County profile · official public datasets

Jefferson County, AL

1,068 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 19.7% rated Good, 78.1% Fair, 2.2% Poor.

1,068
Public bridges
19.7%
Good condition
2.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

Top 43%
lowest Poor share in state
2.2%
Poor-condition share
1,068
public highway bridges
1973
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.

Jefferson County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Jefferson County ranks #29 of 67 Alabama counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 2.2%). Jefferson County, Alabama contains 1,068 public highway bridges. Roughly 19.7% are rated “Good,” 78.1% “Fair,” and 2.2% “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

1,068

Public highway bridges in Jefferson County

Good condition

19.7%

210 of 1,068 rated 7-9

Fair condition

78.1%

834 of 1,068 rated 5-6

Poor condition

2.2%

24 of 1,068 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#29 of 67

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

Condition distribution

Share of 1,068 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
19.7% (210)
Fair
78.1% (834)
Poor
2.2% (24)

Jefferson County's Poor-condition bridges carry 268,111 vehicle crossings a day

That is 1.3% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 2.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 11,171 crossings a day against 8,372 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 1,053 of 1,068 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

51.5% of Jefferson County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

550 of the 1,068 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 19.7% 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 37% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

I - 459 SOUTH over CAHABA RIVER, built 1981, carries 99,312 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 24-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 268,111 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Jefferson County's bridges were built

1,068 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1970s, when 254 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 23.8% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 45 to 54 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1973) matches the Alabama average (1974).

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

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

The 5 Alabama counties nearest Jefferson County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 2.2% Poor share is the 4th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1973 against a peer-group mean of 1975 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Jefferson County and the 5 Alabama counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Jefferson County (this page) 1,068 2.2%
Madison County 710 1.3%
Mobile County 612 2.8%
Montgomery County 596 2.2%
Tuscaloosa County 482 0.6%
Calhoun County 386 3.9%

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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, both outside Alabama so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside AL (1,068 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside AL (1973 here).

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

All 1,068 Good 210 Fair 834 Poor 24

Good-condition bridges (210)

SNOW DR. (SOUTH)

Good

Over: STREAM

0.1 MI EAST OXMOOR RD., Jefferson, AL

Built 1972 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 2,200

CHERRY AVENUE

Good

Over: PRUDES CREEK

BLOSSBURG, Jefferson, AL

Built 2002 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 1,200

MINOR PRKWAY NORTH

Good

Over: BURLINGTON NORTHERN RR

0.5 MI E DOCENA, Jefferson, AL

Built 1995 Load: 37.4 t ADT: 7,000

31 ST STR SW

Good

Over: BRANCH

31 ST STR SW * PARKLAWN, Jefferson, AL

Built 1940 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 9,000

MORRIS-MAJESTIC RD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK TRIBUTARY

2.25 MI NW NEWCASTLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 4,173

BESSEMER-JOHNS RD

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

0.75MI NE MUD CRK RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1997 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 5,082

SIBLEYVILLE ROAD

Good

Over: HOGELAND CREEK

0.5 MILE NE COALDALE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1990 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 513

11TH AVE RAMP I-65

Good

Over: I-65 I-20 I-59

I-20 59 65, Jefferson, AL

Built 2018 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 2,017

PORTER GREEN ROAD

Good

Over: RICE CREEK

50 W JCT SEALES RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 328

31ST ST NO

Good

Over: I-20/59

NORWOOD COMMUNITY, Jefferson, AL

Built 2017 Load: 37.9 t

BLUE CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: BURNT BRIDGE BRANCH

3 MI S JOHNS ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1989 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 279

ROSS BRIDGE PKWY

Good

Over: SHADES CREEK

ROSS BRIDGE, Jefferson, AL

Built 2005 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 4,700

EDGEWOOD BLVD

Good

Over: GRIFFIN BROOK

DGEWOOD BLVD * HILLWOOD D, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 874

12th Court North

Good

Over: I - 65

.05 mi. N of Interchange, Jefferson, AL

Built 2017 Load: 38.1 t ADT: 1,250

I - 459 SOUTH

Good

Over: RELIEF

.1 MI. SO. SHADES CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1982 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 26,365

GREEN CREST DR

Good

Over: DRY BRANCH

JCT SWEENY HOLLOW RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1981 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 50

