State profile · Near median Poor share

Kentucky bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Kentucky.

14,548
Public bridges
26.6%
Good condition
7.4%
Poor condition

Kentucky holds 14,548 public highway bridges (#18 of 52 by inventory) with a 7.37% Poor share (#19 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 7.4% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 34 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

14,548

Public highway bridges in Kentucky

Good Condition

26.6%

3,866 bridges rated 7-9

-23.4pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

7.4%

1,072 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-0.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

Kentucky vs national bridge condition

Kentucky - Good condition share 26.6%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Kentucky - Poor-condition share 24.6%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Kentucky in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Kentucky has 14,548 bridges and a 7.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #34 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Kentucky has 14,548 bridges and a 7.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #34 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Kentucky vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

14,548 18th of 54 higher than 36 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. 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 · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Kentucky

The highlighted point is Kentucky: 14,548 bridges and 7.37% in Poor condition, rank #34 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Kentucky on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • North Carolina: 19,210 bridges · 6.76% Poor
  • Montana: 5,224 bridges · 6.81% Poor
  • Kentucky: 14,548 bridges · 7.37% Poor
  • New Hampshire: 2,542 bridges · 7.51% Poor
  • Oklahoma: 22,917 bridges · 7.70% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Kentucky

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 14,548 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Kentucky’s inventory

State agency holds 62.6% of the 14,548 public highway bridges filed under Kentucky in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Kentucky’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 13.8% of the 14,548 bridges with a recorded original year in Kentucky. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Kentucky26.6%66.1%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Kentucky (FHWA NBI)

Counties (120)

Adair 143 Allen 88 Anderson 84 Ballard 85 Barren 147 Bath 89 Bell 205 Boone 138 Bourbon 112 Boyd 89 Boyle 89 Bracken 49 Breathitt 124 Breckinridge 91 Bullitt 99 Butler 98 Caldwell 116 Calloway 210 Campbell 130 Carlisle 74 Carroll 68 Carter 189 Casey 143 Christian 300 Clark 117 Clay 160 Clinton 41 Crittenden 89 Cumberland 93 Daviess 282 Edmonson 39 Elliott 53 Estill 56 Fayette 200 Fleming 117 Floyd 161 Franklin 117 Fulton 95 Gallatin 55 Garrard 67 Grant 79 Graves 380 Grayson 119 Green 57 Greenup 161 Hancock 70 Hardin 223 Harlan 252 Harrison 153 Hart 57 Henderson 184 Henry 94 Hickman 123 Hopkins 251 Jackson 51 Jefferson 662 Jessamine 58 Johnson 99 Kenton 142 Knott 134 Knox 127 Larue 54 Laurel 131 Lawrence 103 Lee 42 Leslie 112 Letcher 179 Lewis 149 Lincoln 136 Livingston 104 Logan 135 Lyon 78 Madison 154 Magoffin 107 Marion 149 Marshall 208 Martin 70 Mason 97 McCracken 201 McCreary 39 McLean 75 Meade 24 Menifee 49 Mercer 75 Metcalfe 78 Monroe 70 Montgomery 74 Morgan 114 Muhlenberg 152 Nelson 151 Nicholas 82 Ohio 227 Oldham 66 Owen 54 Owsley 55 Pendleton 94 Perry 176 Pike 331 Powell 110 Pulaski 182 Robertson 24 Rockcastle 87 Rowan 130 Russell 46 Scott 183 Shelby 137 Simpson 50 Spencer 58 Taylor 92 Todd 80 Trigg 109 Trimble 44 Union 127 Warren 106 Washington 104 Wayne 76 Webster 144 Whitley 149 Wolfe 77 Woodford 60

Kentucky vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below Kentucky on the same metric.

NC

North Carolina

6.76% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,210

MT

Montana

6.81% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,224
Selected

KY

Kentucky

7.37% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,548

NH

New Hampshire

7.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,542

OK

Oklahoma

7.70% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$22,917

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Kentucky

Six lowest-condition bridges in Kentucky, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

