In the context of developing a real‐time seismic damage assessment technique, this paper proposes a simplified model that accounts for abutment stoppers, focusing on the transverse direction. Detailed 3D finite element models of 4 bridges of the Attiki Odos motorway are developed and used as benchmarks to assess its efficiency. The selected bridges vary in length, pier typologies, clearances, and pier‐deck connections. The simplified model entails a SDOF system of a pier, with assemblies of gap elements, lateral and rotational springs, and dashpots (top and bottom), representing the deck, the bearings, the abutment stoppers, and the foundation. The effect of stoppers is initially studied, focusing on the response of the abutment‐embankment system. To shed more light on the role of abutment stoppers, a parametric study is conducted, considering a wide range of clearances. Subsequently, the effect of variabilities in span length and pier height is examined. The simplified method is extended to nonideally symmetric systems and verified against the 3D benchmarks. Finally, the model is modified to account for multicolumn piers. The extended simplified model offers a reasonable prediction of the seismic damage state, reducing significantly the computational cost, and allowing detailed parametric studies. The latter are used to develop nonlinear regression model equations correlating a selected damage index with statistically significant intensity measures. Such equations offer a viable alternative for network‐wide seismic damage assessment as part of a real‐time emergency response framework. A pilot implementation is presented, illustrating the applicability of the proposed methodology.