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

_CR-1138

Good

Over: _GREASY CREEK

_.1 WEST 2009, Leslie, KY

Built 2016 Load: 79.1 t ADT: 22

KY 3280

Good

Over: GREASY CREEK

0.414 MI. E. JCT KY 379, Russell, KY

Built 2009 Load: 79.1 t ADT: 1,498

Buck Lick BR 1233

Good

Over: Buck Lick Branch

2.8 Miles East of KY-989, Lewis, KY

Built 2023 Load: 79.3 t ADT: 84

Fronks Ln(CR-1003)

Good

Over: Trib to Locust Creek

1.1 mi East of KY 1159, Bracken, KY

Built 2019 Load: 79.6 t ADT: 26

I-24

Good

Over: I-69

.2 miles West of US 62, Marshall, KY

Built 2015 Load: 79.7 t ADT: 34,367

223

Good

Over: RD FK STINKING CREEK

.05 FROM 718 JCT 3.9M/P, Knox, KY

Built 2011 Load: 80.0 t ADT: 1,667

Owens Branch Road

Good

Over: Owens Branch

.1 MI W OF KY 3195 TERM., Perry, KY

Built 2020 Load: 80.0 t ADT: 130

Wildie Rd

Good

Over: Clear Creek

0.6 MI S of JCT KY-1787, Rockcastle, KY

Built 2015 Load: 80.0 t ADT: 106

US 68

Good

Over: HOPSON CREEK

.6 Miles West of KY 1489, Trigg, KY

Built 2015 Load: 80.4 t ADT: 2,290

Mattie Rd

Good

Over: Rt Frk Little Blaine Crk

0.85 MI W of JCT KY 1760, Lawrence, KY

Built 2018 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 216

_KY-937

Good

Over: LEE CREEK_

_.85 MI EAST OF JCT US 60, Livingston, KY

Built 2017 Load: 80.7 t ADT: 1,223

HERCHELL JONES RD.

Good

Over: STOVALL CREEK

2.2 MI S. OF JCT KY 286, Ballard, KY

Built 2012 Load: 81.0 t ADT: 130

SASSAFRAS CREEK RD

Good

Over: CARRS FORK SPILLWAY

1 MI. N OF KY 15 @ SPLWAY, Knott, KY

Built 1981 Load: 81.0 t ADT: 304

KY-591

Good

Over: RED RIVER

.45 MI SOU. OF JCT KY 96, Logan, KY

Built 1975 Load: 81.1 t ADT: 353

Buck Lick Br 1233

Good

Over: Buck Lick Branch

2.9 mile E junct w/ KY989, Lewis, KY

Built 2020 Load: 81.2 t ADT: 105

Straight Fk 1127

Good

Over: Straight Fork

1.5 mile SE junct w/ KY59, Lewis, KY

Built 2019 Load: 81.2 t ADT: 120

Key Pike

Good

Over: Trib N FK Licking

1500 N. of KY-419_, Mason, KY

Built 2019 Load: 81.3 t ADT: 101

Sarks Rd CR1165

Good

Over: Brush Crk. Rd.

