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

JACKSON FERRY RD

Good

Over: LONG BRANCH

200 FT SOUTH JCT KY 97, Clark, KY

Built 1996 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 364

KY3459

Good

Over: MARTINS FK CUMB RIVER

0.1 MILE W OF US421, Harlan, KY

Built 2012 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 991

US-62

Good

Over: SMALLEY BRANCH

3.4 MI SW OF JCT KY 1284, Harrison, KY

Built 1930 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 1,318

Steel Bridge Rd

Good

Over: N Fork Kentucky River

0.25 W of JCT KY 7/3408, Letcher, KY

Built 2018 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 131

CR-1063

Good

Over: MONTGOMERY CREEK

108' W. of KY 3311, Lewis, KY

Built 2014 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 53

FORMAN CHAPEL RD

Good

Over: SHANNON CREEK

30 FT S - JCT US 62, Mason, KY

Built 1997 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 71

KY-2061

Good

Over: KY 2061 OVER JOHNS CREEK

CANEY @JCT KY 2061 & 194, Pike, KY

Built 2008 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 1,089

N. ST. PAUL ST.

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

.2 MI- N.JCT KY 339, Graves, KY

Built 1996 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 197

SKYLAND ROAD

Good

Over: SUGAR RUN ROAD AND STREA

2.3 MILES BEFORE PINNACLE, Breathitt, KY

Built 1958 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 205

KY-537

Good

Over: BR OF BRUSH CREEK

2.5 MI W OF JCT KY 57, Bourbon, KY

Built 1968 Load: 30.0 t ADT: 784

MULLIGAN RD

Good

Over: E FORK -KNOBLICK CREEK

.3 MI S JCT KY 56, Daviess, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 226

KY-224

Good

Over: WESTERN KENTUCKY PARKWAY

.8 MI SE OF JCT S 62, Grayson, KY

Built 1963 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 2,743

HALL BLVD

Good

Over: LOONEY CREEK

.0001 MI S JCT KY 160, Harlan, KY

Built 1993 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 200

BECKHAM ROBERTS RD

Good

Over: EARLE CREEK

0.1 MI NE of JCT KY 85, Hopkins, KY

Built 2020 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 50

US-68

Good

Over: I-24

EBL 1 MI S OF JCT US 62, McCracken, KY

Built 1971 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 3,696

MAXON RD (CR1302)

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

0.4 MI N. U.S. 60, McCracken, KY

Built 2018 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 714

KY 172

Good

Over: Elk Fork Creek

600ft from Ky1161 JCT, Morgan, KY

Built 2016 Load: 30.1 t ADT: 1,838

BUZZARD ROOST RD

Good

Over: LEATHERWOOD BRANCH

75 WEST JCT CR 5303, Greenup, KY

Built 1996 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 113

JC-9003

Good

Over: EAST FORK CLARKS RIVER

NBL 1.0 MI N OF KY 348 TP, Marshall, KY

Built 1967 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 9,336

KY-9000

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

EBL .8 MI E OF KY 1184 OP, Powell, KY

Built 1962 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 4,394

BLACK SULPHUR RD

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

.2 MI-SW JCT CR 5117, Bath, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 92

BERNADINE LN

Good

Over: THREE PRONG BRANCH

650 FT -S. JCT KY 784, Greenup, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 10

LAUREL FORK ROAD

Good

Over: LAUREL CREEK

2.1 MI W. JCT KY 1595, Whitley, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.4 t ADT: 77

Gilberts Creek Rd

Good

Over: Gilberts Creek

3.6 Mi. E of US127, Anderson, KY

Built 2019 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 61

WESTPLAINS ROAD

Good

Over: MAYFIELD CREEK

1.1 MI E. JCT KY 1241, Graves, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 150

KY-1163

Good

Over: CARTER CREEK

3.863 MI SE JCT KY 181, Muhlenberg, KY

Built 1985 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 335

GRIMES RD

Good

Over: LITTLE KINCAID CREEK

200 SW JCT KY 159, Pendleton, KY

Built 1996 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 58

KY-1915

Good

Over: MOCKS BRANCH

1.2 MI. N JCT US 127, Boyle, KY

Built 1996 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 179

HARRISON ROAD

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

0.1 MI W. JCT KY 307, Carlisle, KY

Built 1998 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 40

AUDUBON PKY NC

Good

Over: WORTHINGTON RD

WBL .6 MI W-E.TERM.PKWY, Daviess, KY

Built 1970 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 3,771

AU-9005

Good

Over: WORTHINGTON RD

EBL .6 MI W-E.TERM.PKWY, Daviess, KY

Built 1970 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 3,771

KY-1571

Good

Over: MILLERS CREEK

.2 MI W OF E-JCT KY 52, Estill, KY

Built 1935 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 699

WILLARD LN

Good

Over: LITTLE WHITE OAK

.5 MI S.JCT KY 784, Greenup, KY

Built 1996 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 112

SMITH MARTIN RD

Good

Over: GRAYS RUN

.6 MI S. JCT KY 32, Harrison, KY

Built 1996 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 182

SWEEZY ROAD

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

.2 MI E. JCT BLACK RD, Hickman, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 13

MORGANS CREEK RD

Good

Over: MORGANS CREEK

2.0 MI SW JCT KY 3, Lawrence, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 211

_CR-1262

Good

Over: ARMY TRAIL

_.25 MILE ARMY TRAIL RD, Leslie, KY

Built 2015 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 12

Connect to US-127

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM &ACCESS R

.30 MI N.E. OF CASEY CL, Lincoln, KY

Built 1970 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 4,463

KLONDIKE MINE RD

Good

Over: DRY FORK - SANDY CREEK

.8 MI S. US 60, Livingston, KY

Built 1992 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 60

KENNETH ROSE ROAD

Good

Over: COPPERAS BRANCH

300 S OF KY 594, Madison, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 40

SCUFFLE CRK RD

Good

Over: SCUFFLE CREEK

.7 MI SW JCT KY 49, Marion, KY

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 21

MENZIE RD

Good

Over: TRIB-HARRIS CREEK

.7 MI- JCT US 27, Pendleton, KY

Built 1996 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 81

KY-73

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

.16 MI N. JCT W105 31W, Simpson, KY

Built 1994 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 2,839

Foley Bend Road

Good

Over: CSX Railroad

0.01 MI East of CR-1260, Whitley, KY

Built 2020 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 111

Ky-2160

Good

Over: Florida Creek

1 MI S OF JCT CR 5155, Allen, KY

Built 2015 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 307

STEWART ROAD

Good

Over: SHAWNEE CREEK

.4 MI E JCT KY 1290, Ballard, KY

Built 1994 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 30

KY-9

Good

Over: TWELVEMILE CREEK

400 SE KY 1997, Campbell, KY

Built 1989 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 10,542

ROGERS LOOP

Good

Over: BR-WEST FK MAYFIELD CK

.2 MI S. JCT CR 5472, Graves, KY

Built 1997 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 50

SAM JONES ROAD

Good

Over: OTTER CREEK

.1 MI W OF JCT KY 388, Madison, KY

Built 1967 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 70

HALEY ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB. TO CROOKED CREEK

100 SOUTH OF JACK BRANCH, Pendleton, KY

Built 2008 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 50

Showing 9,901-9,950 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.