WIDS ROAD

Poor

Over: WHITE OAK CREEK

100 NE OF JCT CR 5156, Adair, KY

Built 1971 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 10

PETROLEUM RD

Poor

Over: LITTLE TRAMMEL CREEK

0.2 MI. E JCT US 31E, Allen, KY

Built 1975 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 164

DEERFIELD ROAD

Poor

Over: STOVALL CREEK

.7 MI W OF JCT KY 802, Ballard, KY

Built 1988 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 40

KY-3042

Poor

Over: DIX RVR-HERRINGTON LAKE

.05 MI EAST OF KY34, Boyle, KY

Built 1924 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 630

KY-1951

Poor

Over: SNAG CREEK

2.4 MI. S.E KY 1019, Bracken, KY

Built 1988 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 36

Jones Branch

Poor

Over: South Fk Quicksand Creek

100 S of KY 1098 MP 9.23, Breathitt, KY

Built 2013 Load: 0.1 t ADT: 55

All Bridges in Kentucky

US-23

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK @ BUCHANAN

SBL .1 MI S OF JCT KY 707, Lawrence, KY

Built 1977 Load: 76.7 t ADT: 4,192

ALLEN RD

Fair

Over: GILMORE CREEK

.5 MI-E. JCT KY 1948, Lincoln, KY

Built 1995 Load: 76.7 t ADT: 36

LOUIE B. NUNN PARK

Fair

Over: S FK LITTLE BARREN RIVER

9008 PKY OVER S FK BARREN, Metcalfe, KY

Built 1973 Load: 76.7 t ADT: 2,429

US-23

Fair

Over: GEORGE CREEK

.80 MI S OF JCT KY 645, Lawrence, KY

Built 1969 Load: 76.8 t ADT: 6,403

Amburgey lane

Fair

Over: Hawkins branch creek

0.1 MI N of KY 713, Menifee, KY

Built 2019 Load: 76.8 t ADT: 10

US-150

Fair

Over: RANKINS CREEK

.95 MI S.E. OF BOYLE CL, Lincoln, KY

Built 1959 Load: 77.0 t ADT: 12,003

Gutherie Mays Rd.