I-59/20 NORTHBOUND

Good

Over: I-59/20 SOUTHBOUND

I-59/20 OVER I-59/20, Jefferson, AL

Built 2004 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 157,350

I - 20 WB RAMP

Good

Over: _US31 I20 rmp RR 28thSTN

31ST ST RAMP TO I - 20 WB, Jefferson, AL

Built 2019 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 11,500

I-59/I-20 WB

Good

Over: US 31 City Streets RR

0.4 Miles East of I-65, Jefferson, AL

Built 2019 Load: 38.8 t ADT: 67,732

MINOR PARKWAY NB

Good

Over: VILLAGE CREEK

1.0 MI S DOCENA, Jefferson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 8,315

MINOR PARKWAY SB

Good

Over: VILLAGE CREEK

1.0 MI S DOCENA, Jefferson, AL

Built 1995 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 8,315

PINE HILL ROAD

Good

Over: FIVEMILE CREEK TRIBUTARY

1000 W AL 79, Jefferson, AL

Built 1986 Load: 39.1 t ADT: 5,875

ALEXANDER ROAD

Good

Over: SKELTON CREEK

1.5 MILES SE OF QUINTOWN, Jefferson, AL

Built 1990 Load: 39.1 t ADT: 145

GLENNWOOD ROAD

Good

Over: NORTH CREEK TRIBUTARY

0.3 MI W NEW CASTLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1986 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 725

TANGLEWOOD DR

Good

Over: BRANCH

TANGLEWOOD DR @ VESTAVIA, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 1,550

I - 65 SOUTH

Good

Over: I - 65 NORTH

SOUTHERN SECTION OF INTER, Jefferson, AL

Built 2002 Load: 39.7 t ADT: 133,050

ENSLEY PLEASANT GR

Good

Over: USSC RAILROAD

1/4 MI E TIN MILL RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 10,305

EASTERN VALLEY RD

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

JCT MCCALLA ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2008 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,535

Lane Park Road

Good

Over: Branch

Lane Park RD & Cahaba RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2017 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 6

GOODNER MT ROAD

Good

Over: CAHABA RIVER

1.5 M NE OF CLAY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1990 Load: 40.6 t ADT: 308

JOHNS ROAD

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

2 MI NE ADGER, Jefferson, AL

Built 1998 Load: 40.9 t ADT: 4,756

I-65 SB

Good

Over: 5 MILE CK * ELLARD RD

FULTONDALE, Jefferson, AL

Built 2015 Load: 41.5 t

3RD AVENUE

Good

Over: HALLS CREEK

3rd Ave No. & 12th st., Jefferson, AL

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 626

FLAT TOP ROAD

Good

Over: SKELTON CREEK

0.25 MILE SW OF PRACO, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 2,530

SUNRISE DRIVE

Good

Over: BEAVERS CREEK TRIBUTARY

1000 NW AL 79 (PINSON), Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 253

TAPAWINGO ROAD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1/2 MI S AL 75 PINSON, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 2,512

AL - 119

Good

Over: LITTLE CAHABA RIVER

AL 119 * LITTLE CAHABA RI, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 6,200

_Creekside drive

Good

Over: _Black Creek

_creekside subdivision, Jefferson, AL

Built 2007 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 400

WATTERSON PARKWAY

Good

Over: NORFOLK S RR;PINCHGUT CR

0.2 MI S US 11, Jefferson, AL

Built 1993 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 8,345

SNOWVILLE-BRENT RD

Good

Over: BLACK WARRIOR R TRIBUTAR

2 MI SW US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 1995 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 2,051

ELBO PORTER ROAD

Good

Over: APC RAILROAD

1.25 MI S FLAT TOP ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 2,855

SPLASH ADV PKWY

Good

Over: I - 20

BESSEMER, Jefferson, AL

Built 2003 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 5,000

Patton Chapel Rd

Good

Over: Patton Creek

1.25 MI W. of US 31, Jefferson, AL

Built 2020 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 1,200

ACTON ROAD

Good

Over: CAHABA RIVER TRIBUTARY

0.1 MI S CAHABA RIVERRD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1977 Load: 42.3 t ADT: 17,600

OLD BANKHEAD HWY

Good

Over: BURLINGTON NORTHERN RR

0.25MI S US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 1997 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 1,558

RAMP TO 17TH ST

Good

Over: I-20/59

I 20 / 59 RAMP TO 17TH ST, Jefferson, AL

Built 2018 Load: 42.8 t ADT: 2,018

ROCKY RIDGE ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE SHADES CREEK

1.5 MI SO MORGAN DRIVE, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 13,400

_Walker Chapel Rd

Good

Over: _Black Creek

_0.4 Mi E Shady Grove Rd, Jefferson, AL

Built 2022 Load: 43.6 t ADT: 1,500

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Good

Over: ZURICH ROAD

LAKESHORE OVER ZURICH DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 5,000

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Good

Over: ZURICH ROAD

LAKESHORE DR * ZURICH RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 5,000

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.