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

FAS 146

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

.9 MI.W.OF DEKALB CO. LI., Cannon, TN

Built 1948 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,855

NFA 1746

Good

Over: ALLAN CREEK

3.8 MI NE JCT SR77&SR219, Carroll, TN

Built 1984 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 186

NFA A764

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

6.1 MI SW JCT SR1&SR220, Carroll, TN

Built 2002 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 40

FAP 1

Good

Over: BRANCH

IN BRUCETON, Carroll, TN

Built 1950 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 5,624

FAS 22

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

IN HUNTINGDON, Carroll, TN

Built 2010 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,076

NFA 1942 (SA 1108)

Good

Over: SUGAR FORK CREEK

2.3 M. NE. SR12., Cheatham, TN

Built 1981 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,433

NFA A218

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

3.4 MI SE JCT SR100&SR200, Chester, TN

Built 2002 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 40

FAS 188

Good

Over: BRANCH

.9 MI.N.OF SR088, Crockett, TN

Built 1945 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,090

FAU 6

Good

Over: SR 6 RL / HART LANE

1.5 M N JCT SR11&SR65, Davidson, TN

Built 1977 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 37,768

FAU 6

Good

Over: SR 6 LL / HART LANE

1.5 M N JCT SR11&SR65, Davidson, TN

Built 1977 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 37,768

FAU 4876

Good

Over: DRY FORK CREEK

TULIP GROVE RD@DONELSON, Davidson, TN

Built 1950 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 9,028

NFA F749

Good

Over: BROWNS CREEK

HART ST @ DONELSON ST., Davidson, TN

Built 1940 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 110

FAP 386

Good

Over: I65-1017-A380-CSX

IN NASHVILLE @ RIVERGATE, Davidson, TN

Built 1985 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 69,592

FAU 11

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

1.9 M SW JCT SR11&SR174, Davidson, TN

Built 1928 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 16,655

NFA A327

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

01 MI FROM DRY CREEK RD, DeKalb, TN

Built 1985 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 30

NFA A001

Good

Over: LEATHERWOOD CREEK

2 M. N. SR-49., Dickson, TN

Built 1960 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 160

FAS 46

Good

Over: BRANCH

5.4 MI.S.OF HOUSTON CO., Dickson, TN

Built 1956 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,536

FAS 46

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.8 MI.S.OF HOUSTON CO., Dickson, TN

Built 1956 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,536

NFA A014 (SA 2413)

Good

Over: EAST BEAVER CREEK CANAL

4.8 MI NE JCT SR1&SHELBY, Fayette, TN

Built 1991 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 520

FAP 15

Good

Over: BOILING FORK CREEK

NEAR WINCHESTER CITY LM., Franklin, TN

Built 1937 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 6,559

0F475

Good

Over: I-75

VOLKSWAGON DRIVE, Hamilton, TN

Built 2007 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 19,180

NFA 1723 (SA 3619)

Good

Over: DEAN BRANCH

OLD TOWN BOTTLE RD, Hardin, TN

Built 1976 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 230

FAS 56

Good

Over: JENNINGS CREEK

2.2 MI.E.OF MACON CO., Jackson, TN

Built 1985 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 71

I40

Good

Over: SR 9

5.64 MI.FROM SEVIER CO.LN, Jefferson, TN

Built 1965 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 75,859

NFA E073

Good

Over: BULL RUN CREEK

HALLS GAP RD-NEAR CO. LI., Knox, TN

Built 1994 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 80

NFA 5624

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

DRY GAP PK.-E OF I75, Knox, TN

Built 2000 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 10,452

FAU 5643 RT LN

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

FRONTAGE RD-W OF I75, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 22,146

FAU 5643 LF LN

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

FRONTAGE-RD-W OF I75, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 22,146

FAP 33

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

.7 M NE OF SR131, Knox, TN

Built 1963 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 38,142

FAP 181

Good

Over: SR 88 & OBION RIVER

JUNCTION OF SR88 & SR181, Lauderdale, TN

Built 1995 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 143

NFA A684

Good

Over: LITTLE SPRING CREEK

6 M. NW. LORETTO, Lawrence, TN

Built 1993 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 90

NFA 930 (SA 5011)

Good

Over: PROSSER CREEK

1.6 M. SE. LEOMA., Lawrence, TN

Built 1965 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,094

NFA A284

Good

Over: HARBIN BRANCH

6 M. W. FLINTVILLE., Lincoln, TN

Built 1950 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 70

FAS 129

Good

Over: SCOTT BRANCH

2 M SE OF MARSHALL CO LN, Lincoln, TN

Built 1951 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 598

FAS 129

Good

Over: LITTLE CANE CREEK

.9 M W OF MOORE CO LINE, Lincoln, TN

Built 1940 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 298

FAP 50

Good

Over: EAST FORK MULBERRY CREEK

2 M SE OF MOORE CO LINE, Lincoln, TN

Built 1950 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 4,225

FAS 322

Good

Over: POND CREEK

1 M E OF MONROE CO LN, Loudon, TN

Built 1955 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,603

FAS 310

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

.19 FROM US 411, McMinn, TN

Built 1982 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,604

FAP 22

Good

Over: LITTLE LICK CREEK

IN MICHIE CITY LIMTS, McNairy, TN

Built 1932 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,447

NFA 5568 (SA 5708)

Good

Over: BRANCH

3.4 MI SE JCT SR1&SR138, Madison, TN

Built 1965 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 112

NFA A214

Good

Over: COFFEY BRANCH

1.8 MI SW JCT SR129&SR272, Marshall, TN

Built 1983 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 250

I65

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

1.1 M N OF GILES CO LINE, Marshall, TN

Built 1964 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 30,471

I65

Good

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

1.1 M N GILES CO LINE, Marshall, TN

Built 1964 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 30,471

FAS 373

Good

Over: MOORESVILLE CREEK

1.4 M S MAURY CO LINE, Marshall, TN

Built 1939 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 1,930

NFA A007

Good

Over: TAILINGS PONDS

CONCORD CHURCH RD, Maury, TN

Built 1975 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 50

FAP 6

Good

Over: TENNESSEE SOUTHERN RR

IN COLUMBIA TN, Maury, TN

Built 1992 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 25,221

NFA 1234 (SA 6509)

Good

Over: FLAT FORK CREEK

NE OF SR62 @ FROZEN HEAD, Morgan, TN

Built 1988 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 2,309

NFA A307

Good

Over: HOLBERT CREEK

.1 MI FROM SR28, Pickett, TN

Built 1987 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 90

FAP 402 (SR 40)

Good

Over: CHESTUEE CREEK

.04 MI.E.OF BRADLEY CO., Polk, TN

Built 1969 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 14,880

FAP 402 (SR 40)

Good

Over: NORTH POTATO CREEK

1 MILE EAST OF DUCKTOWN, Polk, TN

Built 1968 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 4,700

Showing 12,301-12,350 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.