National Bridge Inventory: Kentucky



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 3,155 bridges.
  • This compares to 3,228 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Kentucky will receive a total of $472.7 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Kentucky currently has access to $378.2 million of that total, and has committed $317.6 million towards 178 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 14,590 bridges in the state, 1,088, or 7.5 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 990 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 6.1 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in Kentucky

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Jefferson 1988 159,448 Urban Interstate I-65 over Standiford Ln
Jefferson 1965 144,000 Urban Interstate I-64 over Ky 3077 (River Rd)
Jefferson 1957 129,829 Urban Interstate I-65 over Bradley Ave
Jefferson 1959 122,766 Urban Interstate I-65 over E Kentucky & S Brook St
Jefferson 1957 122,766 Urban Interstate I-65 over Hill, CSX RR & Burnett
Fayette 1964 92,932 Urban Interstate S 75 Nc over I 64
Jefferson 1963 84,001 Urban Interstate I-65 over Brook St & Muhammad Ali
Jefferson 1963 84,001 Urban Interstate I-65 SB Off Ramp over S Floyd St
Jefferson 1960 84,001 Urban Interstate I-65 over Jacob, Broadway, Gray St
Jefferson 1972 83,121 Urban Interstate I-64 over Ky 3077 & Belvedere
Jefferson 1971 81,936 Urban Interstate I-64 EB Off Ramp over Northwestern Pkwy
Jefferson 1974 81,002 Urban Interstate I-264 EB over I-264 WB On Ramp
Jefferson 1970 59,068 Urban Interstate I-264 over P&L Railway
Jefferson 1976 58,404 Urban Interstate I-64 over Parking Lots (7-13 St)
Boone 1976 38,411 Rural Interstate I-275 over Ohio River
Jefferson 1970 38,400 Urban Interstate I-265 SB over Ky 22 (Brownsboro Rd)
Jefferson 1970 38,400 Urban Interstate I-265 NB over Ky 22 (Brownsboro Rd)
Jefferson 1985 36,767 Urban freeway/expressway Ky 841 over Wagon Box Rd
Jefferson 1966 31,513 Urban Interstate I-64 WB over Mid Fork Beargrass Creek
Jefferson 1966 31,513 Urban Interstate I-64 EB over Mid Fork Beargrass Creek
Jefferson 1965 31,002 Urban minor arterial Ky 864 over Trib to Greasy Ditch
Fayette 1963 30,366 Urban Interstate SB 75 Non-Cardinal over Relocated Kearney Road
Jefferson 1987 29,753 Urban Interstate I-265 SB over Ky 155 (Taylorsville Rd)
Jefferson 1966 27,088 Urban Interstate I-71 SB over Beargrass Creek
Jefferson 1965 27,081 Urban minor arterial Ky 61 over Blue Spring Ditch

Bridge Inventory: Kentucky

Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 455 558,083 8,678,651 7 32,846 132,019
Rural arterial 757 1,007,365 4,612,663 4 4,542 20,962
Rural minor arterial 651 471,323 2,635,066 17 7,304 57,994
Rural major collector 1,893 778,207 3,573,522 129 40,106 220,416
Rural minor collector 2,398 586,550 1,486,946 230 43,989 145,921
Rural local road 5,981 827,846 1,228,423 553 69,757 100,982
Urban Interstate 482 960,243 28,476,185 22 103,837 1,638,123
Urban freeway/expressway 130 163,637 3,085,935 2 930 63,766
Urban other principal arterial 296 518,493 4,279,870 11 55,023 134,982
Urban minor arterial 525 591,823 5,560,108 24 34,822 302,960
Urban collector 498 272,340 1,988,562 33 16,116 127,221
Urban local road 524 132,401 706,698 56 9,730 85,243
Total 14,590 6,868,309 66,312,629 1,088 419,003 3,030,589

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 488 $722 1,006,096 278,356
Widening & rehabilitation 1,871 $1,717 18,803,452 1,065,613
Rehabilitation 675 $380 1,042,681 209,008
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 2 $5 3,721 2,490
Other structural work 119 $253 1,012,452 166,575
Total 3,155 $3,077 21,868,402 1,722,043

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2023 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

19
Compared to 19 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
18. Alaska 8.0%
19. Kentucky 8.0%
20. Montana 7.0%

15
Compared to 15 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
14. Nebraska 1,155
15. Kentucky 1,088
16. Indiana 1,043

18
Compared to 25 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
17. Louisiana 6.0%
18. Kentucky 6.0%
19. New Jersey 6.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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