Bridge conditions in New Hanover County, North Carolina
125 inventoried bridges · 3 rated poor · 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
The federal inventory lists 125 bridges in New Hanover County: 86 rated good, 36 fair, and 3 poor.
- 3 of the 125 bridges in New Hanover County, North Carolina, are rated in poor condition (2.4%) in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory, as of .
- 86 bridges (68.8%) are rated good and 36 (28.8%) fair.
- The median New Hanover County bridge was built in 2004.
- The busiest poor-rated bridge is US76 over Banks Channel (built 1972), carrying about 13,500 vehicles a day.
Good 68.8% · Fair 28.8% · Poor 2.4% of 125 bridges
Bridges rated poor
Every bridge in the county with a poor rating, busiest first. Poor means a major component is rated 4 or lower on FHWA's 0-9 scale; it is a repair flag, not a closure notice.
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US76 over Banks Channel | 1972 | 13,500 | Poor |
| US74 over Banks Channel | 1957 | 10,000 | Poor |
| 6TH Street over S.c.l. RR | 1911 | 400 | Poor |
Busiest bridges in the county
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| US17 US76 US421 over Cape Fear River | 1969 | 69,000 | Fair |
| I40 US117 NC132 over Smith Creek | 1985 | 59,000 | Fair |
| US74E NC133 over Mcrae St Csxrr Smith CR. | 2005 | 38,000 | Good |
| US74 Wbl over SR1302 & Smith Creek | 2005 | 37,500 | Good |
| US74E over SR1302 Smith Creek | 2005 | 37,500 | Good |
| US74 US76 over Bradley Creek | 1989 | 36,500 | Fair |
| US421 SR1140 over Grnfd. Lake Spillway | 2018 | 35,000 | Good |
| US421 over Spencer Farlow Dr Snows | 1962 | 35,000 | Fair |
| I40W over Northeast Cape Fear Rive | 1984 | 34,000 | Fair |
| I40E over NE Cape Fear River | 1984 | 34,000 | Fair |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025. Counts cover inventoried highway bridges over 20 feet; ratings are reported by the state DOT.
All of North Carolina: North Carolina bridge conditions by county · every download on the data page.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.