How many bridges are in Tennessee?

Tennessee has 20,426 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. View detailed condition data for each bridge on PlainBridges.

What percentage of bridges in Tennessee are structurally deficient?

4.0% of bridges in Tennessee are classified as structurally deficient by the FHWA, compared to a national average of 7.0%.

State profile · Below national median SD

Tennessee bridge safety

Condition ratings, load ratings, and structural-deficiency data for every public highway bridge in Tennessee — drawn straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory.

Reviewed byPlainbridges Editorial, Plain Bridges Editorial Team · June 7, 2026

20,426
Public bridges: 38.0%
Good condition: 4.0%
Poor condition: 4.0%
Structurally deficient

Total Bridges

20,426

Public highway bridges in Tennessee

Good Condition

38.0%

7,762 bridges rated 7-9

-12.0pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

4.0%

811 bridges rated 0-4

Structurally Deficient

4.0%

811 bridges flagged for repair priority

-3.0pp vs national avg 7.0%

Tennessee vs national bridge condition

Tennessee — Good condition share 38.0%

National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Tennessee — Structurally deficient share 13.2%

National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.0%.

Condition Distribution

Bridge inventory deck-condition mix — Tennessee (FHWA NBI)

Counties (95)

Anderson 175 Bedford 294 Benton 147 Bledsoe 83 Blount 220 Bradley 199 Campbell 137 Cannon 159 Carroll 240 Carter 195 Cheatham 128 Chester 127 Claiborne 101 Clay 64 Cocke 190 Coffee 217 Crockett 167 Cumberland 137 Davidson 836 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 332 Houston 118 Humphreys 250 Jackson 131 Jefferson 123 Johnson 109 Knox 588 Lake 30 Lauderdale 258 Lawrence 211 Lewis 139 Lincoln 304 Loudon 117 Macon 169 Madison 418 Marion 177 Marshall 240 Maury 433 McMinn 220 McNairy 218 Meigs 76 Monroe 145 Montgomery 187 Moore 69 Morgan 120 Obion 381 Overton 78 Perry 153 Pickett 30 Polk 140 Putnam 167 Rhea 100 Roane 161 Robertson 204 Rutherford 428 Scott 111 Sequatchie 67 Sevier 276 Shelby 1077 Smith 202 Stewart 168 Sullivan 370 Sumner 398 Tipton 201 Trousdale 88 Unicoi 161 Union 61 Van Buren 37 Warren 160 Washington 284 Wayne 282 Weakley 351 White 69 Williamson 524 Wilson 402

Tennessee vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states on the structurally deficient leaderboard (lower share = better)

States are ranked by share of bridges flagged structurally deficient — the FHWA classification for any span where deck, superstructure, or substructure carries a condition rating of 4 or below. Lower percentages indicate stronger maintenance funding and inspection follow-through. States here sit immediately above and below Tennessee on the same metric.

Minnesota

3.63% top marginal rate

Structure: Progressive
Burden @ $100K: $11,969

Connecticut

3.95% top marginal rate

Structure: Progressive
Burden @ $100K: $4,277

Selected

Tennessee

3.97% top marginal rate

Structure: Progressive
Burden @ $100K: $20,426

Maryland

4.27% top marginal rate

Structure: Progressive
Burden @ $100K: $5,527

Colorado

4.32% top marginal rate

Structure: Progressive
Burden @ $100K: $8,965

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Tennessee

Six lowest-condition bridges in Tennessee, ranked by composite NBI rating. Each is inspected at least every 24 months.

NFA A253

Structurally Deficient

Over: EMORY RIVER

FROZEN HEAD STATE PARK, Morgan, TN

Built 1975 Load: 1.0 t ADT: 150

NFA B485

Poor

Over: PAW PAW CREEK

S OFF I40 ON LOUDON CO LN, Roane, TN

Built 1934 Load: 1.3 t ADT: 330

NFA A153

Structurally Deficient

Over: DADDY'S CREEK (CWMA)

.1MI FROM MORGAN CO. LINE, Cumberland, TN

Built 1950 Load: 1.6 t ADT: 25

NFA A317 347891F

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD

3.4 MI SW JCT SR30&SR33, Polk, TN

Built 1913 Load: 1.6 t ADT: 40

NFA A191

Poor

Over: BYRAMS FORK CREEK

1 M W OF SR170 AT UNION C, Anderson, TN

Built 1970 Load: 1.9 t ADT: 70

NFA A463

Poor

Over: HILL CREEK

WITHIN 1M SE OF WOODBURY, Cannon, TN

Built 1950 Load: 1.9 t ADT: 170

All Bridges in Tennessee

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Publisher	Kiznis Studio
Sources	FHWA National Bridge Inventory, public U.S. government datasets

Tennessee vs national bridge condition

Condition Distribution

Counties (95)

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Tennessee

NFA A253

NFA B485

NFA A153

NFA A317 347891F

NFA A191

NFA A463

All Bridges in Tennessee

FAP 100

FAP 100

I840

I840

I840

I840

NFA A024

NFA A027

NFA A027

NFA A038

NFA 1917

FAP 96

I 840

I840

I840

I840

I840

I840

I840

I840

FI840

I840

FI840

I840

I840

FAP 840

FI840

FAP 840

NFA A325

FAP 96

I840

I 840

I 840

I 840

I840

I840

I840

I 840

I840

FAP 840

NFA A436

I840

I840

I 840

I840

I840

840

I840

I840

NFA A261

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