County profile · official public datasets

Washington County, KY

104 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 52.9% rated Good, 35.6% Fair, 11.5% Poor.

104
Public bridges
52.9%
Good condition
11.5%
Poor condition

The verdict

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

Washington County posts a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

103rd
of 120 on Poor share
11.5%
Poor-condition share
104
public highway bridges
1982
avg year built

Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.

Washington County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Washington County ranks #103 of 120 Kentucky counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 11.5%). Washington County, Kentucky contains 104 public highway bridges. Roughly 52.9% are rated “Good,” 35.6% “Fair,” and 11.5% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.

Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.

Total bridges

104

Public highway bridges in Washington County

Good condition

52.9%

55 of 104 rated 7-9

Fair condition

35.6%

37 of 104 rated 5-6

Poor condition

11.5%

12 of 104 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#103 of 120

Among Kentucky counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 104 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
52.9% (55)
Fair
35.6% (37)
Poor
11.5% (12)

Washington County's Poor-condition bridges carry 6,484 vehicle crossings a day

That is 4.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 11.5% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 540 crossings a day against 1,045 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.

Computed over the 104 of 104 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

34.6% of Washington County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

36 of the 104 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 52.9% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.

Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

One structure carries 37.2% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

KY-55 over ROAD RUN CREEK, built 1933, carries 2,412 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 12-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 6,484 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Washington County's bridges were built

104 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 22 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1982) matches the Kentucky average (1978).

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

How Washington County compares with Kentucky's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Kentucky counties nearest Washington County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 11.5% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1982 against a peer-group mean of 1981 is in line with the group.

Showing the 5 closest of 119 Kentucky counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Washington County and the 5 Kentucky counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Trigg County 109 9.2%
Magoffin County 107 2.8%
Warren County 106 3.8%
Livingston County 104 4.8%
Washington County (this page) 104 11.5%
Lawrence County 103 7.8%

Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to Washington County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year

Two NBI-derived peer sets for Washington County, both outside Kentucky so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside KY (104 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside KY (1982 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 104 Good 55 Fair 37 Poor 12

All bridges (104)

Long Lick Lane

Good

Over: Long Lick Creek

0.4 Mi NE of Jct KY 438, Washington, KY

Built 1990 Load: 37.4 t ADT: 30

BAKER RIDGE RD

Good

Over: PANBOW CREEK

150 FT SE -KY 53, Washington, KY

Built 1992 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 47

TATHUM SPRINGS RD

Good

Over: CHAPLIN RIVER

300 FT N. JCT KY 1796, Washington, KY

Built 1999 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 76

Fairview Rd.

Good

Over: Bluegrass Parkway

BG @ Anderson Co Line, Washington, KY

Built 2013 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 99

VALLEY HILL RD

Good

Over: TRIB-CARTWRIGHT CREEK

.1 MI W JCT KY 55, Washington, KY

Built 1991 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 242

KY-1030

Good

Over: PARKERS RUN

1.0 MI SOU. OF JCT US 150, Washington, KY

Built 1955 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 239

KY-152

Good

Over: GLENS CREEK

1.5MI.E JCT-ECL MACKVILLE, Washington, KY

Built 1993 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 621

Makers Mark Rd.

Good

Over: Branch of Hardins Creek

1.5 miles S. of Ky. 152, Washington, KY

Built 2011 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 252

KY 528

Good

Over: Road Run Branch

0.1 Mi S of Jct US 150, Washington, KY

Built 1923 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 2,631

US-150

Good

Over: BEECH FORK

5.2 MI.SE. C.C. SPRNGFLD, Washington, KY

Built 1996 Load: 41.4 t ADT: 3,031

HARDESTY RD

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

.6 MI S KY 433, Washington, KY

Built 1990 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 37

Tatham Ridge Rd.

Good

Over: Trib-Chaplin River

0.7 Mi East of KY 1796, Washington, KY

Built 2012 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 85

KY-152

Good

Over: BEECH FORK RIVER

4.5 MI NE OF JCT US 150, Washington, KY

Built 1986 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 572

Spaulding Lane

Good

Over: Frog Hollow Creek

1.33 Mi NE of jct KY 555, Washington, KY

Built 2021 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 140

US-150

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2.7 MI. SE SECL-SPNGFIELD, Washington, KY

