County profile · official public datasets

Smith County, TN

202 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 56.4% rated Good, 33.7% Fair, 9.9% Poor.

202
Public bridges
56.4%
Good condition
9.9%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Smith County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with an older average build year than the state inventory.

90th
of 95 on Poor share
9.9%
Poor-condition share
202
public highway bridges
1971
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.

Smith County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Smith County ranks #90 of 95 Tennessee counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 9.9%). Smith County, Tennessee contains 202 public highway bridges. Roughly 56.4% are rated “Good,” 33.7% “Fair,” and 9.9% “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

202

Public highway bridges in Smith County

Good condition

56.4%

114 of 202 rated 7-9

Fair condition

33.7%

68 of 202 rated 5-6

Poor condition

9.9%

20 of 202 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#90 of 95

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

Condition distribution

Share of 202 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
56.4% (114)
Fair
33.7% (68)
Poor
9.9% (20)

Smith County's Poor-condition bridges carry 249,901 vehicle crossings a day

That is 16.1% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 9.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 12,495 crossings a day against 3,608 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 202 of 202 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

54.5% of Smith County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

110 of the 202 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 56.4% 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 18% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I40 349207A over CSX RR & COUNTY ROAD, built 1962, carries 44,898 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 20-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 249,901 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Smith County's bridges were built

202 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1960s, when 57 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 28.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 55 to 64 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1971, 6 years older than the Tennessee average of 1977.

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

How Smith County compares with Tennessee's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Tennessee counties nearest Smith County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 9.9% Poor share is the 5th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1971 against a peer-group mean of 1979 is 8 years older.

Showing the 5 closest of 94 Tennessee counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Smith County and the 5 Tennessee counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Henderson County 207 3.4%
Robertson County 204 1.5%
Smith County (this page) 202 9.9%
Tipton County 201 4.5%
Bradley County 199 2.5%
Carter County 195 12.3%

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 Smith 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 Smith County, both outside Tennessee so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside TN (202 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside TN (1971 here).

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

All 202 Good 114 Fair 68 Poor 20

All bridges (202)

I40

Fair

Over: BETTYS BEND RD (A138)

IN SMITH CO., Smith, TN

Built 1962 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 44,898

I40

Fair

Over: CANEY FORK RIV & NFA A43

0.03 MI W. PUTNAM CO. LN., Smith, TN

Built 1971 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 44,898

I40

Fair

Over: CANEY FORK RIV & NFA A43

0.03 MI W. PUTNAM CO. LN, Smith, TN

Built 1971 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 44,898

NFA 1087 (SA 8022)

Fair

Over: DEFEATED CREEK

3.9 MI NE JCT SR85&SR263, Smith, TN

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 724

NFA 1070 (SA 8006)

Fair

Over: FALL CREEK

2.5 MI NW JCT SR24&WILSON, Smith, TN

Built 1930 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 808

FAP 401 (SR 24)

Fair

Over: WARD CREEK

1 MILE WEST OF CARTHAGE, Smith, TN

Built 1938 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,375

FAP 25

Fair

Over: SR 25 / SR 24

1 MI NW JCT SR24&SR53, Smith, TN

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,646

FAP 25

Fair

Over: DIXON CREEK

.76 MI.E.OF TROUSDALE CO., Smith, TN

Built 1962 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,950

FAP 25

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.42 MI.NW.OF CARTHAGE, Smith, TN

Built 1963 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,607

FAP 53

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.7 MI.E.OF GORDONSVILLE, Smith, TN

Built 1978 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,303

FAP 80

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.6 M NE JCT SR80&SR25, Smith, TN

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,728

FAP 80

Fair

Over: PEYTONS CREEK

4.69 MI.NORTH OF CARTHAGE, Smith, TN

Built 1952 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,728

FAP 80

Fair

Over: PEYTON CREEK

1.7 MI NE JCT SR25&SR80, Smith, TN

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,574

FAS 141

Fair

Over: HICKMAN CREEK

1.3 MI.SE.OF GORDONSVILLE, Smith, TN

Built 1972 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 713

FAS 264

Fair

Over: CANEY FORK RIVER

1.46 MI. NE.OF SR141, Smith, TN

Built 1973 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,646

I40

Fair

Over: CANEY FORK RIVER

IN SMITH CO., Smith, TN

Built 1962 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 44,898

I40

Fair

Over: BOLLING BRANCH & PRIV. R

IN SMITH CO., Smith, TN

Built 1962 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 44,898

FAP 53

Fair

Over: MULHERRIN CREEK

.9 M E JCT SR141&I40, Smith, TN

Built 1947 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 873

NFA 2084

Good

Over: DEFEATED CREEK

4.4 MI NE JCT SR85&SR263, Smith, TN

Built 1986 Load: 22.4 t ADT: 57

NFA 2072 (SA 8009)

