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-62

Good

Over: BR CYPRESS CRK

.07 MI EAST OF MCCRACKN C, Marshall, KY

Built 1955 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 5,935

KY-3350

Good

Over: TRACE FORK CREEK

200 SW OF JCT. KY 527, Taylor, KY

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 7,425

BETHESDA MISSION R

Good

Over: SMOKEY BRANCH

200 S.W. CR 5247, Wolfe, KY

Built 1975 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 30

KY-131

Good

Over: WEST FK CLARKS RIVER

.07 MI N.E. OF KY 849, Graves, KY

Built 1987 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 2,189

KY. 80

Good

Over: MAYFIELD CREEK OVERFLOW

.5 MI E OF JCT KY 97, Graves, KY

Built 2008 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 6,030

KY. 80

Good

Over: MAYFIELD CREEK OVERFLOW

.5 MI E OF JCT KY. 97, Graves, KY

Built 2008 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 6,030

US. 27

Good

Over: NS (CNO&TP) SYSTEM

US 27 BYPASS OVR CND RR, Jessamine, KY

Built 1986 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 14,483

KY-726

Good

Over: FORK OF MASSAC CREEK

.1 MI NOR. JCT KY 996, McCracken, KY

Built 1984 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 1,387

KY-725

Good

Over: DRY RUN CREEK

.5 MI N -KY 305, McCracken, KY

Built 1992 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 1,323

RICHMOND BYPASS

Good

Over: I-75 @ 089.800

2.0 MI.N JCT KY 52, Madison, KY

Built 1996 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 8,704

COW CREEK CHURCH R

Good

Over: RIGHT FK-COW CREEK

.1 MI S JCT KY 28, Owsley, KY

Built 1999 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 32

Dotson Rd.

Good

Over: Mill Creek

0.16 MI N JCT Dewitt Rd, Taylor, KY

Built 2007 Load: 44.3 t ADT: 36

KITE LN CR-1205

Good

Over: ASHBYS FORK

.1 MI S OF JCT KY 338, Boone, KY

Built 2004 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 53

US-60

Good

Over: Reeves Branch

.35 MI Eof JCt KY 1662, Carter, KY

Built 2016 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 3,415

KY-83_

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM_

1.4 MI WEST OF JCT 381_, Graves, KY

Built 2022 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 176

KY 84

Good

Over: I-65

0.3 Mi West of US 31W, Hardin, KY

Built 2016 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 4,085

I 65

Good

Over: Nolin River

2.7 Mi N of Jct KY 84, Hardin, KY

Built 2018 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 42,404

I 65

Good

Over: Rhudes Creek Road

2.3 Mi N of Jct KY 222, Hardin, KY

Built 2018 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 47,814

KY-219

Good

Over: Wallins Creek

2.5 MI S OF JCT KY 2007, Harlan, KY

Built 2020 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 331

FALMOUTH-SUNRISE

Good

Over: LITTLE RICHLAND CREEK

1.1 MI- N JCT KY 1284, Harrison, KY

Built 1996 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 46

Cumberland Lane

Good

Over: Caney Fork

0.01 M E of JCT KY-899, Knott, KY

Built 2023 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 60

CR-1209

Good

Over: Middle Fk of Kent River

.05 MI W of JCT KY-1780, Leslie, KY

Built 2022 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 64

Cornetts Branch

Good

Over: Line Fork

100 W of KY 1103, Letcher, KY

Built 2022 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 104

WARDS BRANCH RD.

Good

Over: WARDS BRANCH

0.1 mi E jct KY 2741, Marion, KY

Built 2012 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 145

Morton BLVD

Good

Over: Ky15

Inter of Morton blv/Ky15, Perry, KY

Built 2020 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 8,435

KY-476

Good

Over: Ball Fork

.05 M S of JCT KY 1087, Perry, KY

Built 2023 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 1,063

Wolfpit Ramp

Good

Over: KY-3174

RAMP TO WOLFPIT CR-1232, Pike, KY

Built 2005 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 300

KY-1441

Good

Over: Raccoon Creek

1.4 MI SE of JCT 1426, Pike, KY

Built 2020 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 2,255

KY 475

Good

Over: Trib. W. Fork Red River

4.7 MI S of Jct US 68, Todd, KY

Built 2022 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 238

Lizzie Sharp Rd.

Good

Over: Langham Branch

0.4 Mi. W. KY-167, Wayne, KY

Built 2022 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 20

KY 9009

Good

Over: Red River

0.2 MI WEST OF 205 NTR, Wolfe, KY

Built 2018 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 2,287

KY 501

Good

Over: Strong Branch

3.7 MI SW of JCT KY 1649, Casey, KY

Built 2010 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 372

MACEDONIA-CROFTON

Good

Over: BRANCH-POND RIVER

3.0 MI S JCT KY 80, Christian, KY

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 111

FALMOUTH-SUNRISE

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

AT JCT CR 5038, Harrison, KY

Built 1997 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 83

KY-123

Good

Over: BRANCH OF SPRING CREEK

0.1 MI. EAST OF US 51, Hickman, KY

Built 1987 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 789

MADISON PIKE NC

Good

Over: CSX RR & BANKLICK CR

SBL S-@N-JCT OLD KY 17, Kenton, KY

Built 1974 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 17,861

MADISON PIKE NC

Good

Over: FOWLER CREEK ROAD

.1 MI S OF FOWLER RD, Kenton, KY

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 5,815

MADISON ROAD

Good

Over: FOWLER CREEK ROAD

.1 MI S OF FOWLER CK. RD., Kenton, KY

Built 2001 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 5,815

GLENHURST DR

Good

Over: TRIB. WOLF PEN BRANCH CK

.3 MI N OF JCT MAHER RD, Kenton, KY

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 154

BEECH GROVE RD

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

150 SOUTH-JCT KY 1363, McCreary, KY

Built 1996 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 30

KY-33

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

.8 MI. N JCT KY 152, Mercer, KY

Built 2001 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,047

KY-437

Good

Over: OPEN FORK CREEK

300 S.W. JCT KY 172, Morgan, KY

Built 1983 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 152

KY-2061

Good

Over: Caney Fork

0.4 MI S of JCT KY 194, Pike, KY

Built 1994 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,089

KY-3174 NC

Good

Over: KY-122 & CSX RR

0.3 MI E of JCT US 23, Pike, KY

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,178

KY-298

Good

Over: PANTHER CK BRANCH

.3 MI NE JCT US 231, Daviess, KY

Built 1992 Load: 44.6 t ADT: 1,091

Center St

Good

Over: RT Frk Troublesome Creek

0.03 MI S of JCT KY 160, Knott, KY

Built 2004 Load: 44.6 t ADT: 352

BOND & LILLARD RD

Good

Over: CEDAR BROOK

.52 MI E. 127 BYPASS JCT, Anderson, KY

Built 2020 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 30

KY 1290

Good

Over: Cane Creek

3.9M N of JCT KY 121, Ballard, KY

Built 2022 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 270

Ky 3600

Good

Over: Beaver Creek

.23 mi E of JCT Ky 1297, Barren, KY

Built 2015 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 1,824

KY-495

Good

Over: 275

.5 MI N OF JCT KY 20, Boone, KY

Built 2020 Load: 44.7 t ADT: 7,153

Showing 11,601-11,650 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.