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 728

Good

Over: I-65

0.8 Miles East of US 31W, Hart, KY

Built 2015 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 589

I-265

Good

Over: RAMP I-64 WB TO I-265 SB

0.15 MI N OF I-64, Jefferson, KY

Built 2023 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 81,877

KY-1559

Good

Over: TOMS CREEK

.30 NE of JCT KY-201, Johnson, KY

Built 2017 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 437

Wiley Fork Road

Good

Over: Combs Branch

0.01 M E of JCT KY-1098, Knott, KY

Built 2022 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 940

Silver Creek Rd.

Good

Over: Silver Creek

0.2 Miles from KY 52, Lee, KY

Built 2015 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 50

Dans Branch Road

Good

Over: Pigeonroost Fork

400 FT W OF JCT KY 1714, Martin, KY

Built 2020 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 70

OAK WOODS RD

Good

Over: INDIAN RUN CREEK

.1 MI W OF JCT KY 1234, Mason, KY

Built 2021 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 44

KY 9009

Good

Over: Wheelrim Rd & Prater Br

0.5 Mi W of Magoffin Line, Morgan, KY

Built 2019 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 2,239

US 62

Good

Over: Three Lick Fork

.7 M W OF JCT KY 1543, Ohio, KY

Built 2020 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 2,076

RUMMAGE RD

Good

Over: N FORK PANTHER CREEK

.7 MI SW DAVIESS CO LINE, Ohio, KY

Built 1991 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 31

KY 3347

Good

Over: Meadow Creek

.1 M S OF JCT KY 30, Owsley, KY

Built 2020 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 399

Macintosh Mountain

Good

Over: Little Willard Creek

2.9 M N of JCT KY-80, Perry, KY

Built 2022 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 40

Salem Church Rd

Good

Over: Middle Pitman Creek

1.4 Mi NE Jct KY 210, Taylor, KY

Built 2001 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 48

MTN Prk Way 9009 E

Good

Over: KY 205

.1 mile from KY191, Wolfe, KY

Built 2018 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 2,287

MTN Prk Way 9009 E

Good

Over: KY 205

.1 mile from KY191, Wolfe, KY

Built 2018 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 2,287

Old Route 7 Rd

Good

Over: RT FRK BEAVER CREEK

0.03 MI W of KY 7, Floyd, KY

Built 2007 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 253

Willmoth Way

Good

Over: Lucas Creek

0.5 Mile South of KY 1357, Hardin, KY

Built 2011 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 662

TWIN CREEK

Good

Over: BR-S FK TWIN CREEK

1 MI SW OF JCT 356, Harrison, KY

Built 2009 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 137

US-60

Good

Over: OVER W. FORK MASSAC CR

WBL .2 MI W. JCT MAXON RD, McCracken, KY

Built 2000 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 5,825

US-60

Good

Over: OVER MASSAC CREEK

EBL .2 MI W. JCT MAXON RD, McCracken, KY

Built 2000 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 5,825

CR 1141 Hopewell

Good

Over: McGrady Creek

.15 S. Shiloh Church Rd., Ohio, KY

Built 2011 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 52

GREENWOOD PORTLAND

Good

Over: SOUTH FK GRASSY CREEK

1.6 MI W. JCT KY 17, Pendleton, KY

Built 1999 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 54

KY-1586

Good

Over: GLENS CREEK

2.0 MI. NE JCT KY 433, Washington, KY

Built 1997 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 100

CUMMINS FERRY RD

Good

Over: EAST FORK CLEAR CREEK

.8 MI W. JCT KY 33, Woodford, KY

Built 1989 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 244

CR-1137

Good

Over: TROUBLESOME CREEK

0.1 MI. W. KY 0015 JCT., Breathitt, KY

Built 2002 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 20

Duncan Ramsey Rd

Good

Over: MEADOW CREEK

200 FT N. OF JCT KY 1275, Wayne, KY

Built 2002 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 134

CR-1013

Good

Over: RED RIVER

@ KY. 191 JCT., Wolfe, KY

Built 2003 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 170

Mitchell Weaver Rd

Good

Over: Bays Fork Creek

2.5 MI. NORTH HWY 1332, Allen, KY

Built 2019 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 141

I-64 E/B LANE

Good

Over: OVER LITTLE SANDY

4.4 MI E. CARTER CO LINE, Boyd, KY

Built 2007 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 7,469

REGION-REEDYVILLE

Good

Over: BIG REEDY CREEK

0.3 MI WEST OF KY 185, Butler, KY

Built 2008 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 116

Faxon Rd(CR-1021)

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK

1.3 MI E OF KY 94, Calloway, KY

Built 2013 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 301

CR 1302

Good

Over: Spring Branch

0.1 mi E Jct KY 107, Christian, KY

Built 2007 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 45

US-421

Good

Over: Island Creek

1.5 MI N.of Jct KY 638, Clay, KY

Built 2016 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 8,172

Locust Road

Good

Over: Left Fk of Beaver Creek

0.02 M W of JCT KY-122, Floyd, KY

Built 2023 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 160

KY-1213

Good

Over: OVER BR. W. MAYFIELD CR

.15 MI E. OF JCT. KY 339, Graves, KY

Built 2002 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 369

KY 3005

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

0.4 MI. S. OF JCT KY 1904, Hardin, KY

Built 2008 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 5,358

KY 3005

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

0.4 MI S of KY 1904, Hardin, KY

Built 2008 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 5,358

KY 1136

Good

Over: I-65

0.3 Miles West of US 31W, Hardin, KY

Built 2017 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 124

A. Lewis Road

Good

Over: Jones Creek

100 FT W OF KY 1601, Harlan, KY

Built 2020 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 20

Hicks Cemetery LN

Good

Over: Cranks Creek

0.1 M S of JCT KY-568, Harlan, KY

Built 2023 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 40

WEST 19TH STREET

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

200 FT W.-MADISON AVENUE, Kenton, KY

Built 1997 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 5,702

Gallop Drive

Good

Over: North Fork KY River

0.01 M S of JCT KY-588, Letcher, KY

Built 2023 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 17

Ice Road

Good

Over: North Frk Kentucky River

300 W of JCT KY-588, Letcher, KY

Built 2023 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 136

KY-1247

Good

Over: St. Asaph Creek

.1 MI S-W Main-Stanford, Lincoln, KY

Built 2020 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 2,787

KY 348_

Good

Over: Camp Creek_

.02 MI NOR. JCT. KY 1684, McCracken, KY

Built 2016 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 1,238

US 62

Good

Over: P&L Railway

0.1 MI W JCT KY 1031, Muhlenberg, KY

Built 2022 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 9,121

US 62

Good

Over: BR of Three Lick Fork

.8 M W OF JCT KY 1543, Ohio, KY

Built 2020 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 2,076

Johnson Bottom Rd

Good

Over: Peter Creek

0.01 MI W of JCT KY 194, Pike, KY

Built 2006 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 429

US 27

Good

Over: NS (CNO & TP ) RR

SBL KY1247 EXIT RAMP B, Pulaski, KY

Built 2008 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 6,737

US 25

Good

Over: CANE RUN CREEK

1 MI N OF FAYETTE CL, Scott, KY

Built 2013 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 7,965

Showing 12,151-12,200 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.