County profile · official public datasets

Etowah County, AL

236 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 50.4% rated Good, 47.5% Fair, 2.1% Poor.

236
Public bridges
50.4%
Good condition
2.1%
Poor condition

The verdict

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

Etowah County posts a better-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across mid-size county bridge inventory.

Top 37%
lowest Poor share in state
2.1%
Poor-condition share
236
public highway bridges
1976
avg year built

Poor is an FHWA condition category from the lowest applicable component rating (4 or below), not a live crossing-safety or closure decision. Rankings cover counties with at least five public highway bridges.

Etowah County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Etowah County ranks #25 of 67 Alabama counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 2.1%). Etowah County, Alabama contains 236 public highway bridges. Roughly 50.4% are rated “Good,” 47.5% “Fair,” and 2.1% “Poor.” Poor means the lowest applicable deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert rating is 4 or below on the 0–9 NBI scale. It is a condition category, not a live safety or closure decision.

Responsible agencies inspect covered bridges on risk-based intervals under current NBIS rules and submit inventory data to FHWA annually. The list below shows every NBI-tracked bridge in the county. Use the “Sort by” controls to change the ordering, and click any row for its reported inspection date, traffic count, and condition fields.

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See methodology for full definitions.

Total bridges

236

Public highway bridges in Etowah County

Good condition

50.4%

119 of 236 rated 7-9

Fair condition

47.5%

112 of 236 rated 5-6

Poor condition

2.1%

5 of 236 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#25 of 67

Among Alabama counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better

Condition distribution

Share of 236 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
50.4% (119)
Fair
47.5% (112)
Poor
2.1% (5)

Etowah County's Poor-condition bridges carry 12,244 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0.9% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 2.1% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 2,449 crossings a day against 4,407 for a Good-condition one. A Poor rating is a condition category, not a closure or a live safety judgement; it means the lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below.

Computed over the 233 of 236 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

50.4% of Etowah County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

119 of the 236 bridges with a recorded construction year were built in 1974 or earlier. Age alone is not a defect: a well-maintained older bridge can rate Good, and 50.4% of this county's inventory does. Even so, this older cohort is the population from which future Poor ratings are drawn, which is why the age profile below matters alongside the condition split above.

Cutoff derives from the 2024 release year minus a 50-year design life. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

One structure carries 85.8% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

SUTTON BRIDGE RD. over BIG WILLS CREEK, built 1956, carries 10,500 vehicles a day, the most of any Poor-rated structure here. The county's Poor-condition exposure is concentrated rather than evenly spread, so the 5-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 12,244 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Etowah County's bridges were built

236 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1950s, when 43 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 18.2% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 65 to 74 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1976) matches the Alabama average (1974).

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory (year built) As of 2024 NBI release

How Etowah County compares with Alabama's closest counties by inventory size

The 5 Alabama counties nearest Etowah County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 2.1% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1976 against a peer-group mean of 1971 is 5 years newer.

Showing the 5 closest of 66 Alabama counties eligible for comparison.

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Etowah County and the 5 Alabama counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Houston County 247 0.4%
Cullman County 246 6.1%
Talladega County 243 3.3%
Sumter County 241 5.4%
Etowah County (this page) 236 2.1%
Pickens County 233 8.2%

Each share is of that county's own total tracked bridges; peers are the counties with 5 or more bridges whose inventory size is closest to Etowah County's. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

Nationwide counties with similar inventory size or average build year

Two NBI-derived peer sets for Etowah County, both outside Alabama so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside AL (236 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside AL (1976 here).

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.

All 236 Good 119 Fair 112 Poor 5

Good-condition bridges (119)

Wesson Gap Road

Good

Over: Big Wills Creek

1 mile N of Attalla, Etowah, AL

Built 2018 Load: 2.3 t ADT: 175

MCLUNNEY ST.

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

MCLUNNEY @ MIMOSA, Etowah, AL

Built 1965 Load: 9.3 t ADT: 450

EAST BROAD ST

Good

Over: NOWLIN BRANCH

E BROAD ST * NOWLINBRANCH, Etowah, AL

Built 1991 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 12,222

BRUTON GAP RD.

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.4 MI S OF DUCK SPRINGS, Etowah, AL

Built 1957 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 2,000

MATTSMITH RD.

Good

Over: GREENS CREEK

550 EAST OF GREEN VALLEY, Etowah, AL

Built 1956 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 476

DUCK SPRINGS RD.

Good

Over: U.T. TO BIG WILLS CREEK

@ WALDEN HOLLOW RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1952 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 980

ROCKY FORD RD.

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO DRY CREEK

0.1 MI E PIKE RD., Etowah, AL

Built 1955 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 540

Hickory Street

Good

Over: Black Creek

Hickory Street @ Black Ck, Etowah, AL

Built 2014 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,500

RAMP TO I 59

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CK

I 59 * I 759 INTR, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 4,254

EGYPT RD.

