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 91

Good

Over: HINKLE BRANCH

.3 M OF ET&WNC RR, Carter, TN

Built 1999 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 5,380

FAS 361

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

IN THREE MTS, Carter, TN

Built 1999 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 1,379

NFA A035

Good

Over: WILDER CREEK

1.7 MI N JCT I40&SR59, Fayette, TN

Built 1983 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 280

NFA B210

Good

Over: SOU RWY& SINKING CR.

IN CITY OF MORRISTOWN, Hamblen, TN

Built 2002 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 500

NFA A339

Good

Over: DOE CREEK

IN CITY OF GAINSBORO, Jackson, TN

Built 1970 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 270

SR-15 (US-64)

Good

Over: SR-242

2.5 MI.S.OF LAWRENCEBURG, Lawrence, TN

Built 2014 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,286

SR-15 (US-64)

Good

Over: SR-242

2.4 MI.W.OF LAWRENCEBURG, Lawrence, TN

Built 2014 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,286

FAP 72

Good

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

1.3 M E OF LOUDON, Loudon, TN

Built 1974 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 12,168

NFA 2105 (SA 5616)

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.5 M N OF LAFAYETTE, Macon, TN

Built 1983 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 626

NFA A450

Good

Over: CARTER BRANCH

5.5 M SW OF LAFAYETTE, Macon, TN

Built 1983 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 190

NFA A759

Good

Over: BRANCH

IN THE CITY OF JACKSON, Madison, TN

Built 1955 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 370

NFA 1407 (SA 5807)

Good

Over: ELLIS GAP BRANCH

3.9 MI NE JCT SR2&SR134, Marion, TN

Built 1958 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 371

NFA A262

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.1 MI SE JCT SR2&SR134, Marion, TN

Built 1985 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 150

FAP 2 731535S

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILWAY

.15 MI.E.OF SWEETWATER, Monroe, TN

Built 1966 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,141

NFA B578

Good

Over: BRANCH

WATSON ST IN MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1964 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 400

NFA D105

Good

Over: BRANCH

WALNUT ROAD, Shelby, TN

Built 1980 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 200

FAP 14

Good

Over: SCOTT ST & LIBERTY AVE

JACKSON AVE VIADUCT, Shelby, TN

Built 2000 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 31,566

NFA A512

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.3 MI W JCT SR76&SR109, Sumner, TN

Built 1984 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 60

NFA A663

Good

Over: BRANCH

.9 MI SE JCT SR 76&SR 109, Sumner, TN

Built 1984 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 570

I65

Good

Over: I65 / WILLIAMSON RD. B21

3.5 M N DAVIDSON CO LINE, Sumner, TN

Built 1972 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 56,822

I65

Good

Over: I65 / WILLIAMSON RD. B21

3.5 M N DAVIDSON CO LINE, Sumner, TN

Built 1972 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 56,822

NFA 1419 (SA 8604)

Good

Over: I26

JUST N. OF ERWIN LIMITS, Unicoi, TN

Built 1981 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 6,383

NFA A173

Good

Over: BULL RUN CREEK

1.5 MI SW OF PAULETTE, Union, TN

Built 1993 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 30

I26 LT LN

Good

Over: BROWNS MILL RD (FAU 3986

IN JOHNSON CITY, Washington, TN

Built 1969 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 51,058

NFSR 221

Good

Over: SHEEDS CREEK

NATIONAL FOREST, Polk, TN

Built 1984 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 59

NFSR 217

Good

Over: HEMLOCK CR.

NATIONAL FOREST, Monroe, TN

Built 1987 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 67

NFA A144

Good

Over: BR OF EPPERSON CREEK

4 MI E OF SR20, Crockett, TN

Built 2019 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 10

FAP 1

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

RUTHERFORD CO LN, Davidson, TN

Built 1926 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 34,158

I65

Good

Over: I65 LL/DIANA RD NFA 1889

1 MI S MARSHALL CO LI, Giles, TN

Built 1965 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 24,295

NFA A518

Good

Over: SINKING CREEK

1.5 M NW OF SR107-SR351 J, Greene, TN

Built 1984 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 290

NFA 0F465

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.28 MI. S OF SR-2, Hamilton, TN

Built 2000 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 100

NFA A320

Good

Over: SULPHER CREEK

9 M WEST OF CENTERVILLE, Hickman, TN

Built 1991 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 30

I40

Good

Over: SR 9

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

Built 1965 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 75,859

NFA 1987

Good

Over: EAST FORK MULBERRY CREEK

TANYARD RD @ LYNCHBURG, Moore, TN

Built 1973 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 627

FAU 2823

Good

Over: BRANCH

NEW ALLEN RD - MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1963 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 6,290

FAP 401 (SR 24)

Good

Over: CANEY FORK RIVER

1.3 MI.EAST OF CARTHAGE, Smith, TN

Built 2015 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 2,948

NFA A348

Good

Over: MASSENGILL RD / I-81

2.5 M SW JCT I81&SR1, Sullivan, TN

Built 1976 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 420

NFA B104

Good

Over: DRY FORK CREEK

4.5 MI SW JCT SR6 & SR376, Sumner, TN

Built 1940 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 160

I26 RT LN

Good

Over: NFA A369 (GARLAND RD)

1.3 M S OF CARTER CO LINE, Unicoi, TN

Built 1985 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 15,784

I26 LT LN

Good

Over: NFA A369 (GARLAND RD)

1.3 M S OF CARTER CO LINE, Unicoi, TN

Built 1985 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 15,784

NFSR 217

Good

Over: NORTH RIVER

NATIONAL FOREST, Monroe, TN

Built 1987 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 67

FAP 311 731648X

Good

Over: NORFOLK-SOUTHERN RWY

.4 MI.W.OF CLEVELAND, Bradley, TN

Built 1972 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 21,957

NFA A297

Good

Over: TURNBO CREEK

2.0 MI E JCT SR114&SR202, Decatur, TN

Built 1993 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 20

FAP 11

Good

Over: CLOCK CREEK

8.9 M NE OF PULASKI, Giles, TN

Built 1939 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 3,319

NFA A973

Good

Over: MCNEW BRANCH

2.1 M S OF US11E-SR348 JC, Greene, TN

Built 1950 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 390

FAU 4828

Good

Over: GALLAHER VIEW RD. / I40

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1996 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 10,615

FAP 50

Good

Over: NORRIS CREEK

.1 SW JCT SR10, Lincoln, TN

Built 1932 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 5,058

NFA A014 (SA 8211)

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK HOLSTON RIVER

BTWN SR36&SR75 NEAR CO LI, Sullivan, TN

Built 1989 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 1,270

I81

Good

Over: NFA B352

.6 M NE OF WASHINGTON CL, Sullivan, TN

Built 1968 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 53,763

I81

Good

Over: NFA A009

.6 M NE JCT I81&SR357, Sullivan, TN

Built 1973 Load: 29.7 t ADT: 28,158

Showing 12,601-12,650 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.