State profile · Below median Poor share

Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

20,379
Public bridges
42.5%
Good condition
4.4%
Poor condition

Tennessee holds 20,379 public highway bridges (#10 of 52 by inventory) with a 4.41% Poor share (#41 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 4.4% 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 12 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

20,379

Public highway bridges in Tennessee

Good Condition

42.5%

8,664 bridges rated 7-9

-7.5pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

4.4%

898 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-3.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

Tennessee vs national bridge condition

Tennessee - Good condition share 42.5%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Tennessee - Poor-condition share 14.7%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Tennessee 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: Tennessee has 20,379 bridges and a 4.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #12 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 (%) TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%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%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%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%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: Tennessee has 20,379 bridges and a 4.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #12 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.

Tennessee 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

20,379 10th of 54 higher than 44 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 Tennessee

The highlighted point is Tennessee: 20,379 bridges and 4.41% in Poor condition, rank #12 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Tennessee on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Alabama: 16,205 bridges · 3.35% Poor
  • Virginia: 14,120 bridges · 3.39% Poor
  • Tennessee: 20,379 bridges · 4.41% Poor
  • Minnesota: 13,532 bridges · 4.44% Poor
  • New Mexico: 4,035 bridges · 4.51% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Tennessee

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 20,379 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Tennessee’s inventory

State agency holds 41.4% of the 20,379 public highway bridges filed under Tennessee in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Tennessee’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 11.7% of the 20,379 bridges with a recorded original year in Tennessee. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Tennessee42.5%53.1%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Tennessee (FHWA NBI)

Counties (95)

Anderson 175 Bedford 294 Benton 147 Bledsoe 83 Blount 215 Bradley 199 Campbell 137 Cannon 159 Carroll 240 Carter 195 Cheatham 128 Chester 127 Claiborne 98 Clay 64 Cocke 190 Coffee 217 Crockett 167 Cumberland 137 Davidson 832 DeKalb 100 Decatur 104 Dickson 243 Dyer 232 Fayette 336 Fentress 55 Franklin 157 Gibson 386 Giles 321 Grainger 88 Greene 306 Grundy 85 Hamblen 119 Hamilton 464 Hancock 61 Hardeman 223 Hardin 192 Hawkins 190 Haywood 241 Henderson 207 Henry 187 Hickman 331 Houston 118 Humphreys 250 Jackson 131 Jefferson 122 Johnson 109 Knox 588 Lake 30 Lauderdale 258 Lawrence 211 Lewis 136 Lincoln 304 Loudon 117 Macon 169 Madison 418 Marion 177 Marshall 240 Maury 424 McMinn 219 McNairy 218 Meigs 76 Monroe 145 Montgomery 186 Moore 69 Morgan 120 Obion 381 Overton 78 Perry 153 Pickett 30 Polk 140 Putnam 167 Rhea 100 Roane 159 Robertson 204 Rutherford 428 Scott 111 Sequatchie 67 Sevier 273 Shelby 1077 Smith 202 Stewart 168 Sullivan 368 Sumner 398 Tipton 201 Trousdale 88 Unicoi 161 Union 61 Van Buren 37 Warren 160 Washington 284 Wayne 274 Weakley 351 White 69 Williamson 520 Wilson 402

Tennessee 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 Tennessee on the same metric.

AL

Alabama

3.35% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$16,205

VA

Virginia

3.39% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,120
Selected

TN

Tennessee

4.41% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$20,379

MN

Minnesota

4.44% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$13,532

NM

New Mexico

4.51% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$4,035

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Tennessee

Six lowest-condition bridges in Tennessee, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

