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-3629

Good

Over: Pond Creek

AT OLD 30 JUNCTION, Jackson, KY

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 873

KY-3224

Good

Over: CSX RR/KY-581/Levisa Frk

River Bridge KY 3224, Johnson, KY

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 300

KY 2045

Good

Over: FOWLER CREEK

.07 E of KY 17, Kenton, KY

Built 2007 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 3,147

Pelly RD

Good

Over: Fowler Creek

15 S OF JCT KY 1486, Kenton, KY

Built 2016 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 231

NORTH SPALDING ROA

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

55 FT E JCT US 31E, Larue, KY

Built 1992 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 80

Cornfield Dr

Good

Over: Boone Fork

.1 MI N OF KY 805, Letcher, KY

Built 2020 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 366

I-24

Good

Over: BR- LITTLE JOHN CK

.04 MI W. JCT KY 95, Marshall, KY

Built 1973 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 32,716

U.S. 62

Good

Over: TENNESSEE RIVER

.75 MI W OF KY 453 NTRCH, Marshall, KY

Built 2009 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 6,617

KY 678

Good

Over: Hackers Branch

1.9 MI East of Jct KY 63, Monroe, KY

Built 2023 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 305

UNION RIDGE RD

Good

Over: ROCKY CREEK

2.4 MI SE OF JCT US 431, Muhlenberg, KY

Built 2019 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 9

KY-1285

Good

Over: BRUSHY FORK

.10 mi s. of jct. KY 36, Nicholas, KY

Built 2010 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 371

Meadow Br. Rd.

Good

Over: North Fork KY River

Meadow Br., Perry, KY

Built 2011 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 230

Wise Rd

Good

Over: Long Branch

1.35 Miles S of US 68, Taylor, KY

Built 2014 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 133

Spaulding Lane

Good

Over: Frog Hollow Creek

1.33 Mi NE of jct KY 555, Washington, KY

Built 2021 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 140

KY 9009

Good

Over: Red River

0.2 MI WEST OF 205 NTR, Wolfe, KY

Built 2018 Load: 43.7 t ADT: 2,287

CR-1031

Good

Over: EAST FORK OF FLAT CREEK

20 WEST OF JCT. OF 1325, Bath, KY

Built 2010 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 50

US-60

Good

Over: FLAT FORK-TYGARTS CREEK

.1 MI W - KY 1662, Carter, KY

Built 1988 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 2,402

EAGLE WAY NC

Good

Over: SOUTH FK-LITTLE RIVER

.6 MI W. US 41A, Christian, KY

Built 1993 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 7,471

US 68B

Good

Over: SOUTH FK-LITTLE RIVER

.6 MI W. US 41A, Christian, KY

Built 1993 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 7,471

KY-94

Good

Over: LITTLE MUD CREEK

2.2 MI E.HICKMAN CITY LMT, Fulton, KY

Built 1988 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 1,976

KY-3088

Good

Over: KY 3025 AND NS RAILROAD

.2 MI. W JCT US 25, Grant, KY

Built 1997 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 1,263

KY-715

Good

Over: GLADIE CREEK

3.4 MI. E. KY. 77 JCT., Menifee, KY

Built 1998 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 207

SHRYOCKS FERRY RD

Good

Over: BRANCH-GRIER CREEK

1.7 MI S JCT US 62, Woodford, KY

Built 2001 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 207

CR 1038 Lions Ln.

Good

Over: E.FK. Little Sandy River

310 ft W. of Jct. Ky 180, Boyd, KY

Built 1999 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 30

WEBSTER ROAD

Good

Over: QUIRKS RUN

0.5 MI W OF JCT KY 1822, Boyle, KY

Built 2007 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 184

Bluegrass Parkway

Good

Over: I-65

WBL OVR I-65 NTRCH, Hardin, KY

Built 1983 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 5,477

_Union Church RD

Good

Over: _Middle Creek

.5 MI SE OF JCT CR 5163, Hardin, KY

Built 2018 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 54

ROUND TOP CH. RD

Good

Over: SMITH FORK

.20 MILES FROM CR 1226, McCreary, KY

Built 2003 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 30

Main Street

Good

Over: LICKING RIVER

.03 MI. W.-JCT KY 7 & 460, Magoffin, KY

Built 1983 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 2,836

KY 6

Good

Over: CORN CREEK

WHITLEY-KNOX CO. LINE, Whitley, KY

Built 2008 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 1,239

Glo Rd Conn

Good

Over: Right Fork Beaver Creek

200 S of JCT KY 7, Floyd, KY

Built 1999 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 141

KY-1

Good

Over: LITTLE SANDY RIVER

.25 MI W OF S-JCT KY 207, Greenup, KY

Built 1984 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 744

KY-1469

Good

Over: CSX/KY-3501/Shelby Crk

1.81 MI. E JCT KY 610, Pike, KY

Built 1998 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 3,299

US-150

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2.7 MI. SE SECL-SPNGFIELD, Washington, KY

Built 1996 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 3,821

MASTER STREET

Good

Over: LYNN CAMP CREEK

@ WHITLEY-KNOX CO LINE, Whitley, KY

Built 1997 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 10,208

KY 237

Good

Over: KY 18 (Burlington Pike)

4.1 Miles south of I-275, Boone, KY

Built 2015 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 16,527

Humphrey Hollow RD

Good

Over: Leatherwood Creek

100 E OF JCT CR 1329, Cumberland, KY

Built 2020 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 112

KY-3384

Good

Over: CSX RR & Levisa Fork

1.8 MI N of JCT US-23, Floyd, KY

Built 2004 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 644

KY 1136

Good

Over: Western KY Parkway

0.8 Mi South of US 31W, Hardin, KY

Built 2013 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 5,032

KY-1428

Good

Over: PAINT CREEK

.1 MI S- CLID AVE-K40SPR, Johnson, KY

Built 1961 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 5,341

Dobson Drive

Good

Over: Balls Fork

0.01 MI SE of KY-1087, Knott, KY

Built 2023 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 10

CR 1219

Good

Over: Beech Fork

75 W OF US 421, Leslie, KY

Built 2021 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 104

KY-343

Good

Over: WRIGHT FORK

.60 MI EAST OF JCT KY-317, Letcher, KY

Built 2017 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 1,324

Doylesville Rd

Good

Over: BR of Muddy Creek

0.2 M N JCT KY1986, Madison, KY

Built 2021 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 164

KY-30

Good

Over: LICKING RIVER

.5 MI W JCT KY 30, Magoffin, KY

Built 1997 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 1,024

KY-341

Good

Over: SOUTH ELKHORN CREEK

1.3 MI N. JCT I-64, Woodford, KY

Built 1994 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,220

I-275 EB

Good

Over: RELOC. THREE MILE RD.

EBL .25 WEST OF I-471, Campbell, KY

Built 1974 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 40,884

KY-1428

Good

Over: RIGHT FK OF BEAVER CREEK

MARTIN / RIGHT BEAVER CRK, Floyd, KY

Built 2002 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 5,092

KY 330

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

0.1 MI East of US-25, Grant, KY

Built 2006 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 413

CR-1125

Good

Over: CLOVER FORK

EAST MP 19 OFF 38, Harlan, KY

Built 2011 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 70

Showing 11,551-11,600 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.