Good

Over: LINE CREEK

0.5 MI W OF ROCKLEDGE, Etowah, AL

Built 1957 Load: 22.8 t ADT: 730

FORREST AVE

Good

Over: REPUBLIC STEEL RAILROAD

FORREST AVE * REPUBLIC RR, Etowah, AL

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 16,100

COLLEGE ST

Good

Over: LIL COVE CREEK

COLLEGE ST @ LIL COVE CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1993 Load: 23.8 t ADT: 1,145

FORREST AVE

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

FORREST AVE * BLACKCREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1930 Load: 24.9 t ADT: 8,820

AIRPORT ROAD

Good

Over: U T TO BIG WILLS CREEK

AIRPORT ROAD, Etowah, AL

Built 2011 Load: 25.1 t ADT: 500

ROCKY FORD RD.

Good

Over: TRIB.TO BALL PLAY CREEK

0.1 MILE E OF ESTES RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1955 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 510

I759W TO I59S RAMP

Good

Over: I 59 NBL *

RAMP B OVER I59, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 7,576

I 759

Good

Over: BROOK AVE * BIG WILLS CK

I 759 * BROOK AVE, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 10,214

BUD UMPHREY RD.

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

400S OF FAIVIEW COVE, Etowah, AL

Built 2012 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 200

TABOR RD.

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY OF BLACK CREEK

TABOR @ SHELTON RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1956 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 1,200

I-59

Good

Over: LITTLE WILLS CK * N/S RR

I-59 * N/S RR, Etowah, AL

Built 1993 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 13,076

PLEASENT VALLEY RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

0.25MINWOFHWY411, Etowah, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 868

UNITY CHURCH RD.

Good

Over: LITTLE SAND VALLEY CREEK

300 WEST OF HORTON GAP R, Etowah, AL

Built 1990 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 150

SARDIS RD.

Good

Over: JACOBS CREEK

0.18MI SW LEETH GAP CUTOF, Etowah, AL

Built 1966 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 1,740

I 759 RAMP TO 411

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CK

I 759 * BIG WILLS CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1985 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 1,629

S 11TH ST

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

S 11TH ST * BLACK CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1940 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 8,256

DUCK SPRINGS RD.

Good

Over: FISHER CREEK

0.2 MI N. OF COX GAP RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1952 Load: 29.5 t ADT: 850

COLVIN GAP RD.

Good

Over: UT TO BIG COVE CREEK

200S OF RABBITOWN RD., Etowah, AL

Built 1956 Load: 29.8 t ADT: 1,300

I 759

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CK RELIEF

I-759 * BIG WILLS CK REL, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 10,214

I 759

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

I 759 * BLACK CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.3 t ADT: 20,428

5TH STREET

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

5TH ST * TOWN CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,612

TUMLIN GAP

Good

Over: SAMUELS CHAPEL CREEK

0.15 MI S OF HWY 132, Etowah, AL

Built 2004 Load: 31.4 t ADT: 518

ELMWOOD AVE

Good

Over: NOWLIN BRANCH

ELMWOOD AVE * NOWLIN BRAN, Etowah, AL

Built 1935 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 726

THOMPSON BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: LOCUST FORK

@ MCCOURT RD, Etowah, AL

Built 2003 Load: 32.3 t ADT: 100

4TH ST

Good

Over: TOWN CK

4TH ST * TOWN CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,364

PLEASANT HILL RD.

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.25 MI S. OF TABOR RD, Etowah, AL

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 275

Madison Avenue

Good

Over: Little Wills Creek

_, Etowah, AL

Built 1965 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

KING ST

Good

Over: CREEK

@ BOAZ NATURE PARK, Etowah, AL

Built 1981 Load: 32.8 t ADT: 100

BROOKE AVE

Good

Over: WILLS CK

BROOKE AVE*WILLS CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1988 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 6,123

US 278

Good

Over: BLACK WARRIOR RELIEF

0.1E OF BLK WARRIOR RIVER, Etowah, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 4,951

TUSCALOOSA AVE

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

TUSCALOOSA AVE * TOWN CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1983 Load: 34.2 t ADT: 10,788

PARK AVE

Good

Over: RELIEF DITCH

PARK AVE* RELIEF DITCH, Etowah, AL

Built 1940 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 1,254

AL 179

Good

Over: WADE CREEK

AL 179 * WADE CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 2014 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 2,219

MURPHREE VALLEY RD

Good

Over: LOCUST FORK

AT BRISTOW COVE, Etowah, AL

Built 2019 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 812

CHESTNUT STREET

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

CHESTNUT ST * BLACK CK, Etowah, AL

Built 2010 Load: 36.8 t ADT: 5,500

AL 179

Good

Over: LITTLE COVE CREEK

6.3 MI N JCT US 278, Etowah, AL

Built 2014 Load: 36.9 t ADT: 1,815

County RD 71

Good

Over: Dry Creek

0.5 MI S of Dry Creek Rd, Etowah, AL

Built 2019 Load: 37.0 t ADT: 1,778

SAMUELS CHAPEL RD

Good

Over: SAMUELS CHAPEL CREEK

@ INT W/ GILLIAND RD, Etowah, AL

Built 2004 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 128

U.S.HWY 278/SR.74

Good

Over: LITTLE COVE CREEK

2.5 MI EAST OF 431, Etowah, AL

Built 2003 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 7,349

HOKES ST

Good

Over: RELIEF DITCH

HOKES ST * RELIEF DITCH, Etowah, AL

Built 1945 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 4,340

US 278

Good

Over: LITTLE COVE CREEK

2.5MILES EAST OF 431, Etowah, AL

Built 1998 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 7,349

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

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Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.