Structure L040402X9DOTNBI · Essex County, MA

I 495 NB over HWY Commonwealth DR

Carries I 495 NB over HWY Commonwealth DR, .4 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
CAR · 15 FT103 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 5/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

103 ft end to end, longest span 47 ft. Lengths and the car 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.

Built196264 years old
Length103.0 ft31.4 m
Daily traffic62,100counted 2019
Last inspectedFebruary 2025every 24 months

Location

StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Location.4 Mi N Merrimac River
CarriesI 495 NB
CrossesHWY Commonwealth DR
Coordinates42.71383, -71.13706

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length103.0 ft (31.4 m)
Max Span46.9 ft (14.3 m)
Deck Width65.9 ft (20.1 m)
Deck Area631.1 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1962

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic62,100 (2019)
Truck Traffic10%
Lanes On Bridge4
Lanes Under Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionFebruary 2025
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure NumberL040402X9DOTNBI

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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