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

DUNNVILLE RD

Fair

Over: BUSBY HOLLOW

.5 MI E OF JCT KY 2289, Adair, KY

Built 1936 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 150

SULPHUR CREEK RD

Fair

Over: SULPHUR CREEK

1 MI. S-JCT. KY 206, Adair, KY

Built 1965 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 124

TAYLOR FORD RD

Fair

Over: SULPHUR CREEK

0.9 MI SE OF JCT KY 206, Adair, KY

Built 1985 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 173

WHITE OAK CHURCH

Fair

Over: RUSSELL CREEK

2.24 MI.E. OF JT KY 6183, Adair, KY

Built 2004 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 52

FOREST SPRING RD

Fair

Over: SNAKE CREEK

.9 MI S OF JCT CR 5160, Allen, KY

Built 1976 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 56

J Foster Rd

Fair

Over: Little Trammel Creek

.04 Mi N of KY 3500, Allen, KY

Built 2010 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 135

WHITES CHAPEL ROAD

Fair

Over: FALLING TIMBER CREEK

1.8 MI S JCT KY 90, Barren, KY

Built 2007 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 71

EAST TUNNEL HL RD

Fair

Over: PRICKLY ASH CREEK

.05 MI W OF JCT KY 36, Bath, KY

Built 1960 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 231

CR-1720

Fair

Over: HIGNITE CREEK

1.2 MI NW OF JCT KY 74, Bell, KY

Built 1975 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 300

CR-1111A

Fair

Over: YELLOW CREEK

.1 MI S. KY 1534, Bell, KY

Built 1989 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 77

LONGBRANCH RD

Fair

Over: FOWLERS CREEK

0.2 MI. NORTH US.42&127, Boone, KY

Built 1950 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 473

CS-2053

Fair

Over: SO.FK.GUNPOWDER CREEK

50 W OF JCT CR 5101, Boone, KY

Built 1978 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 68

CR-1066B6

Fair

Over: GUNPOWDER CREEK

0.75 MI W. 0F KY 237, Boone, KY

Built 2002 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 108

Rogers LN

Fair

Over: Allens fork Creek

025 MI S of JCT KY18, Boone, KY

Built 1901 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 1,821

STEELE ROAD

Fair

Over: ROGERS CREEK

1 MI S OF JCT KY 537, Bourbon, KY

Built 1930 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 60

S BIG RUN RD

Fair

Over: E. FK. LIT. SANDY R.

.25 MI W OF JCT KY 180, Boyd, KY

Built 1961 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 1,051

MIDDLETOWN AVE.

Fair

Over: OVER HOOD CREEK

500 FT S. OF HOODS CK. PK, Boyd, KY

Built 1970 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 1,112

HAYES-MAY ROAD

Fair

Over: DOCTORS FORK

.7 MI S OF WHITES RD, Boyle, KY

Built 1988 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 95

Claunch RD.

