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

NFA A487

Good

Over: SIDE SLOPE

IN VASPER, Campbell, TN

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 170

NFA B018

Good

Over: STINKING CREEK

1.5 E OF I-75, Campbell, TN

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 30

NFA 0B044

Good

Over: DAVIS CREEK

NEAR WYNN, Campbell, TN

Built 2019 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 470

I75

Good

Over: SR63

11.29M FROM ANDERSON CO.L, Campbell, TN

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 30,123

FAS 297

Good

Over: LICK FORK CREEK

.9 M FR SOUTHERN RR, Campbell, TN

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,149

FAS 297

Good

Over: ELK FORK CREEK

2.5 M N OF INDIAN MT ST P, Campbell, TN

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,640

NFA 1278

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

.2 M SE OF JACKSBORO, Campbell, TN

Built 2002 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,568

FAP 9

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

IN LAFOLLETTE, Campbell, TN

Built 1921 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 18,901

FAP 9 347406V

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

1 M NW OF LAFOLLETTE, Campbell, TN

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 27,039

FAS 90

Good

Over: CLEAR FORK CREEK

6 MILES SE.OF MORLEY, Campbell, TN

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 737

FAS 116

Good

Over: NEW RIVER

1.5 MI.WEST OF WELCH CAMP, Campbell, TN

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 226

NFA 1119 (SA 0805)

Good

Over: MCMAHON CREEK

.1 FROM BLUFF RD, Cannon, TN

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 341

NFA 2143

Good

Over: LOCKE CREEK

1MI NORTH OF US 70S, Cannon, TN

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 401

NFA 2143

Good

Over: LOCKE CREEK

2MI NORTH OF SR1, Cannon, TN

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 401

NFA 2151 (SA 0814)

Good

Over: MARTIN BRANCH

3MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 384

NFA 2151 (SA 0814)

Good

Over: CLEAR FORK CREEK

3MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 384

NFA 2151 (SA 0814)

Good

Over: CONNELL CREEK

.1 MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 384

NFA A034

Good

Over: SANDERS FORK CREEK

.13 MI EAST OF SR145, Cannon, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 170

NFA A059

Good

Over: BLAIR CREEK

1.5 MI FROM CREEK RD, Cannon, TN

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 90

NFA A070

Good

Over: EAST FORK STONES RIVER

4MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 130

NFA A102

Good

Over: MOUNTAIN CREEK

2MI EAST OF SR146, Cannon, TN

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 60

NFA A109

Good

Over: SHANBORNE BRANCH

5MI.EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 80

NFA A141

Good

Over: BULLPEN CREEK

2MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 80

NFA A141

Good

Over: MCMAHAN CREEK

4MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 110

NFA A165 (SA 0816)

Good

Over: LIBERTY CREEK

2MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 120

NFA A181

Good

Over: BRAWLEYS FORK CREEK

3MI NORTH OF COFFEE CO., Cannon, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 130

NFA A181

Good

Over: BRANCH

3MI NORTH OF COFFEE CO., Cannon, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 130

NFA A183

Good

Over: BRAWLEYS FORK CREEK

1MI EAST OF RUTHERFORD CO, Cannon, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 40

NFA A195

Good

Over: CARSON FORK CREEK

7MI NORTH OF COFFEE CO, Cannon, TN

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10

NFA A199

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

6MI SOUTH OF SR1, Cannon, TN

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

NFA A199

Good

Over: CARSON FORK CREEK

5MI SOUTH OF US70S, Cannon, TN

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 290

NFA A218

Good

Over: BRAWLEYS FORK CREEK

5MI SOUTH OF US70S, Cannon, TN

Built 1988 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

NFA A226

Good

Over: EAST FORK STONES RIVER

.2MI SOUTH OF SR1, Cannon, TN

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 90

NFA A227

Good

Over: HOLLIS CREEK

4MI SOUTH OF SR1, Cannon, TN

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 40

NFA A286

Good

Over: DOOLITTLE BRANCH

0.5 MI N OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

NFA A295

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

SOUTH OF AUBURNTOWN, Cannon, TN

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 20

NFA A308

Good

Over: LOCKE CREEK

NEAR CULPEPPER, Cannon, TN

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10

NFA A332

Good

Over: WILMOUTH CREEK

NEAR GASSAWAY, Cannon, TN

Built 1950 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

NFA A349

Good

Over: EAST FORK STONES RIVER

4 MI.EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 80

NFA A351

Good

Over: EAST FORK STONES RIVER

NEAR PRATER, Cannon, TN

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 80

NFA A354

Good

Over: EAST FORK STONES RIVER

EAST OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 2018 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 80

NFA A412

Good

Over: HOLLIS CREEK

SOUTHWEST OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

LAZY ACRES RD.

Good

Over: HOLLIS CREEK

SW OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

NFA A474

Good

Over: BRANCH

SOUTHEAST OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 2015 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 50

FAS 64

Good

Over: BRAWLEYS FORK CREEK

NEAR BRADYVILLE TENN., Cannon, TN

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 559

NFA 1125 (SA 0807)

Good

Over: NORTHCUTT BRANCH

1 M FROM RUTHERFORD CO LN, Cannon, TN

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 583

NFA 1123 (SA 0813)

Good

Over: MOUNTAIN CREEK

.5MI EAST OF SR146, Cannon, TN

Built 1950 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 370

NFA 1119 (SA 0805)

Good

Over: BULLPEN CREEK

2MI SOUTH OF US70S, Cannon, TN

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 341

NFA 1119 (SA 0805)

Good

Over: DUKE CREEK

1MI WEST OF WARREN CO., Cannon, TN

Built 1991 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 341

NFA 1104 (SA 0811)

Good

Over: PARCHCORN HOLLOW BRANCH

.2MI EAST OF SR53, Cannon, TN

Built 1956 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,185

Showing 13,351-13,400 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.