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 A234

Poor

Over: CANDIES CREEK

.4MI NORTH OF SR40, Bradley, TN

Built 1965 Load: 2.6 t ADT: 460

NFA A158

Poor

Over: SEQUATCHIE RIVER

EAST OF US127, Cumberland, TN

Built 1970 Load: 2.6 t ADT: 60

NFA A117

Poor

Over: BRANCH

4 MI. N. OF SR 88, Lauderdale, TN

Built 2002 Load: 2.6 t ADT: 170

NFA A254

Poor

Over: ROCK CREEK

IN ERWIN, Unicoi, TN

Built 1978 Load: 2.6 t ADT: 430

NFA A383

Poor

Over: HILL CREEK

SOUTHEAST OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 1970 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 50

NFA A393

Poor

Over: HOLLOW ROCK BRANCH

IN CITY OF HOLLOW ROCK, Carroll, TN

Built 1970 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 20

NFA A154

Poor

Over: INDIAN CREEK

.2 MI N OF SR 63, Claiborne, TN

Built 1990 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 30

NFA A053

Poor

Over: PROCTOR BRANCH

.1 MI FROM SR 52, Clay, TN

Built 1950 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 50

NFA A082

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK

3 M NW OF NEW MARKET, Jefferson, TN

Built 1942 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 90

NFA A579

Poor

Over: LONG CREEK

1.3 M S OF SR341-I81 JCT., Jefferson, TN

Built 1952 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 130

NFA A359

Poor

Over: LITTLE PIGEON RIVER

1 M N OF US321-PITTMAN CT, Sevier, TN

Built 1970 Load: 2.9 t ADT: 80

NFA 1077 (SA 1011)

Poor

Over: SULPHER CREEK

JUST SE OF ELIZABETHTON, Carter, TN

Built 1955 Load: 3.2 t ADT: 1,005

NFA A618

Poor

Over: TIGER CREEK

SE OF SR173-NEAR ST. LINE, Carter, TN

Built 1970 Load: 3.2 t ADT: 10

NFA A323 (SA 2726)

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF THOMPSON CREEK

1.7 MI SW JCT SR105&CAROL, Gibson, TN

Built 1970 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 210

NFA 1463 (SA 7924)

Poor

Over: BRANCH

SLEDGE RD - SHELBY CO, Shelby, TN

Built 1950 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 7,982

NFA A839

Poor

Over: HARPERS CREEK

WYATT HOLLOW RD-N OF 421, Sullivan, TN

Built 1988 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 120

NFA A752

Poor

Over: LAUREL FORK CREEK

IN HAMPTON-N OF SR67, Carter, TN

Built 1975 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 150

NFA A961

Poor

Over: STONEY CREEK

S OF 91-NE PART OF COUNTY, Carter, TN

Built 1965 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 20

NFA A278

Poor

Over: LITTLE TURNBULL CREEK

0.5 M. E. WILLIAMSON CO L, Dickson, TN

Built 1955 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 490

NFA A725

Poor

Over: PARKER BRANCH

3.4 MI SE JCT SR5&SR186, Gibson, TN

Built 1995 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 50

NFA A030

Poor

Over: BRANCH

3 MI. S. OF SR19, Lauderdale, TN

Built 1992 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 20

NFA 2078 (SA 8008)

Poor

Over: DENNY BRANCH

1.4 MI NE JCT I40&SR141, Smith, TN

Built 1977 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 345

NFA 2082 (SA 8018)

Poor

Over: BRANCH

4.3 MI NE JCT SR 80 &SR85, Smith, TN

Built 1965 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 242

NFA 1052 (SA 9502)

