UPPER LAUREL FORK
Carrying UPPER LAUREL FORK over LAUREL FK-BUCKHORN CRK
.30 MI S OF JCT CR 5135, Breathitt, Kentucky
Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
UPPER LAUREL FORK in Breathitt, Kentucky sits above 38% of rated Kentucky bridges on inventory load rating (35 t), while its 1974 build year is earlier than 60% of Breathitt's recorded-year cohort (124 bridges).
UPPER LAUREL FORK in Breathitt, Kentucky is rated Poor in the FHWA's 2024 National Bridge Inventory. Built in 1974, it carries 3 rated components on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, and its weakest reported component scores 4. The lowest applicable rating sets the federal condition category, so this Poor result describes the weakest reported component rather than the structure as a whole. No NBI category is a closure decision or a live crossing-safety verdict.
NBI record plate
Structure KY:013C00013N
INTERSTATE-ERA · STEEL · SINGLE-SPAN · SUPER-LED · LOCAL-ADT · STANDARD-LOAD · CAT-POOR
- INTERSTATE-ERA 1950–1979
- STEEL Steel
- SINGLE-SPAN Single span
- SUPER-LED Superstructure-led
- LOCAL-ADT Local ADT
- STANDARD-LOAD Standard load
- CAT-POOR Poor
Inspection-sheet codes from this record’s year, material family, spans, controlling component, ADT, inventory load, and NBI category, not a live closure verdict.
Bridge Snapshot: UPPER LAUREL FORK
The UPPER LAUREL FORK bridge in Breathitt, Kentucky carries UPPER LAUREL FORK over LAUREL FK-BUCKHORN CRK. It was built in 1974, making it 52 years old today. The structure is built primarily of steel and spans 1 section, stretching 9.8 meters (32 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 72 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Kentucky bridges. It is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure at 4/9, substructure at 6/9. The weakest component sits in poor condition. A component scored 4 or below, placing this bridge in the federal Poor condition category rather than declaring it unsafe or closed.
How UPPER LAUREL FORK compares
Age against the county: built in 1974, earlier than 75 of Breathitt's 124 bridges with a recorded construction year (60%), against a county median build year of 1977. Age is not a defect on its own, but it is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn.
Live comparison across Kentucky bridges with a recorded inventory load rating (14,532 of 14,548 rated).
UPPER LAUREL FORK vs every rated Kentucky bridge
Inventory load rating (metric tons), FHWA NBI, this state
35 Top 62% higher than 38% of 14,532 bridges
rated Kentucky bridges, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more bridges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · August 2026
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Reported 0–9 component ratings from the FHWA NBI. The highlighted component is the lowest reported input to this record’s current condition category; it is not a closure or live crossing-safety decision.
Breathitt inventory by recorded NBI category
Exclusive Good/Fair/Poor bands across all 124 bridges in this county. Orthogonal to this structure's component profile above: a county catalog share, not a live crossing-safety verdict.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1974
- Material
- Steel
- Number of Spans
- 1
- Structure Length
- 9.8 m (32 ft)
- Deck Width
- 5.0 m (16 ft)
- Owner
- County Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 72 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 013C00013N
Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) rates good at 7/9, with no significant deterioration on file.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates poor at 4/9, with advanced deterioration recorded on the latest inspection.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates fair at 6/9, minor deterioration that routine maintenance should address.
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗How to read this record
UPPER LAUREL FORK is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare UPPER LAUREL FORK against other structures in Breathitt and across Kentucky. Kentucky bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for UPPER LAUREL FORK?
UPPER LAUREL FORK in Breathitt, Kentucky has a deck rating of 7/9, superstructure rating of 4/9, and substructure rating of 6/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is UPPER LAUREL FORK inspected?
UPPER LAUREL FORK's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 72 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. UPPER LAUREL FORK is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for UPPER LAUREL FORK?
UPPER LAUREL FORK has an NBI inventory load rating of 35.4 metric tons.
Who is responsible for maintaining UPPER LAUREL FORK?
UPPER LAUREL FORK is owned and maintained by County Highway Agency.
How old is UPPER LAUREL FORK and does age affect safety?
UPPER LAUREL FORK was built in 1974, making it 52 years old.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Share this inspection record
Send this source-bounded record or download its data card. An NBI condition category is not a closure or live crossing-safety verdict.
Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Component ratings, ADT, and condition category on this page are copied from the NBI record for this structure; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.