NFA A868

Poor

Over: NINE MILE CREEK

14 M. SW. MARYVILLE., Blount, TN

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 40

NFA 5551

Poor

Over: GALLAGHER CREEK

SW OF SR 333, Blount, TN

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,214

DOSSETT LANE

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD

DOSSETT LANE / CSX RAILRO, Campbell, TN

Built 1915 Load: 0.0 t

NFA A258

Poor

Over: SPRING CREEK

IN THE CITY OF MCKENZIE, Carroll, TN

Built 1960 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 850

FAU 06022

Poor

Over: GAP CREEK

2 MI SE OF SR 67, Carter, TN

Built 1948 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2,752

NFA A985

Poor

Over: STONEY CREEK

S OF SR91-NE PART OF CO., Carter, TN

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 170

All Bridges in Tennessee

FAP 26

Good

Over: BLACK BRANCH

1.4 M SE JCT I40&SR26, Wilson, TN

Built 1946 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 10,633

FAS 452

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.2 M E JCT SR840&SR452, Wilson, TN

Built 2001 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 7,147

NFSR 384

Good

Over: TELLICO RIVER

NATIONAL FOREST, Monroe, TN

Built 1963 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 50

NFSR 5022

Good

Over: JAKE BEST CREEK

NATIONAL FOREST, Monroe, TN

Built 1982 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 10

ARNOLD CENTER ROAD

Good

Over: WOODS RESERVOIR

0.3 MILES NORTH OF MORRIS, Coffee, TN

Built 1935 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1

HUTCHINS ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE CANAL

0.1 KM E OF SINGLETON AVE, Shelby, TN

Built 1947 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 200

FAP 49

Good

Over: CUMBERLAND RIVER

.1 MI.W.OF ASHLAND CITY, Cheatham, TN

Built 1998 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 8,907

I40

Good

Over: TURNBULL CREEK

1 MI W WILLIAMSON CO LI, Dickson, TN

Built 1963 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 34,028

I40

Good

Over: TURNBULL CREEK

1 MI W WILLIAMSON CO LI, Dickson, TN

Built 1963 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 34,028

I40

Good

Over: I40-RL / MIDWAY ROAD

1 M NW FRANK MERRITT LN, Knox, TN

Built 1971 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 84,952

I40

Good

Over: I40-LL / MIDWAY ROAD

1 M NW FRANK MERRITT LN, Knox, TN

Built 1971 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 84,952

I75 RL

Good

Over: I75 / CENTRAL AVE. PK.

2.5 M SE OF BEAVER CR DR, Knox, TN

Built 1969 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 81,818

FAP 53

Good

Over: MULHERRIN CREEK

IN GORDONSVILLE, Smith, TN

Built 1969 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 11,303

I26 RT LN

Good

Over: ROCK SPRINGS RD.

2.3 M SE JCT I181&SR93, Sullivan, TN

Built 1968 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 41,117

NFA 2569 (SA 9004)

Good

Over: NOLICHUCKY RIVER

BTWN SR107 & US 11E, Washington, TN

Built 1958 Load: 26.6 t ADT: 776

NFA 2233 (SA 0406)

Good

Over: HIGH BRANCH

2MI EAST OF US127, Bledsoe, TN

Built 1963 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 371

FAP 28

Good

Over: LAMB CREEK

3 MILES SW.OF COLLEGE, Bledsoe, TN

Built 1953 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 5,167

FAP 28

Good

Over: BRANCH

.01 MI.NE.OF PIKEVILLE, Bledsoe, TN

Built 1957 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 5,654

NFA A568

Good

Over: LITTLE RIVER

0.1M. N SR 321 @TOWNSEND., Blount, TN

Built 1964 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 1,390

NFA A054 (SA 0817)

Good

Over: SYCAMORE CREEK

.1MI WEST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 2008 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 290

