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County-owned bridges in Kentucky

By Kayla Carter Smith, Policy Analyst
2024 data on county infrastructure

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory, counties own and maintain 5,051 bridges – 35% of the nearly 15,000 bridges in Kentucky.

Federal regulations define a bridge as a structure at least 20 feet long that carries traffic over a depression or obstruction. Counties own and maintain many smaller structures that may look like a bridge, but do not meet the federal criteria and definition to be included in the National Bridge Inventory.

County-by-County

The number of county-owned bridges varies by county, ranging from just four up to 183 bridges. The median number of bridges that Kentucky counties own and maintain is 37.

Six counties own more than 100 bridges: Jefferson (183), Graves (125), Pike (118), Christian (114), Harlan (105) and Daviess (104). Only three counties own fewer than 10 bridges: Meade (4), Edmonson (9) and Gallatin (9).





County-owned bridges, 2024

County County Bridges Total Bridges % County-owned
Adair 65 143 45%
Allen 43 88 49%
Anderson 36 84 43%
Ballard 33 85 39%
Barren 36 147 24%
Bath 20 89 22%
Bell 91 205 44%
Boone 42 138 30%
Bourbon 43 112 38%
Boyd 33 89 37%
Boyle 42 89 47%
Bracken 25 49 51%
Breathitt 57 124 46%
Breckinridge 39 91 43%
Bullitt 20 99 20%
Butler 24 98 24%
Caldwell 41 116 35%
Calloway 90 210 43%
Campbell 43 130 33%
Carlisle 23 74 31%
Carroll 18 68 26%
Carter 47 189 25%
Casey 70 143 49%
Christian 114 300 38%
Clark 30 117 26%
Clay 78 160 49%
Clinton 11 41 27%
Crittenden 40 89 45%
Cumberland 47 93 51%
Daviess 104 282 37%
Edmonson 7 39 18%
Elliott 25 53 47%
Estill 22 56 39%
Fayette 56 200 28%
Fleming 43 117 37%
Floyd 44 161 27%
Franklin 34 117 29%
Fulton 11 95 12%
Gallatin 9 55 16%
Garrard 36 67 54%
Grant 31 79 39%
Graves 125 380 33%
Grayson 36 119 30%
Green 29 57 51%
Greenup 95 161 59%
Hancock 32 70 46%
Hardin 36 223 16%
Harlan 105 252 42%
Harrison 87 153 57%
Hart 18 57 32%
Henderson 64 184 35%
Henry 31 94 33%
Hickman 32 123 26%
Hopkins 40 251 16%
Jackson 17 51 33%
Jefferson 183 662 28%
Jessamine 24 58 41%
Johnson 36 99 36%
Kenton 20 142 14%
Knott 66 134 49%
Knox 52 127 41%
Larue 15 54 28%
Laurel 28 131 21%
Lawrence 45 103 44%
Lee 14 42 33%
Leslie 56 112 50%
Letcher 66 179 37%
Lewis 64 149 43%
Lincoln 63 136 46%
Livingston 32 104 31%
Logan 42 135 31%
Lyon 16 78 21%
Madison 49 154 32%
Magoffin 41 107 38%
Marion 82 149 55%
Marshall 58 208 28%
Martin 33 70 47%
Mason 40 97 41%
McCracken 35 201 17%
McCreary 15 39 38%
McLean 15 75 20%
Meade 4 24 17%
Menifee 19 49 39%
Mercer 32 75 43%
Metcalfe 28 78 36%
Monroe 20 70 29%
Montgomery 23 74 31%
Morgan 42 114 37%
Muhlenberg 37 152 24%
Nelson 44 151 29%
Nicholas 29 82 35%
Ohio 73 227 32%
Oldham 19 66 29%
Owen 16 54 30%
Owsley 24 55 44%
Pendleton 58 94 62%
Perry 70 176 40%
Pike 118 331 36%
Powell 20 110 18%
Pulaski 61 182 34%
Robertson 11 24 46%
Rockcastle 39 87 45%
Rowan 61 130 47%
Russell 12 46 26%
Scott 62 183 34%
Shelby 48 137 35%
Simpson 14 50 28%
Spencer 17 58 29%
Taylor 39 92 42%
Todd 37 80 46%
Trigg 27 109 25%
Trimble 18 44 41%
Union 45 127 35%
Warren 22 106 21%
Washington 50 104 48%
Wayne 38 76 50%
Webster 41 144 28%
Whitley 38 149 26%
Wolfe 14 77 18%
Woodford 21 60 35%



Source: Federal Highway Administration, National Bridge Inventory (2024)

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