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 D798

Good

Over: BRANCH

.1 MI SOUTH OF RHEA CO LN, Hamilton, TN

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 150

FAU D666

Good

Over: HODGETOWN BRANCH

.5 MI EAST OF US 27, Hamilton, TN

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 790

NFA D944

Good

Over: NICHOLSON SPRINGS BRANCH

.2 MI W OF BRADLEY CO LN, Hamilton, TN

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 280

NFA D992

Good

Over: OOLTEWAH CREEK

.5 MI NORTH OF US 11, Hamilton, TN

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 270

FAU 4132

Good

Over: WOLFTEVER CREEK

1.5 MI E OF TN317/321 JCT, Hamilton, TN

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,981

NFA 1145

Good

Over: BRANCH

.2 MI EAST OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,884

FAU 4145

Good

Over: WOLFTEVER CREEK

.02 MI SOUTH OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 2009 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,838

NFA E178 (SA 3332)

Good

Over: LONG SAVANNAH CREEK

.2 MI EAST SR 58, Hamilton, TN

Built 1984 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 670

NFA E179

Good

Over: WOLFE BRANCH

4 MI EAST OF SR 58, Hamilton, TN

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 510

NFA E179

Good

Over: SAVANNAH CREEK

0.9 MI SOUTH OF SR-58, Hamilton, TN

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,950

NFA E194

Good

Over: VARNELL CREEK

1.5 MI NW OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 180

FAU 4988

Good

Over: MACKEY BRANCH

2 MI EAST OF I75 & SR 153, Hamilton, TN

Built 1989 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,946

NFA E283

Good

Over: RYALL SPRINGS BRANCH

2 MI N OF GA-TN STATE LN, Hamilton, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 910

NFA E383

Good

Over: MACKEY BRANCH

.8 MI EAST OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,190

NFA E477

Good

Over: BRANCH

.2 MI NORTH OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,698

NFA E506

Good

Over: FRIAR BRANCH

.6 MI WEST OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 1963 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,006

NFA F355

Good

Over: HURRICANE BRANCH

NEAR SR-320/SR-321 JCT., Hamilton, TN

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 200

NFA F463

Good

Over: NS SPURLINE (RR)

VOLUNTEER ORDNANCE, Hamilton, TN

Built 2011 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,439

FAU 4125

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 MI EAST OF SR 29, Hamilton, TN

Built 1955 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,004

NFA D262

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 MI S OF TENN RIVER, Hamilton, TN

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 890

NFA E464

Good

Over: MACKEY BRANCH

1 MI EAST OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 1975 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 280

NFA D274

Good

Over: BRANCH

3 MI SOUTH OF TENN RIVER, Hamilton, TN

Built 1983 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 620

NFA E675

Good

Over: MOUNTAIN CREEK

OFF MTN. CREEK RD., Hamilton, TN

Built 1992 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 870

NFA E658

Good

Over: BRANCH

IN CHATTANOOGA, Hamilton, TN

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,580

NFA 1147 (SA 3302)

Good

Over: FALLING WATER CREEK

5 MI WEST OF SR 153, Hamilton, TN

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 320

NFA 1149 (SA 3317)

Good

Over: BRANCH OF BIG POSSUM CR

3 MI WEST OF TENN RIVER, Hamilton, TN

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 2,263

FAP 29

Good

Over: MANNING STREET (FAU 3624

0.76 MI. N OF TN. RIVER, Hamilton, TN

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 55,712

FAP 29

Good

Over: E.ELMWOOD & RR (A029)

1.54 MI. N OF TN. RIVER, Hamilton, TN

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 48,148

FAP 29

Good

Over: SR-8 RAMP

1.65 MI. N OF TENN. RIVER, Hamilton, TN

Built 2014 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 48,148

RAMP NWS

Good

Over: SR-29 EX RP / SR-8

JCT OF SR 8-SR 29, Hamilton, TN

Built 2013 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 48,148

I24EB US27 OFFRAMP

Good

Over: A660 CHESTNUT ST

.1 M E OF I24/US27 JCT, Hamilton, TN

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 105,057

FAU 3611

Good

Over: BELVOIR AVE / I-24

2 MI. W OF I-75 JCT., Hamilton, TN

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,559

FAU 3609

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK RD / I-24WB

NEAR I-75 JCT., Hamilton, TN

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,454

I24 EXIT RP FR WBL

Good

Over: SMALL BRANCH

I-24 NEAR EAST RIDGE, Hamilton, TN

Built 1960 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,412

I24 EB RP OFF

Good

Over: I24 EB RP / CSX RR

AT I24 I124 JCT, Hamilton, TN

Built 2022 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 69,132

FAU 3609

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK RD / I-24EB

0.2 MI W OF I-75 JCT., Hamilton, TN

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,454

I24

Good

Over: I-75 NB TO I-24 WB

IN CHATTANOOGA, Hamilton, TN

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,412

I24 EBL TO I75 SBL

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

JUNCTION OF I75/I24, Hamilton, TN

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,412

I24

Good

Over: I75

IN CHATTANOOGA, Hamilton, TN

Built 2020 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,412

NFA Z017

Good

Over: RP FR HAMILTON PL / I75

1 MI N SR153/I75 JCT, Hamilton, TN

Built 1987 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 4,335

I75 NB RP TO SR153

Good

Over: EXIT RP / I75 & SR153 RP

I-75 / SR-153 JCT, Hamilton, TN

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 110,093

NFA E455

Good

Over: FRANKS RD / I-75 & RAMP

1 MI. N OF SR-153 JCT., Hamilton, TN

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 7,946

I75

Good

Over: BRANCH

5.28 MI FM RAMP SR153, Hamilton, TN

Built 1960 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 101,811

I75

Good

Over: STANDIFER GAP RD (E506)

1.8 MI FM JERSEY PK, Hamilton, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 99,576

NFA E474

Good

Over: I75

0.5 MI S OF SR-2 JCT., Hamilton, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 658

I75

Good

Over: SR 317 - BONNEY OAKS DR

5.2 MI FM I75 SR153 IC, Hamilton, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 99,576

I75 SBL

Good

Over: SR 2 BONNEY OAKS DR

5.2 MI I75 SR153 IC, Hamilton, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 99,576

I75 736671J

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RR & BRANCH

7 MI SOUTH OF SR2, Hamilton, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 93,239

I75

Good

Over: WOLFTEVER CREEK

0.3 MI SOUTH OF SR2, Hamilton, TN

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 82,555

I75

Good

Over: I-75 / SR-2

COLLEGEDALE EXIT, Hamilton, TN

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 82,555

Showing 14,751-14,800 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.