County profile · official public datasets

Kanawha County, WV

554 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 20.6% rated Good, 67% Fair, 12.5% Poor.

554
Public bridges
20.6%
Good condition
12.5%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Kanawha County posts a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across large county bridge inventory.

Top 18%
lowest Poor share in state
12.5%
Poor-condition share
554
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.

Kanawha County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Kanawha County ranks #10 of 55 West Virginia counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 12.5%). Kanawha County, West Virginia contains 554 public highway bridges. Roughly 20.6% are rated “Good,” 67% “Fair,” and 12.5% “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

554

Public highway bridges in Kanawha County

Good condition

20.6%

114 of 554 rated 7-9

Fair condition

67%

371 of 554 rated 5-6

Poor condition

12.5%

69 of 554 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#10 of 55

Among West Virginia counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 554 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
20.6% (114)
Fair
67% (371)
Poor
12.5% (69)

Kanawha County's Poor-condition bridges carry 295,534 vehicle crossings a day

That is 5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 12.5% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 4,283 crossings a day against 3,221 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 554 of 554 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

30.3% of Kanawha County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

168 of the 554 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 20.6% 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 16.1% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I-77 NB & SB over US 60, built 1975, carries 47,700 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 69-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 295,534 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Kanawha County's bridges were built

554 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 157 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 28.3% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1982) matches the West Virginia average (1980).

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

How Kanawha County compares with West Virginia's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 West Virginia counties nearest Kanawha County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 12.5% Poor share is the 1st-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 54 West Virginia counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Kanawha County and the 5 West Virginia counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Kanawha County (this page) 554 12.5%
Harrison County 256 25%
Logan County 236 23.7%
McDowell County 225 31.6%
Raleigh County 224 24.6%
Fayette County 211 13.3%

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 Kanawha 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 Kanawha County, both outside West Virginia so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside WV (554 bridges here).

Similar average build year

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

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

All 554 Good 114 Fair 371 Poor 69

Fair-condition bridges (371)

I-77 SB

Fair

Over: SPRING STREET

0.10 MI N OF I-64, Kanawha, WV

Built 1974 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 61,900

I-79 SB

Fair

Over: CR 45 & LITTLE SANDY CK

1.20 MI S OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 6,800

I-79 NB

Fair

Over: CR 53

9.54 MI N OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1977 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 10,300

I-79 SB

Fair

Over: CR 53

9.54 MI N OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1977 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 11,600

CR 119/10

Fair

Over: ELK RIVER

0.01 MI E OF US 119, Kanawha, WV

Built 1977 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 4,000

US ROUTE 119 NB

Fair

Over: BIG COAL RIVER CSX RR

0.50 MILE S OF CR 15/9, Kanawha, WV

Built 1981 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 12,000

US RT 119 SB

Fair

Over: BIG COAL RIVER CSX RR

0.50 MI S OF CR 1519, Kanawha, WV

Built 1981 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 5,066

COUNTY ROUTE 73/29

Fair

Over: CAMPBELLS CREEK

0.01 MI E OF CR 73, Kanawha, WV

Built 1961 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 70

I-64 WBL & EBL

Fair

Over: ARMOUR CREEK AND CR 35/1

0.69 E OF WV 25, Kanawha, WV

Built 2000 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 93,300

HARP ROUTE 990

Fair

Over: CAMPBELLS CREEK

0.01 MIL N OF CR 73, Kanawha, WV

Built 2001 Load: 40.8 t ADT: 10

CR 73

Fair

Over: CAMPBELLS CREEK

0.54 MI E OF CR 73/8, Kanawha, WV

Built 1987 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,300

CR 43

Fair

Over: I-79 NB & SB

0.62 MI N OF CR 43/15, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 5,700

COUNTY ROUTE 46/5

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF ELK TWOMILE CK

0.45 MI E OF CR 46, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 450

CR 53

Fair

Over: I-79 NB & SB

2.52 MI E OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1976 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 500

