Structure M1701931JDOTNBI · Essex County, MA

HWY Forest ST over I 93

Carries HWY Forest ST over I 93, .6 Mi N Merrimac River.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck at 5 of 9.

How ratings work
Decksets the rating5/9 · Fair
Superstructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructure6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT418 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 5/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

418 ft end to end, longest span 110 ft: about 6 semi-trucks nose to tail. Lengths and the semi-truck on the deck are drawn to the same scale. Each part is colored by its latest inspection rating. The inventory records lengths but not heights or the layout of the shorter spans, so those are drawn as typical for a multi-beam bridge.

Built1959rebuilt 1990
Length418.0 ft127.4 m
Daily traffic4,650counted 2024
Last inspectedDecember 2024every 24 months

Location

StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Location.6 Mi N Merrimac River
CarriesHWY Forest ST
CrossesI 93
Coordinates42.71034, -71.21107

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length418.0 ft (127.4 m)
Max Span109.9 ft (33.5 m)
Deck Width45.3 ft (13.8 m)
Deck Area1758.1 sq m
Main Spans4
Year Built1959 (reconstructed 1990)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic4,650 (2024)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge2
Lanes Under Bridge6

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionDecember 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure NumberM1701931JDOTNBI

How Bridge Ratings Work

Inspectors rate each major part of a bridge (the deck you drive on, the superstructure of beams that holds it up, and the substructure of piers and abutments beneath) on a 0–9 scale. A bridge's overall condition is its lowest of those ratings, so one deteriorated component makes the whole bridge "poor."

0Failed
1Imminent failure
2Critical
3Serious
4Poor
5Fair
6Satisfactory
7Good
8Very good
9Excellent
Good · lowest component 7–9
Fair · lowest component 5–6
Poor · lowest component 0–4

A poor rating is not a closure. It means the bridge is flagged for priority repair or replacement; bridges judged unsafe are closed or posted with weight limits. The waterway (channel) rating is reported, but it does not count toward the overall classification.

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