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-992

Good

Over: CLOVER CREEK

1.2 MI EAST OF JCT KY 105, Breckinridge, KY

Built 1956 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 689

KY-910

Good

Over: PRICE CREEK

2.5 MI. SO OF JCT KY 501, Casey, KY

Built 2003 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 2,279

US-62

Good

Over: KY-36

.9 MILES WEST OF US-27, Harrison, KY

Built 2011 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 3,373

Boyers Chapel Rd.

Good

Over: _North Fork Twin Creek

1.7 M S of KY 536, Harrison, KY

Built 2017 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 88

WEST MOSS AVE

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

100 FT N.-SEBREE AVE, Hopkins, KY

Built 1990 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 1,003

KY 32

Good

Over: NORTH FORKTRIPLETT CREEK

.50 MI N OF I64 NTRCH, Rowan, KY

Built 2006 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 21,815

KY-205

Good

Over: BOONE FORK

.3 MI. N JCT KY 15, Breathitt, KY

Built 1997 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,923

Little Buckhorn Rd

Good

Over: Buckhorn Creek

3.4 MI E OF JCT KY 476, Breathitt, KY

Built 2020 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 36

CR-1298

Good

Over: Little Goose Creek

100 S of JCT KY 687, Clay, KY

Built 2022 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 19

Whetstone Road

Good

Over: Big Whetstone Creek

1.79 M W of JCT KY 379, Cumberland, KY

Built 2017 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 112

KY-339

Good

Over: TRI B-MCCLANE CREEK

1.2 MI. S JCT KY 1680, Graves, KY

Built 1999 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 363

BITTERSWEET ROAD

Good

Over: PRYOR BR. OF PANTHER CR.

0.1 MI S. OF KY 58, Graves, KY

Built 2017 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 40

US-0421

Good

Over: MARTINS FK CUMBERLAND R

7.7 MI N OF VA.STATE LINE, Harlan, KY

Built 2004 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 2,750

I-65 NB

Good

Over: US 31E SB (MAIN ST)

0.32 MI S OF LINCOLN BR, Jefferson, KY

Built 2016 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 42,001

Eagles Nest Road

Good

Over: Troublesome Creek

0.1 M SE of JCT KY-550, Knott, KY

Built 2023 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 120

CR-1528

Good

Over: Raccoon Creek

0.9 MI SW of JCT CR-1104, Leslie, KY

Built 2022 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 88

CR-1337

Good

Over: Rockhouse Creek

.1 MI S of US-421, Leslie, KY

Built 2022 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 32

_KY-866

Good

Over: FORK OF GUM CREEK_

.05 MI NOR. OF KY 93_, Livingston, KY

Built 2017 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 542

KY-1462

Good

Over: JOHNS RIVER

0.6 MI N. KY 408, Marshall, KY

Built 1990 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 902

KY-9000

Good

Over: NORTH FORK RED RIVER

EBL 2.8 MI E OF KY1184 OP, Powell, KY

Built 1962 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 4,394

KY-15

Good

Over: LULBEGRUD CREEK

@ POWELL- CLARK CO LINE, Powell, KY

Built 1992 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,081

OLD CORINTH ROAD

Good

Over: SALT LICK CREEK

0.4 MILES N OF KY 165, Robertson, KY

Built 2001 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 40

KY-32

Good

Over: SEAS BRANCH

4.77 MI E. of jct. KY-60, Rowan, KY

Built 2014 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 3,200

ADAMS MILL RD

Good

Over: MUDDY FORK CREEK

2.7 MI. EAST KY 139, Trigg, KY

Built 1985 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 110

KY-152

Good

Over: BEECH FORK RIVER

4.5 MI NE OF JCT US 150, Washington, KY

Built 1986 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 572

KY-1039

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

200 FEET SOUTH OF KY 465, Gallatin, KY

Built 2002 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 334

GILBERTS CREEK RD

Good

Over: RT FK GILBERTS CREEK

.02 MI W. OF JCT KY 39, Garrard, KY

Built 1949 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 214

KY-1942

Good

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

2.5 MI NE JCT KY 467, Grant, KY

Built 1989 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 138

KY-944

Good

Over: BR OF BRUSH CREEK

1.3 MI.W.-PURCHASE PKWY, Graves, KY

Built 1990 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 160

INDUSTRIAL PARKWAY

Good

Over: LOGTOWN ROAD

0.192 MI N CARTER CL, Greenup, KY

Built 2002 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 5,079

US-421

Good

Over: MARTIN FK-CUMBERLAND R

1.3 MI. S HARLAN CITY LMT, Harlan, KY

Built 2000 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 2,750

HIEATT LN

Good

Over: JACKSON CREEK

1.5 MI W OF KY 146, Henry, KY

Built 2010 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 50

BEASLEY LN

Good

Over: WHITE SULPHUR FORK

0.15 MI W OF KY 55, Henry, KY

Built 2010 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 150

BUTTERMILK PIKE

Good

Over: I-75 @ 186.347

1.1 MI.NW JCT US 25-42, Kenton, KY

Built 1994 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 34,417

OLD CALVERT CITY

Good

Over: WHITE OAK CREEK

.3 MI W. OF KY 1042, Marshall, KY

Built 2015 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 199

KY 313

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.2 MI W. of JCT KY-1638, Meade, KY

Built 2007 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 14,536

KY-1858

Good

Over: N FORK NEELY RUN

.10 MI WEST OF JCT KY 55, Nelson, KY

Built 1971 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 519

US-27

Good

Over: C.S.X. RAILROAD

0.65 MI S. OF JCT KY 330, Pendleton, KY

Built 2003 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 6,055

US 127

Good

Over: GREASY CREEK

0.9 MILES SOUTH OF KY 619, Russell, KY

Built 2007 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 2,311

KY-922

Good

Over: ROGERS GAP CREEK

.05 MI.SOU. - KY 620, Scott, KY

Built 1985 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 170

KY-15

Good

Over: STONER CREEK

4.74 MI S OF KY 1958, Clark, KY

Built 1994 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 1,131

KY-32

Good

Over: FLEMING CREEK

1 MI. E. JCT KY 11, Fleming, KY

Built 1984 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 5,069

KY-323

Good

Over: BIG PITMAN CREEK

1 MI E OF GREEN CL, Taylor, KY

Built 1982 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 531

KY-210

Good

Over: MIDDLE PITMAN CR

.80 MI NW OF JCT KY 883, Taylor, KY

Built 1987 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 6,149

Watson Road

Good

Over: Mayfield Creek

1.3 MI North of KY 94, Calloway, KY

Built 2020 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 60

Mill Creek Road

Good

Over: Goose Creek

.05 MI SW of Jct Ky 1524, Clay, KY

Built 2016 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 104

VIRGINIA AVE.

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

.2 MI W JCT US 27, Fayette, KY

Built 1997 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 16,805

HURT LANE

Good

Over: BACK CREEK

.1 MI W of OLD RR GRADE, Garrard, KY

Built 2019 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 262

US 31W

Good

Over: CSX and P&L Railroads

1 MI N of Jct US 31WX, Hardin, KY

Built 2020 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 19,810

KY-215

Good

Over: YOCUMS CREEK

1.05MI. E JCT KY 38, Harlan, KY

Built 2001 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,139

Showing 11,501-11,550 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.