I-77 NB & SB

Fair

Over: GARRISON AVENUE

0.32 MI N OF I-64, Kanawha, WV

Built 1974 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 100,300

I-77

Fair

Over: PAINT CREEK

.12 MI. N. OF RTE 83 I/C, Kanawha, WV

Built 1982 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 27,683

COUNTY ROUTE 32/3

Fair

Over: TUPPER CREEK

0.29 MI N OF WV 622, Kanawha, WV

Built 1994 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,700

I-64

Fair

Over: CENTRAL AVENUE

1.49 MI E OF US 60, Kanawha, WV

Built 1973 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 122,200

I-77 NB

Fair

Over: CR 27 & KAN TWOMILE CK

2.97 MI N OF I-79 N(X), Kanawha, WV

Built 1972 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 8,481

I-79 NB

Fair

Over: CR 45

0.48 MI S OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 13,600

I-64 RAMP D

Fair

Over: WV61 & CSX RAILROAD

2.14 MI E OF CR 60/64, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 13,028

I-77 NB & SB

Fair

Over: US60W N&SRR CAMPBELLS CK

0.25 MI S OF US 60, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 51,700

I-64 WBL

Fair

Over: I-64 RAMPS C & D

2.54 MILE E OF WV 622, Kanawha, WV

Built 1965 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 59,900

CR 60/15

Fair

Over: SIMMONS CREEK

2.09 MILE N OF CR 60/12, Kanawha, WV

Built 2001 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 90

SPRING STREET

Fair

Over: ELK RIVER

0.10 MI S OF US 119, Kanawha, WV

Built 1992 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 5,500

COUNTY ROUTE 60/19

Fair

Over: CARROLL BRANCH

0.34 MI E OF US 60, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 250

CR 077/01

Fair

Over: FIELDS CREEK

2.46 MI S OF CR 77/2, Kanawha, WV

Built 1978 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 850

CR 79/3

Fair

Over: CABIN CREEK

0.70 MI S OF CR 79/5, Kanawha, WV

Built 1988 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 6,200

I-64 RAMP C

Fair

Over: I64 WV61 KAN R CSX RR

2.15 MI E OF CR 60/64, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 7,433

I-77 SB

Fair

Over: CR 27 & KAN TWOMILE CK

2.97 MI N OF I-79 (X), Kanawha, WV

Built 1972 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 8,481

US ROUTE 119 NB

Fair

Over: LITTLE COAL RIVER CSX RR

0.04 MI N OF PUBLIC RD 87, Kanawha, WV

Built 1981 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 5,066

CR 73

Fair

Over: CAMPBELLS CREEK

1.44 MI E OF CR 66, Kanawha, WV

Built 1997 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 450

CR 70

Fair

Over: WITCHER CREEK

0.60 MILE E OF CR 60/46, Kanawha, WV

Built 2003 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 950

I-77 SB

Fair

Over: CR 21/17

2.58 MIL NORTH OF WV 622, Kanawha, WV

Built 2007 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 9,000

I 77 NB

Fair

Over: CR 21/17

2.58 MI NORTH OF WV 622, Kanawha, WV

Built 2008 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 16,000

COUNTY RT 8

Fair

Over: 2 AND 3/4 MILE CREEK

0.16 MI N OF CR 8/4, Kanawha, WV

Built 1987 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 1,300

I-77 NB

Fair

Over: CR 119/37

1.00 MI N OF I-79, Kanawha, WV

Built 1972 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 23,200

I-77 SBL

Fair

Over: CR 119/37

1.00 MI N OF I-79, Kanawha, WV

Built 1972 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 26,600

I-79 NB

Fair

Over: CR 45 & LITTLE SANDY CK

1.20 MI S OF CR 43, Kanawha, WV

Built 1975 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 13,600

CR 21/41

Fair

Over: KANAWHA TWO MILE CREEK

0.01 MILE W OF CR 21, Kanawha, WV

Built 2000 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 1,500

WV 114

Fair

Over: ELK TWO MILE CREEK

0.18 MI. S OF CR 46, Kanawha, WV

Built 2006 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 8,100

COUNTY ROUTE 5/6

Fair

Over: LANDERS CREEK

0.05 MI N OF WV 62, Kanawha, WV

Built 1988 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 2,000

COUNTY ROUTE 32

Fair

Over: POCATALICO RIVER

0.01 MI S OF CR 32/1, Kanawha, WV

Built 1993 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 650

COUNTY ROUTE 48

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.56 MI E OF CR 46/3, Kanawha, WV

Built 1981 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 150

US 60 EB

Fair

Over: N&S RR & AMHERST DRIVE

0.01 MI W OF CR 73, Kanawha, WV

Built 1992 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 9,550

CR 119/64

Fair

Over: LENS CREEK

0.01 MI E OF WV 94, Kanawha, WV

Built 1979 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROUTE 25/3

Fair

Over: FINNEY BRANCH

0.16 MI N OF CR 25/14, Kanawha, WV

Built 1989 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 10

WV 61 SPUR

Fair

Over: WV61 CR72 US60 KAN R CSX

0.11 MI N OF I-77, Kanawha, WV

Built 1997 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 7,666

CR 22

Fair

Over: LEFT FORK OF KAN. 2-MILE

0.82 MI N OF CR 22/2, Kanawha, WV

Built 1996 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 350

CR 45

Fair

Over: LITTLE SANDY CK

1.39 MI N OF CR 45/2, Kanawha, WV

Built 1993 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 600

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.