 May 2024, on a 12-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 poor rating means at least one major component - deck, superstructure, or substructure - is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale. It does not by itself mean the bridge is unsafe; bridges judged unsafe are closed or load-restricted by their owners.
View this bridge on a map → (44.41747, -68.52451)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Superstructure | 4 | 4 | Poor condition |
| Substructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Continuous steel girder and floorbeam |
| Length | about 85 ft |
| Location | 3 Mi E Jct 172 |
| NBI structure number | 3668 |
| Condition class | Poor |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | May 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 8: foundations stable, scour above the top of the footing |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Maine department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Hancock County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main St over Union River | 1923 | 16,449 | Poor |
| Bangor Rd over Union River | 1981 | 15,759 | Fair |
| Bar Harbor Rd over Mt Desert Narrows | 1958 | 15,122 | Fair |
| Route 1 over Kilkenny St | 2000 | 12,782 | Good |
| Maine Route 233 over Hulls Cove Road | 1928 | 12,768 | Fair |
| Main Rd over M C RR | 1973 | 10,891 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Hancock County, ME bridge conditions · every bridge in Hancock County · Maine bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.