Structure L040372XBDOTNBI · Essex County, MA

I 495 over Comb Merrimac ST & Mbta

Carries I 495 over Comb Merrimac ST & Mbta, .32 Km S Merrimac River.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Superstructure and Substructure at 5 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructuresets the rating5/9 · Fair
Substructuresets the rating5/9 · Fair
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT391 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 5/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 5/9 · sets the rating

391 ft end to end, longest span 103 ft: about 5 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.

Built196264 years old
Length391.1 ft119.2 m
Daily traffic96,595counted 2019
Last inspectedJanuary 2025every 24 months

Location

StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Location.32 Km S Merrimac River
CarriesI 495
CrossesComb Merrimac ST & Mbta
Coordinates42.70365, -71.13989

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length391.1 ft (119.2 m)
Max Span102.7 ft (31.3 m)
Deck Width95.1 ft (29 m)
Deck Area3456.8 sq m
Main Spans6
Year Built1962

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic96,595 (2019)
Truck Traffic12%
Lanes On Bridge6
Lanes Under Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJanuary 2025
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure NumberL040372XBDOTNBI

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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