Ky-974 over Upper Howard Creek
Clark County, Kentucky · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- Ky-974 over Upper Howard Creek in Clark County, Kentucky, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of ).
- Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 5 (fair condition) on the 0-9 scale.
- It was built in 1945 and reconstructed in 2006, making it 80 years old at the 2025 inventory.
- It carries about 55 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2021).
- Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
- It is one of 71 of the 117 inventoried bridges in Clark County rated fair (60.7%); 14 (12.0%) are rated poor.
- Its traffic status in the 2025 inventory is posted for load (NBI item 41).
- Its class is unchanged from 2024 (fair), but component ratings moved: substructure 6 to 5.
- Its most recent inspection on record is dated September 2024, on a 12-month routine inspection cycle.
- It has fracture-critical members (NBI item 92A): steel tension members without a redundant load path, which get their own scheduled inspections.
- A fair rating means the lowest-rated major component scores 5 or 6 on FHWA's 0-9 scale: some deterioration or minor section loss, but the structure is sound. It is the middle class, not a warning.
View this bridge on a map → (37.8975, -84.12694)
Component ratings
| Component | Rating (2024) | Rating (2025) | FHWA scale meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | 7 | 7 | Good condition |
| Superstructure | 5 | 5 | Fair condition |
| Substructure | 6 | 5 | Fair condition |
Bridge details
| Structure | Steel through truss |
| Length | about 82 ft |
| Location | 0.5 M W of Dry Fork RD |
| NBI structure number | 025B00089N |
| Condition class | Fair |
| Traffic status (item 41) | Posted for load |
| Last inspection (item 90) | September 2024 |
| Inspection interval (item 91) | 12 months |
| Scour (item 113) | 4: foundations stable, field review says exposed foundations need protection |
| Fracture critical (item 92A) | Yes |
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the Kentucky department of transportation.
Busiest bridges in Clark County
| Bridge | Built | Vehicles/day | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-64 over Br Strodes Creek | 1962 | 45,127 | Fair |
| I-64 over Hoods Creek | 1962 | 44,640 | Fair |
| I-64 over Strodes Creek | 1962 | 40,128 | Fair |
| I-64 over Little Stoner Creek | 1959 | 30,394 | Fair |
| Ky 1958 over Interstate 64 | 2006 | 23,897 | Good |
| Ky-627 over Lower Howards Creek | 1967 | 16,727 | Fair |
All bridges nearby: Clark County, KY bridge conditions · every bridge in Clark County · Kentucky bridges.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.