Historic Bridges in New Hampshire
716 bridges built before 1951 in New Hampshire still in service today.
Bridges Built Before 1951
The United States has 716 bridges in New Hampshire built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.
| Bridge | State | Condition | Year Built | Age (Years) | ADT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LITTLE HARBOR | New Hampshire | Poor | 1942 | 84 | 3,359 |
| PAWTUCKAWAY RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1942 | 84 | 3,075 |
| CONTOOCOOK RIVER | New Hampshire | Poor | 1942 | 84 | 5,773 |
| SUNCOOK RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1942 | 84 | 4,409 |
| MINNEWAWA BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1943 | 83 | 110 |
| NEWFOUND RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1944 | 82 | 3,318 |
| GREAT BROOK | New Hampshire | Good | 1944 | 82 | 2,671 |
| SACO RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 12,188 |
| ASHUELOT RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 24 |
| GUNNISON BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 1,012 |
| MASCOMA RIVER CSX | New Hampshire | Good | 1945 | 81 | 13,685 |
| HUPPE BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 10,801 |
| BUMPUS BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 87 |
| SALMON FALLS RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 13,084 |
| BAKER BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1945 | 81 | 96 |
| NISSITISSIT RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1946 | 80 | 959 |
| INDIAN RIVER | New Hampshire | Good | 1946 | 80 | 1,088 |
| MINK BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1946 | 80 | 96 |
| RECREATION TRAIL(RR BED) | New Hampshire | Good | 1946 | 80 | 186 |
| PISCASSIC RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1946 | 80 | 2,525 |
| ISINGLASS RIVER | New Hampshire | Good | 1947 | 79 | 1,264 |
| NISSITISSIT RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 5,547 |
| BICKNELL BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 96 |
| MAPLE ST NHRR | New Hampshire | Good | 1947 | 79 | 17,943 |
| S BR PISCATAQUOG RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 4,887 |
| PISCASSIC RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 2,386 |
| JACOBS BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 256 |
| CONNECTICUT RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 1,124 |
| BAKER RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 1,732 |
| STEVENS BROOK | New Hampshire | Good | 1947 | 79 | 96 |
| ASHUELOT RIVER | New Hampshire | Poor | 1947 | 79 | 25 |
| UPPER AMMONOOSUC RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 50 |
| BURNT MILL BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 50 |
| BLUE BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1947 | 79 | 50 |
| SUNCOOK RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 427 |
| WARNER RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 4,002 |
| INDIAN RIVER | New Hampshire | Poor | 1948 | 78 | 1,436 |
| JOHNS RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 210 |
| FRESH CREEK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 5,853 |
| MILL BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 1,707 |
| PINE BEND BROOK | New Hampshire | Good | 1948 | 78 | 5,352 |
| NORTHEAST POND | New Hampshire | Poor | 1948 | 78 | 96 |
| LAMPREY RIVER | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 2,826 |
| STINSON BROOK | New Hampshire | Good | 1948 | 78 | 857 |
| NHRR(ABD) | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 8,130 |
| JOHNSON BROOK | New Hampshire | Good | 1948 | 78 | 222 |
| MILL BROOK | New Hampshire | Fair | 1948 | 78 | 6,478 |
| NEWFOUND RIVER | New Hampshire | Good | 1949 | 77 | 103 |
| NEWFOUND RIVER | New Hampshire | Poor | 1949 | 77 | 2,878 |
| CSX | New Hampshire | Fair | 1949 | 77 | 45,555 |
About Historic Bridge Data
Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.