Fair

Over: Chaplin river

1.5m west of 68, Boyle, KY

Built 1950 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 50

WRANGLING RUN RD

Fair

Over: WRANGLING RUN CREEK

.5 MI S OF JCT KY 8, Bracken, KY

Built 1970 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 53

PRESS HOWARD FORK

Fair

Over: PRESS HOWARD CREEK

1 MI NE OF JCT KY 1098, Breathitt, KY

Built 1962 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 31

FREEMAN FORK ROAD

Fair

Over: FREEMAN FORK

.8 MI S JCT KY 28, Breathitt, KY

Built 1998 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 250

PLEASANT HILL RD

Fair

Over: DONALDSON CREEK

.8 MI N OF JCT CR 5330, Caldwell, KY

Built 1960 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 39

MCELRATH RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE JONATHAN CREEK

.25 M. N. OF KY. 1346, Calloway, KY

Built 1970 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 123

BAKERS CROSSROAD D

Fair

Over: PLEASANT GROVE CREEK

1.4 M S OF KY. 1828, Calloway, KY

Built 1978 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 237

PALMER RD

Fair

Over: WEST FK. ROCKHOUSE CREEK

.8 M. WEST OF KY. 783, Calloway, KY

Built 1965 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 135

CS-8088

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

.03 MI SW OF JCT KY 547, Campbell, KY

Built 1949 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 7,871

RIFLE RANGE RD

Fair

Over: SCAFFORD CREEK

.1 MI W OF JCT KY 915, Campbell, KY

Built 1955 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 366

BUFFALO CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

.3 MI E JCT KY 467, Carroll, KY

Built 2013 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 147

BUTCHERTOWN RD

Fair

Over: TRIB OF NO.ROLLING FK RV

1.7 MI S OF BOYLE CO.LN., Casey, KY

Built 1962 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 50

LINNIE-RHEBER RD

Fair

Over: LOCUST CREEK

1.1 MILE SOUTH OF KY 70, Casey, KY

Built 1965 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 153

OLD CONCORD LN

Fair

Over: WHITE CREEK

.5 M. EAST OF U.S. 41, Christian, KY

Built 1957 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 439

Cerulean-Sinking F

Fair

Over: Branch of Horse Creek

2.1 mi. W jct KY 91, Christian, KY

Built 2007 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 75

CR1330

Fair

Over: Drainage ditch

1.2 mi. W. Jct. KY164, Christian, KY

Built 2010 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 100

CR 1450

Fair

Over: Drainage Ditch

0. 2 mi. E Jct. Ky 91, Christian, KY

Built 2011 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 60

CR 1450

Fair

Over: Drainage Ditch

0. 4 mi. E jct. KY 91, Christian, KY

Built 2011 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 60

CR1414 Dripping S

Fair

Over: Trib. to Dripping Spring

0.5 mi. W. Jct. W. Miller, Christian, KY

Built 2013 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 100

CR1099 Johnson Mi

Fair

Over: Trib to W Fork Pond Rive

_2.6 mi. S. Jct KY800, Christian, KY

Built 2016 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 64

GOOSE CREEK RD

Fair

Over: GOOSE CREEK

.3 MI N OF JCT US 60, Clark, KY

Built 1935 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 233

OLD BOONESBOROUGH

Fair

Over: BR OF HOWARD CREEK

.4 MI S OF JCT KY 627, Clark, KY

Built 1930 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 2,399

CR-1159

Fair

Over: GOOSE CREEK

.1 MI.W. KY 1524, Clay, KY

Built 1988 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 103

MEANS RD

Fair

Over: CHURNTOP BRANCH

150 W OF JCT CR 5145, Clinton, KY

Built 1962 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 49

OLD BURKESVILLE RD

Fair

Over: BR OF HOWARDS CREEK

100 FT SE OF KY 639, Clinton, KY

Built 1962 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 484

Old KY 90 Loop #6

Fair

Over: Williams Creek

.25 mi NE JCT KY 90, Clinton, KY

Built 2009 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 286

W. Taxiway Dr.

Fair

Over: Olympus Dr.

1.6 Mi S Wolf Rvr Dck Rd., Clinton, KY

Built 1975 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 240

POPLAR GROVE RD

Fair

Over: BLYTHE BRANCH

0.6 MI NE OF KY 214, Cumberland, KY

Built 1968 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 30

SPOON BRANCH RD

Fair

Over: FRANKLIN BRANCH

1.0 MI NE OF KY 496, Cumberland, KY

Built 1971 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 30

HUMPHREY HOLLOW RD

Fair

Over: LEATHERWOOD CREEK

100 E OF JCT CR 1329, Cumberland, KY

Built 1971 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 112

WEST FORK RD

Fair

Over: W FK OF CROCUS CREEK

3.7 MI NW OF JCT KY 704, Cumberland, KY

Built 1976 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 30

Dutchmans Lane

Fair

Over: Dutch Creek

.01 MI W Dutch Creek Rd, Cumberland, KY

Built 1997 Load: 16.3 t ADT: 10

Showing 351-400 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.