NFA A282

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK

3.5 MI SE JCT SR100&SR225, Chester, TN

Built 1992 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 50

NFA A434

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

1.5 M. N. SR1., Dickson, TN

Built 1984 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 70

NFA A251

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

3 M NW OF ELKTON, Giles, TN

Built 1948 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 20

FAS 166

Good

Over: ZUCCARELLO BRANCH

1.7 MI.SE.OF CAMPBELLSVIL, Giles, TN

Built 1955 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 1,306

FAS 375

Good

Over: BRANCH

1 MI NE JCT SR92&SR375, Grainger, TN

Built 1950 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 2,381

NFA A181

Good

Over: I81

1.7 M W OF SR172-I81 EXIT, Greene, TN

Built 1968 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 160

FAU 3552 350046D

Good

Over: CITICO YDS & NFA F466

THIRD ST / CITCO YARDS, Hamilton, TN

Built 2003 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 11,886

FAU 4976

Good

Over: WOLFTEVER CREEK

0.5 MI S OF SR2 JCT, Hamilton, TN

Built 1994 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 12,673

NFA 2702 (SA 3625)

Good

Over: HORSE CREEK

CHERRY CHAPEL RD, Hardin, TN

Built 1984 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 68

FAP 69

Good

Over: ROBERTSON BRANCH

3.5 MI.SE.OF SAVANNAH, Hardin, TN

Built 1935 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 2,930

NFA 1814

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

10 M N OF WAVERLY, Humphreys, TN

Built 2008 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 754

NFA A075

Good

Over: JENNINGS CREEK

.5MI WEST OF SR56, Jackson, TN

Built 1990 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 60

DAVE SMITH RD D708

Good

Over: TUCKAHOE CREEK

240 FT S OF SMITH SCHL RD, Knox, TN

Built 2014 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 100

FAS 9

Good

Over: SR9-ASHEVILLE / SR 34

2.5 M E OF STRINGTOWN RD, Knox, TN

Built 1933 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 4,971

FAP 71

Good

Over: J WHITE RMP / J WHITE

EAST KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1999 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 11,683

FAP 162

Good

Over: SR162/162-RP TO I40 EAST

.3MI FROM JCT I40 & SR162, Knox, TN

Built 2000 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 70,019

SR-15 (US-64)

Good

Over: POND CREEK

2.5 MI.S.OF LAWRENCEBURG, Lawrence, TN

Built 2014 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 4,323

I75 RL

Good

Over: SR 323

2.2 M SE OF SR2, Loudon, TN

Built 1971 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 45,154

I75 LL

Good

Over: NFA 1214 POND CREEK RD

2.2 M SE OF SR2, Loudon, TN

Built 1971 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 45,154

NFA A193

Good

Over: CONASAUGA CREEK

6MI EAST OF US411, McMinn, TN

Built 1995 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 220

NFA A249

Good

Over: CHESTUEE CREEK

8 MI NORTH OF POLK COUNTY, McMinn, TN

Built 1987 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 110

FAP 30

Good

Over: NORTH MOUSE CREEK

IN ATHENS CITY LIMITS, McMinn, TN

Built 1974 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 19,859

FAP 57

Good

Over: ROLAND CREEK

.2 MI.WEST OF EASTVIEW, McNairy, TN

Built 1998 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 2,453

I65

Good

Over: I65 RL / SR 11

0.03 MI. N. GILES CO LINE, Marshall, TN

Built 1965 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 24,295

NFA 1870

Good

Over: LEIPERS CREEK

2 M. NE. WILLIAMSPORT., Maury, TN

Built 1992 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 139

NFA A371

Good

Over: BRANCH

4 M W OF HICKORY POINT, Montgomery, TN

Built 1984 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 40

FAP 3

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

1 MI S OF TROY, Obion, TN

Built 1978 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 10,830

FAP 78

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.3 MI.S. OF LAKE CO., Obion, TN

Built 1982 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 3,574

FAS 293

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.8 MI E OF PUTNAM CO LN, Overton, TN

Built 1995 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 956

FAP 20

Good

Over: TENNESSEE RIVER OVERFLOW

.57 M. E. TENN RIVER, Perry, TN

Built 1986 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 2,924

Showing 12,201-12,250 of 20,379 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 Tennessee's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Tennessee 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. Tennessee 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.