Tennessee bridge conditions
20,374 inventoried bridges · 887 rated poor · county by county
United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled
- 887 of Tennessee's 20,374 inventoried bridges are rated in poor condition (4.4%) in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory, as of .
- 8,620 bridges (42.3%) are rated good and 10,867 (53.3%) fair.
- The national poor rate is about 6.7%; Tennessee is at or below it (see all states ranked).
- The busiest poor-rated bridge in the state is I24 over Mill Creek in Davidson County, carrying about 155,629 vehicles a day.
By the measure that matters most - the most traffic on a poor rating - it is I24 over Mill Creek in Davidson County, built 1958, carrying about 155,629 vehicles a day. That is a repair-priority flag, not a collapse warning: what a poor rating does and does not mean. See the worst bridge in every state.
Good 42.3% · Fair 53.3% · Poor 4.4% of 20,374 bridges
Bridge conditions by county
Sorted by the number of poor-rated bridges. Click any county for its full bridge list.
The 25 busiest poor-rated bridges in Tennessee
Frequently asked questions
How many bridges in Tennessee are in poor condition?
887 of Tennessee's 20,374 inventoried highway bridges are rated in poor condition (4.4%) in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory. 'Poor' is FHWA's classification for a bridge whose deck, superstructure, or substructure is rated 4 or lower on the 0-9 scale; it was formerly called 'structurally deficient'.
Are the poor-rated bridges in Tennessee safe to drive on?
A poor rating flags advanced deterioration that needs repair or close monitoring; it does not by itself mean a bridge is unsafe. Bridges judged unsafe are closed or restricted to lighter loads by the owner. Inspections continue on all open bridges, generally at least every 24 months under the National Bridge Inspection Standards.
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 vintage, reported by the Tennessee DOT.
Background: how bridge ratings work · what "poor" and "structurally deficient" actually mean · how often bridges are inspected.