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-1009

Fair

Over: JENNINGS HOLLOW

.65 MI N.W. OF JCT KY 200, Wayne, KY

Built 1952 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 656

KY-132

Fair

Over: LYNN FORK

2.2 MI WEST OF JCT US 41A, Webster, KY

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 993

KY-836

Fair

Over: BLAKE FORK CREEK

.10 MI WEST OF I-75 UP, Whitley, KY

Built 1952 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 625

KY-511

Fair

Over: MAIN BLAKE FORK CREEK

1.4 MI WEST OF I-75 OP, Whitley, KY

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 389

KY-1064

Fair

Over: MEADOW CREEK

1.3 MI NOR. OF JCT KY 779, Whitley, KY

Built 1951 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 855

KY-2488

Fair

Over: SWIFT CREEK

250 W OF WASHINGTON ST, Wolfe, KY

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 620

KY-252

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK EMBAYMENT

2.3 MI E OF JCT KY 255, Barren, KY

Built 1963 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 852

KY-1344

Fair

Over: HANCES CREEK

1.5 MI S.E. OF JCT US 119, Bell, KY

Built 1952 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 286

Potato Br

Fair

Over: Right Frk Beaver Crk

0.1 MI S of JCT KY 7, Knott, KY

Built 2006 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 297

US-641

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

NB .1 MI N-2WAY US 641-S, Marshall, KY

Built 1959 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 3,423

AETNAVILLE RD

Fair

Over: BR.S.FK.PANTHER CREEK

.8 MI W. JCT KY 69, Ohio, KY

Built 1990 Load: 20.1 t ADT: 31

TAYLOR STORE ROAD

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK CLARKS RIVER

.63 MI SE OF KY. 893, Calloway, KY

Built 1980 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 79

KY-2921

Fair

Over: TWELVEMILE CREEK

100 SE OF JCT KY 1566, Campbell, KY

Built 1970 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 225

LITTLE CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE CREEK

.2 MI W OF JCT KY 66, Clay, KY

Built 1960 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 104

BERRY STORE RD

Fair

Over: BUCK CREEK

2.3 MI W OF JCT KY 252, Barren, KY

Built 1974 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 235

KY-893

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF MCCULLOUGH CRE

4.6 MI EAST OF JCT US 641, Calloway, KY

Built 1968 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 495

JACKSON SCHOOL RD

Fair

Over: DRY FK-LIVINGSTON CRK

1 M. SOUTH OF KY. 70, Crittenden, KY

Built 1970 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 33

DOVE ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE MAYFIELD CREEK

0.3 MI.S. OF JCT. KY 121, Graves, KY

Built 1979 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 345

ALEXANDER LOOP

Fair

Over: BRANCH-OBION CREEK

0.6 MI W. JCT KY 1748, Graves, KY

Built 1981 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 75

KY-88

Fair

Over: LITTLE BARREN RIVER

.20 MI EAST OF HART CL, Green, KY

Built 1953 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 1,220

KY-1234

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK LICKING RIVER

1.3 MI. S OF JCT KY 1449, Mason, KY

Built 1986 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 269

Little Sturgeon Cr

Fair

Over: Sturgeon Creek

1 Mi. N of KY 30, Owsley, KY

Built 2010 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 42

KY-Virginia Access

Fair

Over: Knox Creek

@ JCT KY 194, Pike, KY

Built 1987 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 500

KY-323

Fair

Over: MIDDLE PITMAN CREEK

.55 MI N.W. OF JCT KY 883, Taylor, KY

Built 1953 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 531

GLENN LILY ROAD

Fair

Over: I-165

1 MI N OF JCT KY 3191, Warren, KY

Built 1972 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 348

CLEAR CRK RD

Fair

Over: SALT LICK CREEK

.2 MI E OF JCT KY 211, Bath, KY

Built 1977 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 426

MEXICO RD

Fair

Over: CLEMENT CREEK

2.4 MI NW OF KY 70, Crittenden, KY

Built 1970 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 116

KY-3146

Fair

Over: BRUSH CREEK

100 W OF JCT CR 5009, Cumberland, KY

Built 1968 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 91

Nina Claywell Road

Fair

Over: Willis Creek

0.8 M E JCT KY 379, Cumberland, KY

Built 1974 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 10

KY-81

Fair

Over: PANTHER CREEK

1.8 MI NOR. OF JCT KY 554, Daviess, KY

Built 1934 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 4,650

BEWLEY HOLLOW RD

Fair

Over: BR OF MILL CREEK

1.6 MI S OF JCT KY 434, Hardin, KY

Built 1972 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 1,401

KY-56

Fair

Over: UNNAME STREAM

.1 MI W OF JCT KY 256, McLean, KY

Built 1930 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 1,839

KY-733

Fair

Over: BLUEGRASS PARKWAY

4 MI SE OF JCT US 62, Nelson, KY

Built 1965 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 243

Fuson Rd CR-1200Q

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

50S. OF KY 1491, Bell, KY

Built 1988 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 10

BOATHOUSE HILL RD

Fair

Over: WILSON BRANCH

122 S OF JCT KY 1626, Carter, KY

Built 2003 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 31

TOBACCO ROAD

Fair

Over: HASKELL BRANCH

.40 MI WEST OF JCT KY 131, Graves, KY

Built 1979 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 93

BELLMEADE DR.

Fair

Over: OVER KESS CREEK

0.1 MI.SO. MACEDONIA ST., Graves, KY

Built 1974 Load: 20.6 t

NARROWS RD

Fair

Over: ADAMS FORK

.2 MI S OF JCT CR 5036, Ohio, KY

Built 1965 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 173

NEW CUT RD

Fair

Over: DESERTER CREEK

25E CR 5146C DAVIESS CO, Ohio, KY

Built 1991 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 105

KY-1261

Fair

Over: STILLWATER CREEK

.1 MI SW OF JCT KY 1812, Wolfe, KY

Built 1960 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 130

KY-695

Fair

Over: I 24

1.5 MI NE OF JCT KY 117, Christian, KY

Built 1973 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 234

US-41

Fair

Over: DRAKES CREEK

.49 MI N OF CHRISTIAN CL, Hopkins, KY

Built 1955 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 1,696

US-431

Fair

Over: GREEN RIVER & ROUGH RIVE

.50 MI SOU. OF JCT KY 136, McLean, KY

Built 1939 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 5,663

JIM YATES ROAD

Fair

Over: HORN CREEK

.9 MI. W OF KY. 1371, Carlisle, KY

Built 1970 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 50

Murray Branch Road

Fair

Over: Murray Branch

300 E. of L. Wood Rd., Cumberland, KY

Built 2002 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 50

FLAG FORK RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE FLAT CREEK

400 FT E OF US 421, Franklin, KY

Built 2015 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 10

HOPEWELL ROAD

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

.4 M. S. OF JCT. KY. 849, Graves, KY

Built 1968 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 326

I-65

Fair

Over: NS RAILROAD

500 FT N OF CRITTENDEN DR, Jefferson, KY

Built 1957 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 129,829

KY-192

Fair

Over: LITTLE LAUREL RIVER

.10 MI E OF JCT KY 80, Laurel, KY

Built 1979 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 16,664

HOGBACK RIDGE RD

Fair

Over: LICK CREEK

50 FT. EAST OF KY 177, Pendleton, KY

Built 1983 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 68

Showing 1,201-1,250 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.