271 fr.Jct.CR1160 Brush, Greenup, KY

Built 2020 Load: 81.4 t ADT: 50

Penny Street

Good

Over: Shelby Creek

@ JCT of KY 1469, Pike, KY

Built 2023 Load: 81.4 t ADT: 492

MCKINLEY BUSH RD

Good

Over: ELK CREEK

100 FT EAST OF US421, Clay, KY

Built 2023 Load: 81.7 t ADT: 160

KY 52

Good

Over: Double cabin creek

.3M E of KY 2016, Lee, KY

Built 2015 Load: 82.3 t ADT: 1,532

KY-1787

Good

Over: Davis Branch

1.8 MI SE of JCT KY-1617, Rockcastle, KY

Built 2015 Load: 82.3 t ADT: 120

US 68

Good

Over: HOPSON CREEK

.6 Miles West of KY 1489, Trigg, KY

Built 2015 Load: 82.3 t ADT: 2,290

CR-1323

Good

Over: Br. of Little White Oak

.369 mi w of Jt Ky 7, Greenup, KY

Built 2012 Load: 82.5 t ADT: 267

Hwy. 2154

Good

Over: Hardins Creek

0.4 Mi S of US 68, Marion, KY

Built 2010 Load: 82.8 t ADT: 2,982

OLD KY 54

Good

Over: BR OF N FK PANTHER CREEK

0.9 MI E JCT KY 142, Daviess, KY

Built 2019 Load: 82.9 t ADT: 896

Smith Branch Road

Good

Over: Left Fork Smith Branch

2.1 MI-W JCT US 23, Greenup, KY

Built 2019 Load: 83.6 t ADT: 168

GENE GRAY RD

Good

Over: SUMPTER HOLLOW

650 FT NORTH.OF JCT KY 92, Wayne, KY

Built 1955 Load: 83.6 t ADT: 40

KY. 80

Good

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

.54 MI WEST OF KY. 1124, Graves, KY

Built 2007 Load: 83.9 t ADT: 12,060

US 60

Good

Over: Trib. to Yellow Creek

300 W Daniels Lane, Daviess, KY

Built 2011 Load: 84.3 t ADT: 8,142

KY-1944

Good

Over: White Oak Creek

2.7 MI NE JCT KY 36, Bath, KY

Built 2019 Load: 84.6 t ADT: 118

KY 627

Good

Over: I-64

1MI W of US.60 OVERPASS, Clark, KY

Built 2011 Load: 85.3 t ADT: 2,637

Yeaman-Olaton Rd.

Good

Over: Mistaken Creek

1.6 Mi West of KY 736, Grayson, KY

Built 2013 Load: 85.5 t ADT: 42

US 60A

Good

Over: S FORK BEARGRASS CREEK

0.2 MI E OF KY 864, Jefferson, KY

Built 2018 Load: 85.5 t ADT: 18,422

Pipeline Rd.

Good

Over: Trib. of Skaggs Creek

0.7 Mi E of KY 163, Monroe, KY

Built 2022 Load: 85.9 t ADT: 2,843

US 68

Good

Over: HINKSTON CREEK

.5 M E OF KY 1893, Bourbon, KY

Built 2016 Load: 86.2 t ADT: 6,759

Curtis road

Good

Over: North Rolling Fork

50 FT. S. US 37, Boyle, KY

Built 2015 Load: 86.2 t ADT: 46

KY-337

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

3.0 MI S.W. OF JCT KY 243, Marion, KY

Built 1949 Load: 86.8 t ADT: 163

US 60

Good

Over: Trib. to Yellow Creek

300 W. Daniel Lane, Daviess, KY

Built 2011 Load: 87.4 t ADT: 8,142

Malabu Drive

Good

Over: Branch - Hickman Creek

W@JCT-TATES CR RD-KY1974, Fayette, KY

Built 2019 Load: 87.5 t ADT: 3,972

Holliday Lane

Good

Over: Gays Creek

0.05 M NW of JCT KY-1833, Perry, KY

Built 2022 Load: 87.5 t ADT: 150

KY-992

Good

Over: BIG BRANCH

1.0 MI EAST OF JCT KY 105, Breckinridge, KY

Built 1956 Load: 87.8 t ADT: 689

East Brannon Rd.

Good

Over: Black Helen Gulch

2.6 mi. East of US 27, Jessamine, KY

Built 2015 Load: 87.8 t ADT: 4,837

KY 61

Good

Over: BARLEY CREEK

0.25 MI N OF KY 251, Bullitt, KY

Built 2017 Load: 88.1 t ADT: 4,013

KY 172

Good

Over: Dedmon Branch

1 MI W of JCT KY 706, Morgan, KY

Built 2012 Load: 88.1 t ADT: 1,142

Culp Ck Rd CR-1175

Good

Over: Culp Creek

1.7 miles south of KY-207, Greenup, KY

Built 2023 Load: 89.2 t ADT: 326

Ky 30

Good

Over: Moores road.

_, Jackson, KY

Built 2012 Load: 89.4 t ADT: 2,397

I-71

Good

Over: FRANKFORT AVE

0.15 MI N OF I-64, Jefferson, KY

Built 2016 Load: 89.4 t ADT: 57,871

Cruzzie Drive

Good

Over: Grapevine Creek

0.01 M S of JCT KY-28, Perry, KY

Built 2023 Load: 89.4 t ADT: 10

US-460

Good

Over: MITCHELLS RUN

.34 MI. E JCT US 68X, Bourbon, KY

Built 1987 Load: 89.8 t ADT: 3,015

Showing 13,351-13,400 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.