Good

Over: FERGUSON BRANCH

4.4 MI SE JCT SR141&SR264, Smith, TN

Built 1950 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 543

NFA A138

Good

Over: CANEY FORK RIVER

4.6 MI SE JCT SR141&SR264, Smith, TN

Built 2009 Load: 23.3 t ADT: 70

FAP 25

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

1.5 MI.E.OF TROUSDALE CO., Smith, TN

Built 1961 Load: 23.7 t ADT: 3,950

NFA 1070 (SA 8006)

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.5 MI NE JCT SR24&WILSON, Smith, TN

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 808

NFA A619

Good

Over: SAINT MARYS BRANCH

5.3 MI SE JCT SR141&SR264, Smith, TN

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 20

NFA 2076 (SA 8013)

Good

Over: TANYARD BRANCH

5.0 MI NE JCT SR24&SR264, Smith, TN

Built 1975 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 50

NFA 5574 (SA 8017)

Good

Over: DIXON CREEK

5.2 MI NW JCT SR85&SR80, Smith, TN

Built 1960 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 575

NFA 1083 (SA 8015)

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.9 MI NW JCT SR24&SR264, Smith, TN

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 287

NFA 1087 (SA 8022)

Good

Over: SMITH HOLLOW BRANCH

4.8 MI NE JCT SR85&SR263, Smith, TN

Built 1945 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 334

FAP 85

Good

Over: DEFEATED CREEK

9.76 MI.NORTH OF CARTAGE, Smith, TN

Built 1963 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 1,208

FAS 264

Good

Over: PERKINS BRANCH

2.2 M SW JCT SR264&SR24, Smith, TN

Built 1950 Load: 24.3 t ADT: 769

NFA A150

Good

Over: BATES HOLLOW BRANCH

4.6 MI SE JCT SR141&SR264, Smith, TN

Built 1983 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 30

NFA 1068 (SA 8003)

Good

Over: HICKMAN CREEK

4.2 MI SE JCT I40&SR141, Smith, TN

Built 1995 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 503

FAP 80

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.6 MI NE JCT SR 25&SR 80, Smith, TN

Built 1970 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 3,574

FAP 53

Good

Over: MULHERRIN CREEK

IN GORDONSVILLE, Smith, TN

Built 1969 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 11,303

I40

Good

Over: MULHERRIN CRK.&NEW MID.R

IN SMITH CO., Smith, TN

Built 1963 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 45,338

FAP 401 (SR 24)

Good

Over: SULPHUR CREEK

1.6 MI.SOUTH OF ROME, Smith, TN

Built 1937 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 4,281

FAP 401 (SR 24)

Good

Over: BRANCH

3.45 MI.SE.SOUTH CARTAGE, Smith, TN

Built 1928 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,948

FAP 53

Good

Over: MULHERRIN CREEK

.7 M S JCT SR141&I40, Smith, TN

Built 1981 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 3,545

NFA A126

Good

Over: LITTLE INDIAN CREEK

2.9 MI NE JCT SR24&SR53, Smith, TN

Built 1955 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 10

NFA A180

Good

Over: DRY FORK CREEK

2.3 MI S JCT SR 53&SR 141, Smith, TN

Built 1984 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 120

NFA A213

Good

Over: PLUNKETT CREEK

4.7 MI SW JCT SR24&SR25, Smith, TN

Built 1987 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 180

FAP 80

Good

Over: BOSTON BRANCH

NORTH OF CARTHAGE-TN., Smith, TN

Built 1920 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 845

FAP 401 (SR 24)

Good

Over: CANEY FORK RIVER

1.3 MI.EAST OF CARTHAGE, Smith, TN

Built 2015 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 2,948

FAS 264

Good

Over: HICKMAN CREEK

IN GORDONSVILLE, Smith, TN

Built 1984 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 881

NFA 5574 (SA 8017)

Good

Over: DIXON CREEK

5.5 MI NW JCT SR80&SR85, Smith, TN

Built 1965 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 575

FAS 141

Good

Over: ROUND LICK CREEK

AT THE WILSON COUNTY LINE, Smith, TN

Built 1983 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 793

NFA 2080 (SA 8014)

Good

Over: PEYTON CREEK

1.3 MI SW JCT SR80&SR85, Smith, TN

Built 1984 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 509

NFA 1068 (SA 8003)

Good

Over: HARVELS BRANCH

4.3 MI SE JCT I40 & SR141, Smith, TN

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 337

NFA 1569

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

2.5 M N JCT SR53&DEKALB, Smith, TN

Built 1918 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 211

NFA 2027 (SA 8001)

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

2.8 MI NW JCT SR53&DEKALB, Smith, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 36

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

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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.