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 97

Good

Over: Kess Creek Overflow

South KY 97/KY 80 inter., Graves, KY

Built 2012 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,182

KY 1124

Good

Over: Watson Creek

1.27 MI west JCT KY 80, Graves, KY

Built 2021 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 100

Russell Creek Road

Good

Over: Russell Creek

0.8 Mi SW of Jct KY 61, Green, KY

Built 2020 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 70

KY 1375

Good

Over: Western KY Parkway

2 Miles South of US 62, Hardin, KY

Built 2012 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 802

KY-109

Good

Over: TRADEWATER RIVER

1.5 MI S.E. OF JCT US 62, Hopkins, KY

Built 1950 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,139

Hemp Patch Br

Good

Over: Caney Fork

0.05 MI E of JCT KY 899, Knott, KY

Built 2016 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 79

Paradise Lane

Good

Over: Kingdom Come Creek

JCT of Kingdom Come Crk, Letcher, KY

Built 2021 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 103

US-60

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

1.4MI. JCT. KY 723, Livingston, KY

Built 1993 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,225

US-79

Good

Over: Whippoorwill Creek

0.5 M S OF JCT KY-1151, Logan, KY

Built 2023 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,325

BRIDGE ST

Good

Over: ISLAND CREEK

0.58 MI N. OF U.S. 60, McCracken, KY

Built 1988 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,817

KY 1471

Good

Over: Licking River

0.3 mi. S KY 7 MP 16.3, Magoffin, KY

Built 2006 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 226

US 68

Good

Over: Beech Fork Creek

0.7 Miles W of Boyle CL, Marion, KY

Built 2010 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 2,236

KY-1754

Good

Over: CHAPLIN RIVER

AT NELSON-WASH.CO LINE, Nelson, KY

Built 1990 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 390

Little Leatherwood

Good

Over: Straight Fork

.1 MI W of JCT CR 5140, Perry, KY

Built 2019 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 221

KY-1426

Good

Over: Bent Branch

1.1 MI E of JCT KY 2169, Pike, KY

Built 2015 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,313

KY-610

Good

Over: Long Fork

.1 MI S OF JCT KY-1469, Pike, KY

Built 2018 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,427

W Railroad St

Good

Over: Judy Creek

0.4 miles W of JCT KY 213, Powell, KY

Built 2013 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 1,178

KY 55

Good

Over: SALT RIVER

0.25 MI S OF KY 44, Spencer, KY

Built 2016 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 3,438

KY-1804

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

1.4 MI NE JCT I 75 O.P., Whitley, KY

Built 1993 Load: 50.2 t ADT: 839

KY-66

Good

Over: STRAIGHT CREEK

.55 MI NE JCT US 25E, Bell, KY

Built 1990 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 4,231

ROCKHOUSE RD 1332

Good

Over: Hood Creek

36 W. of JCT KY 5, Boyd, KY

Built 2013 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 430

LEWIS ROAD

Good

Over: BLACK ROCK CREEK

0.6 MI WEST OF US. 42, Carroll, KY

Built 2009 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 133

KY-1428

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

MARTIN - BEAVER CREEK, Floyd, KY

Built 2002 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 4,203

CALICO RD

Good

Over: BR. OF WHITE LICK CREEK

.40 MI E OF JCT KY 3109, Garrard, KY

Built 2003 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 103

US-119

Good

Over: Poor Frk of Cumberland

1.6 MI NE of Harlan Co, Letcher, KY

Built 2015 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 1,908

Buffalo Rd CR1059

Good

Over: Cooper Fork

1.3 mi NE of JCT KY2019, Magoffin, KY

Built 2012 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 246

JOHN DENNY ROAD

Good

Over: FORK LICK CREEK

_, Pendleton, KY

Built 2008 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 50

KY-914

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

2.4 MI. NE JCT US 27, Pulaski, KY

Built 1995 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 3,700

KY 555

Good

Over: Chaplin River

Nelson/Washington Co line, Washington, KY

Built 2007 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 1,087

US-60

Good

Over: NEW SALEM CREEK

1.4 MI E LIVINGSTON CO LI, Crittenden, KY

Built 1984 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 2,467

KY-122

Good

Over: LEFT FORK BEAVER CREEK

.9 MI EAST OF JCT KY 979, Floyd, KY

Built 2010 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 2,092

KY 48

Good

Over: TRIB TO E FORK COX CREEK

65 FT E OF KY 623, Spencer, KY

Built 1989 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 1,570

Osbourne Rd.

Good

Over: Road Run Branch

20 ft. South of KY 152, Washington, KY

Built 2016 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 131

KY-403

Good

Over: Unnamed Stream

1.6 Mi S of Jct/w US-231, Butler, KY

Built 2015 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 866

KY 577

Good

Over: Little Sexton Creek

.20 MI W OF E-JCT KY1350, Clay, KY

Built 2019 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 434

Old Highway 66

Good

Over: Red Bird River

.3 MI. E JCT KY 66, Clay, KY

Built 2020 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 103

KY61N

Good

Over: SMITH BRANCH

0.438 S. OF N JCT KY 3140, Cumberland, KY

Built 2010 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 1,446

Garmon Ferry Road

Good

Over: Lewis Creek

0.52 MI N KY 1341, Cumberland, KY

Built 2012 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 70

TOLLIVER ROAD

Good

Over: LEFT FORK SMITH BRANCH

32 E of Jct CR1018, Greenup, KY

Built 2010 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 23

I-65 NB ON RAMP

Good

Over: E LIBERTY ST

NB ENT RMP-LIBERTY TO I65, Jefferson, KY

Built 2016 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 84,001

Goldenrod Drive

Good

Over: Right Fork Beaver Creek

0.05 M S of JCT KY-7, Knott, KY

Built 2023 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 100

KY-57

Good

Over: N.F.K. LICKING RIVER

ON FLEMING-LEWIS CL, Lewis, KY

Built 2020 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 2,186

US 150

Good

Over: Flax Creek

0.15 M E. of JCT. KY 39, Lincoln, KY

Built 2010 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 4,006

Ky-663

Good

Over: Pleasant Run Creek

2.0 MI S. OF JCT KY 100, Logan, KY

Built 2015 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 113

KY-339

Good

Over: Massac Creek

1.5 MI SW OF JCT US 45, McCracken, KY

Built 2019 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 2,048

KY 140

Good

Over: Stroud Creek

1.3 MI W OF JCT KY 81, McLean, KY

Built 2022 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 440

Ky 9009

Good

Over: Wheelrim rd. & Prater Br

0.5 MI W of Magoffin Line, Morgan, KY

Built 2019 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 2,239

KY 1488

Good

Over: ORGAN CREEK

0.8 MI N OF TRIMBLE CL, Oldham, KY

Built 2020 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 421

KY-80

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

01.@JCT KY 2021, Perry, KY

Built 1998 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 1,249

Rays Road

Good

Over: Lotts creek

50 South of Ky 1088, Perry, KY

Built 2023 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 60

Showing 12,301-12,350 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.