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

FAU 1013 (SA 1916)

Poor

Over: EARTHMAN FORK CREEK

IN NASHVILLE, Davidson, TN

Built 1940 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 1,115

FAP 20

Poor

Over: N FORK FORKED DEER RIVER

3.5 MI SE JCT SR3 & SR211, Dyer, TN

Built 1994 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 14,181

FAU 4185

Poor

Over: BRANCH

MESSICK RD - MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1962 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 8,852

NFA A474

Poor

Over: SEQUATCHIE RIVER

IN PIKEVILLE CITY LIMITS, Bledsoe, TN

Built 1925 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 1,090

I40

Poor

Over: SR 24

PUTNAM-CUMBERLAND CO.LN., Cumberland, TN

Built 1963 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 36,293

NFA A234

Poor

Over: BRANCH

2.6 MI SE JCT SR57&SR194, Fayette, TN

Built 1965 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 240

NFA E260

Poor

Over: MACKEY BRANCH

2 MI SOUTH OF I75, Hamilton, TN

Built 1973 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 810

NFA A060

Poor

Over: OVERFLOW

3 MI S OF MADISON CO., Hardeman, TN

Built 1965 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 150

FAS 167

Poor

Over: DOE CREEK

IN DOEVILLE, Johnson, TN

Built 1945 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 1,413

FAS 247

Poor

Over: LEIPERS CREEK

1.0 M E JCT SR50&SR247, Maury, TN

Built 1960 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 484

FAP 111

Poor

Over: OBEY RIVER

3.27 MI.N.OF OVERTON CO., Pickett, TN

Built 1996 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 4,883

FAU 2813

Poor

Over: PLOUGH BLVD. SB. LANES

WINCHESTER RD - MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1978 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 22,230

FAU 5757

Poor

Over: WOLF RIVER

3 MI N OF SR 57 JCT, Shelby, TN

Built 1949 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 8,449

FAU 2810 663402M

Poor

Over: AIRWAYS BLVD/YALE YARDS

AIRWAYS BLVD - MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1954 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 25,855

FAU 2813

Poor

Over: DAYS CREEK

WINCHESTER RD - MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1965 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 22,230

NFA K800

Poor

Over: WOLF RIVER

AUSTIN PEAY HWY.-MEMPHIS, Shelby, TN

Built 1939 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 11,202

NFA 1479 (SA 8426)

Poor

Over: TOWN CREEK

3 MI N OF SR59, Tipton, TN

Built 1975 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 423

NFA A855

Poor

Over: MUD CREEK

2 MI N OF SR30, Warren, TN

Built 1924 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 2,460

NFA A970

Poor

Over: LITTLE LIMESTONE CREEK

IN TELFORD, Washington, TN

Built 1920 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 460

NFA A238

Poor

Over: LONG CREEK

JUST E OF SR340 AT SR9, Cocke, TN

Built 1920 Load: 15.3 t ADT: 50

SPUR CROSSOVER ROA

Poor

Over: WEST PRONG LPR

2.0 MILES NORTH FROM NPS, Sevier, TN

Built 1958 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 4,342

FAP 11

Poor

Over: PIGEON ROOST CREEK

4 MI.NE.OF PULASKI, Giles, TN

Built 1938 Load: 15.6 t ADT: 3,828

NFA A236

Poor

Over: CRIPPLE CREEK

3.8 MI SE JCT SR96&SR266, Rutherford, TN

Built 1930 Load: 15.6 t ADT: 50

FAP 11

Poor

Over: COVE BRANCH

.5 M N JCT SR11&SR269, Rutherford, TN

Built 1929 Load: 15.6 t ADT: 5,946

FAU 5366

Poor

Over: LINSLEY BRANCH

.8 M NW JCT SR109&SR174, Sumner, TN

Built 1932 Load: 15.6 t ADT: 3,630

FAU 3633 841976T

Poor

Over: SOUTHERN RAILWAY

IN SODDY-DAISY, Hamilton, TN

Built 1928 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 7,960

NFA 2162 (SA 3308)

Poor

Over: FALLING WATER CREEK

.1 MI NORTH OF US 27, Hamilton, TN

Built 1928 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 12,697

NFA A330

Poor

Over: INDIAN CREEK

1 M SOUTH OF CENTERVILLE, Hickman, TN

Built 1955 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 10

FAS 232

Poor

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

1.8 MI.N.OF MCKINNON, Houston, TN

Built 1961 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 253

FAS 363

Poor

Over: INDIAN CREEK

2.7 M SW OF SR92, Jefferson, TN

Built 1942 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 1,020

FAP 29

Poor

Over: MASSINGALE CREEK

2.14 MI.S.OF SCOTT CO., Morgan, TN

Built 1927 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 2,086

FAP 401 (SR 24)

Poor

Over: BRANCH

1.92 MI.W.OF S.CARTHAGE, Smith, TN

Built 1938 Load: 15.9 t ADT: 4,375

NFA A310

Poor

Over: NORMAN CREEK

SE CORNER OF NORMANDY CIT, Bedford, TN

Built 1940 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 280

NFA A386

Poor

Over: HOLLOW ROCK BRANCH

NEAR BRUCETON CITY LIMIT, Carroll, TN

Built 1960 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 100

NFA A642

Poor

Over: GEORGE CREEK

W OF ROAN MTN-S OF SR37, Carter, TN

Built 1950 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 100

NFA A724

Poor

Over: LITTLE DOE RIVER

IN HAMPTON-W OF SR 37, Carter, TN

Built 1972 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 170

NFA 2109

Poor

Over: LITTLE TRACE CREEK

HERMITAGE SPRINGS AREA, Clay, TN

Built 1979 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 309

NFA B846

Poor

Over: WHITTEMORE BRANCH

IN NASHVILLE, Davidson, TN

Built 1970 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 600

FAS 69

Poor

Over: STEWMANS CREEK

SOUTH OF BATH SPRINGS, Decatur, TN

Built 1950 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 294

NFA A045 (SA 2226)

Poor

Over: LITTLE BARTONS CREEK

2.5 M. N. SR49, Dickson, TN

Built 1965 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 20

NFA 840 (SA 2411)

Poor

Over: BIG MUDDY CREEK

4.8 MI W JCT SR15&HARDEMA, Fayette, TN

Built 1962 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 660

NFA 1585

Poor

Over: OVERFLOW

3.4 MI NE JCT SR43&SR77, Gibson, TN

Built 1971 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 93

NFA 1332 (SA 3403)

Poor

Over: MULBERRY CREEK

W OFF SR63-S OF CLINCH R, Hancock, TN

Built 1952 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 153

NFA 2510

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK

2.6 M SE OF NEW MARKET, Jefferson, TN

Built 1940 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 301

FAS 9

Poor

Over: KOONTZ CREEK

.4 M E OF OAK GROVE, Jefferson, TN

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 7,782

FAP 92

Poor

Over: MUDDY CREEK

2 M NE OF VON HILL RD, Jefferson, TN

Built 1946 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 1,648

NFA A196

Poor

Over: CONASAUGA CREEK

4MI EAST OF US411, McMinn, TN

Built 1930 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 30

NFA 1665 (SA 5519)

Poor

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

3 MI NE OF BETHEL, McNairy, TN

Built 1972 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 110

NFA 2103

Poor

Over: LONG FORK CREEK

4 MI W OF RED BOILING SP., Macon, TN

Built 1956 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 80

NFA 970

Poor

Over: CEDAR BRANCH

E. 7TH. ST. IN COLUMBIA, Maury, TN

Built 1969 Load: 16.2 t ADT: 1,289

Showing 19,751-19,800 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.