Fair

Over: Kemper Creek

45 E JCT KY 1195, Marion, KY

Built 2007 Load: 77.0 t ADT: 52

KY-137

Fair

Over: GIVENS CREEK

.80 MI NOR. OF JCT KY 133, Livingston, KY

Built 1966 Load: 77.1 t ADT: 34

CR 1002

Fair

Over: W. Fork of Pond River

200 S Jct CR1075, Christian, KY

Built 2007 Load: 77.3 t ADT: 15

KY-904

Fair

Over: LITTLE PATTERSON CREEK

4.4 MI SE OF W-JCT KY 92, Whitley, KY

Built 1976 Load: 77.5 t ADT: 1,329

US-119

Fair

Over: POOR FK CUMBERLAND RVR

.10 MI W OF SPLINT P.O.RD, Harlan, KY

Built 1973 Load: 77.6 t ADT: 3,117

I-64 & KY 2817

Fair

Over: TRIB TO S BENSON CREEK

1.6 MI W OF US 127, Franklin, KY

Built 1960 Load: 77.7 t ADT: 40,748

LOUIE B. NUNN PARK

Fair

Over: KY 640

WB 9008 PKWY OVER KY. 640, Metcalfe, KY

Built 1973 Load: 77.7 t ADT: 3,474

LN-9008

Fair

Over: KY 640

EB 9008 PKWY OVER KY. 640, Metcalfe, KY

Built 1973 Load: 77.7 t ADT: 3,474

US-62

Fair

Over: JACKS CREEK

2 MI E OF N-JCT KY 55, Nelson, KY

Built 1933 Load: 77.9 t ADT: 1,665

EB-9004

Fair

Over: BR OF CANOE CRK

.20 MI NOR. OF AUDUBON PW, Henderson, KY

Built 1968 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 20,747

BG-9002

Fair

Over: BR OF GRIER CREEK

.30 MI WEST OF KY 1964 OP, Woodford, KY

Built 1965 Load: 78.0 t ADT: 19,479

ECHO TRL

Fair

Over: TRIB TO FLOYDS FORK

0.45 MI N OF KY 1819, Jefferson, KY

Built 2002 Load: 78.3 t ADT: 525

745TH TANK BTLN RD

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

FT. KNOX, Hardin, KY

Built 2010 Load: 78.3 t ADT: 20

US-60

Fair

Over: TRIB- KELLY CREEK

0.2 MI.E JCT US 231, Daviess, KY

Built 1995 Load: 78.4 t ADT: 7,445

KY-39

Fair

Over: BEE LICK CREEK

ROCK/LINCOLN CO LINE, Pulaski, KY

Built 1942 Load: 78.4 t ADT: 896

WK-9001

Fair

Over: ALDER CREEK

.50 MI EAST OF KY 185 OP, Grayson, KY

Built 1962 Load: 78.6 t ADT: 11,155

KY-1664

Fair

Over: SPUTTER BRANCH

.90 MI SOU. OF JCT KY 196, Pulaski, KY

Built 1936 Load: 78.6 t ADT: 447

US-127

Fair

Over: MOCKS BRANCH

S. MERCER-BOYLE CO LN, Boyle, KY

Built 1958 Load: 78.7 t ADT: 16,063

KY 139

Fair

Over: Dry Creek

0.5 mi S jct. ky 126, Caldwell, KY

Built 2010 Load: 78.7 t ADT: 1,544

KY-11

Fair

Over: CSX RR & STRODES RUN PIK

.9 MI N OF JCT KY 3170, Mason, KY

Built 1979 Load: 78.7 t ADT: 5,928

JEFFERSON BLVD

Fair

Over: BLUE SPRING DITCH

AT KY 1747, Jefferson, KY

Built 2002 Load: 79.0 t ADT: 17,314

Barnetts Creek RD

Fair

Over: Branch of Barnetts Creek

100 E of Scott Hill RD, Adair, KY

Built 2018 Load: 79.2 t ADT: 108

KY-39

Fair

Over: WARREN BRANCH

.70 MI NOR. OF JCT KY 70, Pulaski, KY

Built 1942 Load: 79.3 t ADT: 896

CROOKED CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: CROOKED CREEK @WAYSIDE

100 FT NORTH- JCT KY 44, Anderson, KY

Built 1981 Load: 79.7 t ADT: 30

US-31W

Fair

Over: SINKING CREEK

1 MI S OF WARREN CO LINE, Simpson, KY

Built 1941 Load: 79.7 t ADT: 8,238

KY-91

Fair

Over: TUDOR CREEK

@ JCT KY 139 NORTH, Caldwell, KY

Built 1990 Load: 80.2 t ADT: 4,350

KY-508

Fair

Over: FORK LITTLE RIVER

3.0 MI. E JCT KY 507, Christian, KY

Built 1996 Load: 80.4 t ADT: 278

LN-9008

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK ROAD

2.0 MI WEST OF METCALFE C, Barren, KY

Built 1973 Load: 80.6 t ADT: 6,947

LN-9008

Fair

Over: BISHOP ROAD

4 MI W OF US 31E NTRCH, Barren, KY

Built 1973 Load: 81.0 t ADT: 13,026

US-68

Fair

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

1.3 MI E. JCT KY 1027, Christian, KY

Built 1999 Load: 81.1 t ADT: 6,057

CRAYTON RD

Fair

Over: PAINTER CREEK

.7 MI JCT KY 1244, Nicholas, KY

Built 2000 Load: 81.1 t ADT: 28

KY-585

Fair

Over: Middle Fork Drakes Creek

At Simpson - Allen CL, Allen, KY

Built 2020 Load: 81.3 t ADT: 519

830

Fair

Over: LYNN CAMP BR

.15 MI.W JCT KY 1232, Knox, KY

Built 1998 Load: 81.3 t ADT: 1,655

Mt. Pleasant Rd.

Fair

Over: Muddy Creek

.4 mi. N Jct Mt Pleasant, Ohio, KY

Built 2012 Load: 81.3 t ADT: 75

US-62X

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

.10 MI WEST OF JCT KY 10-, Mason, KY

Built 1963 Load: 81.5 t ADT: 9,230

KY-110

Fair

Over: ROUGH RIVER

2.1 MI W - KY 79, Grayson, KY

Built 1992 Load: 81.7 t ADT: 648

KY 33

Fair

Over: SPEARS CREEK

1.3 MI NORTH US 127, Boyle, KY

Built 2000 Load: 81.8 t ADT: 3,457

KY 1000

Fair

Over: Caney Creek

200 FT N OF KY 191 INT, Morgan, KY

Built 2014 Load: 82.0 t ADT: 54

US-23

Fair

Over: BULL CREEK

@JCT KY3&KY80- WATERGAP, Floyd, KY

Built 1978 Load: 82.6 t ADT: 20,328

KY 313

Fair

Over: KY 434

.4 MI N. JCT I-65, Hardin, KY

Built 1995 Load: 82.6 t ADT: 4,190

KY-313

Fair

Over: KY 434

.4 MI N. JCT I-65, Hardin, KY

Built 1995 Load: 82.6 t ADT: 4,190

KY-686

Fair

Over: HINKSTON CREEK

100 FT W OF S-JCT KY 11, Montgomery, KY

Built 1984 Load: 83.2 t ADT: 17,152

JACKSTOWN ROAD

Fair

Over: BR. OF HINKSTON CREEK

.5 MI E OF JCT STRINGTOWN, Bourbon, KY

Built 1970 Load: 83.5 t ADT: 399

KY-1

Fair

Over: CRANE CREEK

.40 MI NOR. OF CARTER CL, Greenup, KY

Built 1940 Load: 83.6 t ADT: 1,022

Showing 9,351-9,400 of 14,548 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

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

What to do with this

Use Kentucky's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Kentucky and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Kentucky Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; 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.