Poor

Over: SUGGS CREEK

1.6 MI EAST OF SR171, Wilson, TN

Built 1950 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 7,217

NFA A419

Poor

Over: BRANCH

IN CITY OF CHARLESTON, Bradley, TN

Built 1940 Load: 4.2 t ADT: 1,690

NFA A184

Poor

Over: DUG BRANCH

5MI NORTH OF COFFEE CO., Cannon, TN

Built 1930 Load: 4.2 t ADT: 90

FAS 87

Poor

Over: BRANCH

0.31 MI. E OF SR-371 JCT., Lauderdale, TN

Built 1986 Load: 4.2 t ADT: 957

NFA 2268 (SA 7001)

Poor

Over: CONASAUGA RIVER

2.5 MI SW JCT SR33&SR313, Polk, TN

Built 1924 Load: 4.2 t ADT: 107

NFA A514

Poor

Over: MILL CREEK

IN PIGEON FORGE, Sevier, TN

Built 1965 Load: 4.2 t ADT: 140

NFA A291

Poor

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

SOUTH OF AUBURNTOWN, Cannon, TN

Built 1965 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 20

NFA 1385 (SA 1012)

Poor

Over: WATAUGA RIVER

N OF SR91-2 MI E OF CO LI, Carter, TN

Built 1941 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 888

NFA A909

Poor

Over: NOLICHUKY RIVER

ON CO LN-S OF SR348&SR340, Cocke, TN

Built 1924 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 112

NFA A026

Poor

Over: OVERFLOW

2.5 MI NE JCT I40&SR196, Fayette, TN

Built 1960 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 170

NFA A198

Poor

Over: ROCK CASTLE CREEK

5MI WEST OF US 127, Fentress, TN

Built 1940 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 20

NFA A249

Poor

Over: CANE CREEK

2.5 MI N OF SR100, Henderson, TN

Built 1965 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 100

NFA 2453 (SA 4508)

Poor

Over: LEWIS CREEK

N OF US11E-E OF STRAWBERY, Jefferson, TN

Built 1934 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 402

NFA 2021 (SA 7530)

Poor

Over: FALL CREEK

4.9 MI NE JCT SR102&SR266, Rutherford, TN

Built 1965 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 420

NFA A238

Poor

Over: BRADLEY CREEK

0.5 MI S JCT SR96&SR266, Rutherford, TN

Built 1955 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 320

NFA A293

Poor

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

SOUTH OF AUBURNTOWN, Cannon, TN

Built 1965 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 20

NFA E008 (SA 3327)

Poor

Over: WOLFTEVER CREEK

IN CITY OF COLLEGEDALE, Hamilton, TN

Built 1965 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 920

NFA A682

Poor

Over: BEECH CREEK

1.9 M W OF VAN HILL, Hawkins, TN

Built 1955 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 30

NFA 1482 (SA 4909)

Poor

Over: BRANCH

0.4 MI. E. OF SR3, Lauderdale, TN

Built 1975 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 444

NFA A345

Poor

Over: SALT LICK CRK

IN RED BOILING SPRINGS, Macon, TN

Built 1950 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 180

NFA 2138 (SA 8920)

Poor

Over: SPRING CREEK

3MI SOUTH OF SR8, Warren, TN

Built 1930 Load: 4.9 t ADT: 570

NFA A591

Poor

Over: CROW CREEK

EAST OF SR56, Franklin, TN

Built 1972 Load: 5.2 t ADT: 140

NFA A326

Poor

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

4.5 M SW OF CENTERVILLE, Hickman, TN

Built 1975 Load: 5.2 t ADT: 30

NFA A052

Poor

Over: SPIVEY CREEK

S. OF SR 36, Unicoi, TN

Built 1978 Load: 5.2 t ADT: 30

NFA 2039

Poor

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.2 MI WEST OF SR141, Wilson, TN

Built 1965 Load: 5.2 t ADT: 825

NFA A373

Poor

Over: DOE RIVER

E OF SR143 NEAR ROAN MTN, Carter, TN

Built 1946 Load: 5.5 t ADT: 270

NFA C102

Poor

Over: LITTLE DOE CREEK

W OF SR37-S OF HAMPTON, Carter, TN

Built 1975 Load: 5.5 t ADT: 20

Showing 19,551-19,600 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.