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

KY-512

Good

Over: BENSON CREEK

4.8 MI. N JCT KY 44, Anderson, KY

Built 1996 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 436

COAL BRANCH RD

Good

Over: CAT FORK

.019 MI W. JCT KY 201, Lawrence, KY

Built 1998 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 40

SILVER RUN

Good

Over: TRIB- SILVER CREEK

2.2 MI.NORTH- KY 757, Boyd, KY

Built 1992 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 156

KY 435

Good

Over: BIG BRACKEN CREEK

2.7mi south of Ky8, Bracken, KY

Built 2007 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 162

HANGING ROCK CHURC

Good

Over: PETER CAVE CREEK TRIB

1.5 MI NW JCT KY 259, Grayson, KY

Built 1991 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 83

I-65

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD& HAWKINS DR

.2 MI N OF W.KY.PKY NTRCH, Hardin, KY

Built 1983 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 32,908

KIRBY RD

Good

Over: LITTLE WHIPPOORWILL CREE

.7 MI E JCT US 431, Logan, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 67

MAYFIELD METROPOLI

Good

Over: BRANCH MASSAC CREEK

.8 MI-N. JCT KY 358, McCracken, KY

Built 1996 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 206

KY-30

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK KY. RIVER

0.24 MI. E. KY 28 JCT., Owsley, KY

Built 2001 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 2,306

LITTLE BRUSH CREEK

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

.4 MI S JCT CR 5304, Powell, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 220

WILLOUGHBY ROAD

Good

Over: HARDWICK CREEK

@ JCT KY 1057, Powell, KY

Built 1995 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 50

APPLE VALLEY RD

Good

Over: RAYS BRANCH

.2 MI WEST JCT CR 1356, Warren, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 48

HAYDON BROTHERS RD

Good

Over: LONG LICK CREEK

.3 MI W -JCT KY 443, Washington, KY

Built 1992 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 41

JOHN ROACH ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB- DEER CREEK

.25 MI SW JCT CR 5124, Webster, KY

Built 1995 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 39

KY-358

Good

Over: CLANTON CREEK_

.50 MI NOR JCT KY 473, Ballard, KY

Built 2016 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 203

GIBSON ROAD

Good

Over: CLANTON CREEK

.9 MI N. JCT KY 473, Ballard, KY

Built 1995 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 62

KY-1106

Good

Over: Flat Creek

1.6 MI SE OF JCT KY 11, Bath, KY

Built 2020 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 277

CR-1407

Good

Over: FROZEN CREEK

0.01 MI. S. KY. 378 JCT., Breathitt, KY

Built 2002 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 30

Gibson Road New A

Good

Over: Threemile Creek

0.75 MI E OF KY 9, Campbell, KY

Built 2020 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 665

GUM CREEK RD

Good

Over: GUM CREEK

1.5 MI S. OF KY 120, Crittenden, KY

Built 1995 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 3

KY-56

Good

Over: PANTHER CREEK

.70 MI SOU. OF JCT KY 456, Daviess, KY

Built 1966 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 2,594

TIM ROAD

Good

Over: BR.WEST FK CLARKS RIVER

.2 MI- S JCT CR 5080, Graves, KY

Built 1996 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 267

E-town Sports Park

Good

Over: Field Drain

East of Sports Park Rd., Hardin, KY

Built 2011 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 8,210

US-119

Good

Over: CLOVER LICK CREEK

.20 MI W OF JCT KY 179, Harlan, KY

Built 1976 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 2,443

SNAKE LICK RD

Good

Over: SNAKE LICK CREEK

3.6 MI- W JCT KY 1053, Harrison, KY

Built 1996 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 42

U.S. 60

Good

Over: Tenn. River/P&L Railroad

TENNESSEE RIVER, McCracken, KY

Built 2013 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 6,423

BOGIE MILL ROAD

Good

Over: GREENS BRANCH

.5 MI N OF JCT KY 876, Madison, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 116

HELTON BRANCH RD

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

.1 MI S JCT KY 2019, Magoffin, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 160

WHEELER RD

Good

Over: WHEELER BRANCH

0.25 Miles N of River Rd., Marion, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 8

JIM BROWN RD

Good

Over: CLOYD CREEK

.7 MI SE JCT KY 208, Marion, KY

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 63

POPLAR CORNER RD

Good

Over: LICK RUN CREEK

2.5 MI NW JCT US 68, Marion, KY

Built 1995 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 90

FISHER CRK RD

Good

Over: ARBUCKLE CREEK

0.1 West of Arbuckle Rd., Marion, KY

Built 1996 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 162

W 2ND AVE(CS-2086)

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

0.3 MI W. OF KY 95, Marshall, KY

Built 2017 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 200

CROMWELL RD

Good

Over: W.H. NATCHER PARKWAY

.6 MI NE OF JCT US 231, Ohio, KY

Built 1972 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 246

KY 2026

Good

Over: Red River

0.4 miles north of KY 11, Powell, KY

Built 2021 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 385

Millstone road

Good

Over: Brush creek

0.6 M. E. of brush cr rd, Powell, KY

Built 2019 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 20

KY-1505

Good

Over: I-75

.2 MI W OF JCT US 25, Rockcastle, KY

Built 2018 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 822

KY-121

Good

Over: SHELTON CREEK

3.3 MI EAST OF JCT US51&6, Ballard, KY

Built 1942 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 1,303

ARMCO BLVD.

Good

Over: OVER LITTLE HOOD CREEK

.320 MI JCT OF KY 168, Boyd, KY

Built 2005 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 930

KY-1346

Good

Over: EAST FORK OF CLARKS RIVE

1.41 MI. E. - JCT.US 641, Calloway, KY

Built 1982 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 714

KY-1346

Good

Over: OVER LITTLE JONATHAN CR.

.11 MI W. OF JCT KY 80, Calloway, KY

Built 2004 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 442

POST - TOUSEY RD

Good

Over: SHORT CREEK

.5 MI S. JCT CR 5564, Grayson, KY

Built 1997 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 50

US-31E

Good

Over: WILKINS CREEK

.35 MI E JCT KY 1832, Larue, KY

Built 1990 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 2,628

KY-106

Good

Over: WOLF LICK CREEK

2.4 MI W OF JCT KY 1151, Logan, KY

Built 1934 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 711

I-24

Good

Over: TRW RAILROAD

EBL 1.1 MI E OF US 68 OP, Trigg, KY

Built 1973 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 11,546

KY-15

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

1.3 MI S OF JCT KY 476, Breathitt, KY

Built 1966 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 4,371

I-24

Good

Over: SINKING FORK CREEK

EBL .20 MI NW OF KY 272 O, Christian, KY

Built 1973 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 11,546

KY-3304

Good

Over: ROCK LICK CREEK

.35 MI SW OF JCT KY 158, Fleming, KY

Built 1955 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 165

SIMS BRANCH RD

Good

Over: SIMS BRANCH

.2 MI E. CASEY CO LINE, Lincoln, KY

Built 1991 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 27

Bunger Rd

Good

Over: Cypress Creek

@ JCT CR 5333, Union, KY

Built 2021 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 50

Showing 10,151-10,200 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.