Built 1996 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 3,821

Wesley Miller Lane

Good

Over: Glens Creek

120 W of jct KY 442, Washington, KY

Built 2021 Load: 45.0 t ADT: 80

US 150

Good

Over: Road Run Creek

200 W of Jct. KY 55, Washington, KY

Built 2009 Load: 46.4 t ADT: 4,288

KY-438

Good

Over: MAYS CREEK

2.5 MI N JCT KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 2004 Load: 47.7 t ADT: 81

US-0150

Good

Over: EAST FORK SALT RIVER

1.9 MI WEST OF BOYLE CL, Washington, KY

Built 2004 Load: 47.8 t ADT: 3,031

KY-1586

Good

Over: GLENS CREEK

2.0 MI. NE JCT KY 433, Washington, KY

Built 1997 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 100

US 150

Good

Over: Cartwright Creek

At Wash.-Nelson Co line, Washington, KY

Built 2013 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 9,268

GLENNS CREEK RD

Good

Over: GLENNS CREEK

2.5 MI E. KY 443, Washington, KY

Built 1992 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 94

KY-555

Good

Over: BLUEGRASS PARKWAY

OVER BG PW INTERCHANGE, Washington, KY

Built 1968 Load: 50.0 t ADT: 3,956

KY 555

Good

Over: Chaplin River

Nelson/Washington Co line, Washington, KY

Built 2007 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 1,087

Osbourne Rd.

Good

Over: Road Run Branch

20 ft. South of KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 2016 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 131

KY-433

Good

Over: TAYLORS FORK

2.75MI. SE JCT KY 53, Washington, KY

Built 1997 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 484

BOSWELL LN

Good

Over: GLENNS FORK

200 NOR. JCT KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 2000 Load: 52.6 t ADT: 26

CARDWELL-TABLOW RD

Good

Over: CHAPLIN RIVER

1.1 MI W JCT KY 390, Washington, KY

Built 1998 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 34

KY-55

Good

Over: SEIBERT CREEK

1.1 MI SOU. OF JCT KY 438, Washington, KY

Built 1933 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 1,312

Texas-Mackville

Good

Over: Prather Creek

3.9 Mi S of Jct KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 2020 Load: 56.7 t ADT: 91

Hardesty Rd.

Good

Over: Beech Fork River

.6 MI N of JCT KY 438, Washington, KY

Built 2007 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 270

Spaulding Lane

Good

Over: Unnamed stream

0.94 Mi NE of Jct KY 555, Washington, KY

Built 2020 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 70

TICK CREEK RD

Good

Over: BEECH FORK RIVER

3.0 MI E OF JCT KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 1976 Load: 58.8 t ADT: 65

Texas-Mackville Rd

Good

Over: Long Lick Creek

0.5 MI SOU. JCT KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 2019 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 87

Mayfield Lane

Good

Over: Parker Run Creek

150 SW Jct US 150, Washington, KY

Built 2018 Load: 62.5 t ADT: 89

Valley Hill Rd

Good

Over: Br of Cartwright Creek

1.4 Mi NE of US 150, Washington, KY

Built 2012 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 70

_Froman Road

Good

Over: _Pleasent Run Creek

_0.1 MI E of jct KY2758, Washington, KY

Built 2014 Load: 64.2 t ADT: 42

Walker Ln.

Good

Over: Rd Run Br-Cartwright Cr

600 FT West of KY 55, Washington, KY

Built 2013 Load: 66.7 t ADT: 149

KY 55

Good

Over: Shay Branch

0.1 Mi N of Bypass, Washington, KY

Built 2009 Load: 67.7 t ADT: 1,312

KY-1584

Good

Over: POORHOUSE BRANCH

0.6 MI E. OF JCT US 150, Washington, KY

Built 2003 Load: 68.1 t ADT: 590

Glens Creek Rd.

Good

Over: Trib to Glens Creek

1.0 Mi W of Jct KY 1586, Washington, KY

Built 2019 Load: 72.4 t ADT: 72

KY-555

Good

Over: MAYS CREEK

.70 MI NOR. OF JCT KY 438, Washington, KY

Built 1971 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 3,956

Armory Hill

Poor

Over: Road Run Creek

_, Washington, KY

Built 1955 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 1,410

SULPHUR LICK RD

Poor

Over: SULPHUR CREEK

2.0 MI W OF JCT KY 53, Washington, KY

Built 1920 Load: 5.9 t ADT: 22

THREE LICK LN

Poor

Over: THREE LICK CREEK

0.8 MI E OF JCT KY 1586, Washington, KY

Built 1935 Load: 7.8 t ADT: 22

KY-3165

Poor

Over: SERVANTS RUN

.2 MI SW OF JCT KY 55, Washington, KY

Built 1927 Load: 11.9 t ADT: 34

KY-3164

Poor

Over: BOOKER BRANCH

.02 MI SW OF JCT KY 55, Washington, KY

Built 1927 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 134

KY-438

Poor

Over: LONG LICK CREEK

2.2 MI N OF JCT KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 1984 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 81

KY-55

Poor

Over: LINCOLN BRANCH

.10 MI SOU. OF JCT KY 438, Washington, KY

Built 1927 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,312

HAYDON BROTHERS RD

Poor

Over: LONG LICK CREEK

.5 MI W OF JCT KY 433, Washington, KY

Built 1975 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 41

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

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Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.