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 E096

Good

Over: MILL BRANCH

GRAY RD-NW OF SR33-SR131, Knox, TN

Built 1970 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 60

NFA E176

Good

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,662

NFA 5637

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

N OFF SR62, Knox, TN

Built 1985 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 6,512

NFA E975

Good

Over: FIRST CREEK

NEAR I640-SR33 JCT, Knox, TN

Built 2021 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,036

FAU 5643

Good

Over: THIRD CREEK

W OF I75-S OF SR62-FRONTA, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 22,146

NFA F159

Good

Over: PLUM CREEK

WESTBRIDGE BUS PARK RD, Knox, TN

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,455

NFA F159

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

WESTBRIDGE BUS PARK RD, Knox, TN

Built 1990 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 3,455

NFA F646

Good

Over: CONNER CREEK

BTWN I40-CLINCH R & SR162, Knox, TN

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 460

NFA G425

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

.6 M NE OF BEELER RD, Knox, TN

Built 1999 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 220

NFA 0G809

Good

Over: CONNER CREEK

MISSION HILL LANE, Knox, TN

Built 2017 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,720

NFA G433

Good

Over: BRANCH

ELMHURST WAY., Knox, TN

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 220

FAS 131

Good

Over: MEADOW CREEK

2.9 M SW OF SR162, Knox, TN

Built 2010 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 9,297

FAS 331

Good

Over: FLAT CREEK

2 M E OF GRAINGER CO LN, Knox, TN

Built 2008 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,368

NFA 1135 (SA 4703)

Good

Over: BRANCH

IN SW CORNER OF COUNTY, Knox, TN

Built 1950 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 5,917

NFA 1135 (SA 4701)

Good

Over: LITTLE TURKEY CREEK

S OF FARRAGUT-CHEROKEE PA, Knox, TN

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 17,552

NFA 1281 (SA 4705)

Good

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

EBENEZER RD-S OF US70, Knox, TN

Built 1995 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 17,603

I40

Good

Over: I40 / CEDAR BLUFF RD

1 M NW OF CEDAR BLUFF, Knox, TN

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 166,251

FAU 3778

Good

Over: WALKER SPRGS RD / I40

WESTTOWN AREA OF KNOXVILL, Knox, TN

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 10,808

I40

Good

Over: I40 / WEISGARBER RD.

3.5 M S OF SR1, Knox, TN

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 179,856

I40

Good

Over: I40 / PAPERMILL RD.

1 M S OF PINELLAS DRIVE, Knox, TN

Built 2006 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 182,502

I40

Good

Over: I40/I40-EB RMP TO I75 N

AT I-40 & I-75 JCT, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 182,502

FAU 5649

Good

Over: LIBERTY ST. / I40

.3 M NE OF MORRIS AVE, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 8,182

I40

Good

Over: I40&I40 EB RMP/I40 RMPS

1.3 M NE OF AILOR AVE, Knox, TN

Built 2000 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 122,506

I40

Good

Over: I40 VIADUCT/ 7 RTS-CR-RR

DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1964 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,780

I40

Good

Over: I40-RL / 2 ROUTES

DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 89,950

I40

Good

Over: I40 / GILL AVE.

DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 89,950

I40

Good

Over: I40-WB-RMP / GILL AVE.

DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 2007 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 89,950

NFA 5666

Good

Over: HALL OF FAME DR. / 2 RTS

EAST OF I-40 VIADUCT, Knox, TN

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 12,198

FAP 115 RAMP

Good

Over: SR115-EB RMP/I40&21ST.

1 MI W JCT I40&I275, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 68,556

I40

Good

Over: I40 / HOLSTON DRIVE

1.4 M NW OF SR9, Knox, TN

Built 1968 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 77,847

I40

Good

Over: I40-RL/STRAWBERRY PLAIN

1.2 M N OF SR9, Knox, TN

Built 1971 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 86,972

I40

Good

Over: I40-LL/STRAWBERRY PLAIN

1.2 M N OF SR9, Knox, TN

Built 1971 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 86,972

I40

Good

Over: I40-RL/HUCKLEBERY SPG RD

.6 M SE OF MCMILLAN RD, Knox, TN

Built 1971 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 86,972

I40

Good

Over: I40 / I640 RMP TO I40-EB

I-40 & I-640 JCT., Knox, TN

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 68,467

I40 RMP

Good

Over: I40-WB-RMP / 2 RTS.

IN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1980 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 139,697

I40 RMP

Good

Over: I40-EB RMP / 21ST. ST.

IN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1981 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 139,697

FAU 1053

Good

Over: CEDAR BLUFF RD RMP/I40RM

RAMP 2-E / 2-A, Knox, TN

Built 1993 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 23,064

I40

Good

Over: I40 / BRIDGEWATER RD.

.5M N OF SR1, Knox, TN

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 166,251

I40 RAMP 5-C

Good

Over: I40-EB RMP / 2 RTS/CR&RR

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1986 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,780

I40 RAMP 5-H

Good

Over: I40-EB-RP H / BLACKSTOC

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1994 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 115,780

I140

Good

Over: I-140 / I40

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1996 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 60,213

FAP 162

Good

Over: SR162-SB-RMP TO I40/I40

3 M SW OF FARRAGUT, Knox, TN

Built 1998 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 70,019

I40

Good

Over: I40-EB RMP / 2 RTS.

DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 122,506

FAP 158

Good

Over: SR62 RAMP / I40 EB RAMP

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1982 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 11,735

I40

Good

Over: I40EB RMP/MBROOK-RR

DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 2001 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 122,506

I40 RMP

Good

Over: I40-WB-RMP/UNIVERSITY AV

IN KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 1966 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 139,697

I40

Good

Over: I40-WB / WEISGARBER ROAD

.3 MI N OF SR1, Knox, TN

Built 2004 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 179,856

I40

Good

Over: I40-RMPS 1-2 / N. 6TH ST

CITY OF KNOXVILLE, Knox, TN

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 91,591

I40

Good

Over: I40 / MONTVUE RD.

NORTH OF SR001, Knox, TN

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 173,049

I40

Good

Over: I40-EB-RMP / BUCKINGHAM

NORTH OF SR001, Knox, TN

Built 2005 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 179,856

Showing 15,501-15,550 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.