Total bridges
710
Public highway bridges in Madison County
County profile · official public datasets
Madison County, AL
710 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 41.8% rated Good, 56.9% Fair, 1.3% Poor.
- 710
- Public bridges
- 41.8%
- Good condition
- 1.3%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Madison County posts a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state across large county bridge inventory.
- Top 22%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 1.3%
- Poor-condition share
- 710
- public highway bridges
- 1972
- 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.
Madison County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Madison County ranks #15 of 67 Alabama counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 1.3%). Madison County, Alabama contains 710 public highway bridges. Roughly 41.8% are rated “Good,” 56.9% “Fair,” and 1.3% “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.
Good condition
41.8%
297 of 710 rated 7-9
Fair condition
56.9%
404 of 710 rated 5-6
Poor condition
1.3%
9 of 710 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#15 of 67
Among Alabama counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 710 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 41.8% (297)
Fair 56.9% (404)
Poor 1.3% (9)
Madison County's Poor-condition bridges carry 35,312 vehicle crossings a day
That is 0.5% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 1.3% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 3,924 crossings a day against 10,801 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 709 of 710 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
55.5% of Madison County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
394 of the 710 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 41.8% 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 54.1% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
SPARKMAN DR over PINHOOK CREEK, built 1968, carries 19,100 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 9-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 35,312 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Madison County's bridges were built
710 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1900s 1
1900–1909
1 bridges
- 1910s 4
1910–1919
4 bridges
- 1920s 12
1920–1929
12 bridges
- 1930s
1930–1939
97 bridges
- 1940s
1940–1949
63 bridges
- 1950s
1950–1959
73 bridges
- 1960s
1960–1969
93 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
64 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
79 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
99 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
66 bridges
- 2010s
2010–2019
46 bridges
- 2020s 13
2020–2029
13 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 1990s, when 99 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 13.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 25 to 34 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1972) matches the Alabama average (1974).
How Madison County compares with Alabama's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Alabama counties nearest Madison County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 1.3% Poor share is the 2nd-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1972 against a peer-group mean of 1979 is 7 years older.
Showing the 5 closest of 66 Alabama counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County (this page) | 710 | 41.8% | 56.9% | 1.3% | 1972 |
| Mobile County | 612 | 21.1% | 76.1% | 2.8% | 1980 |
| Montgomery County | 596 | 37.9% | 59.9% | 2.2% | 1975 |
| Tuscaloosa County | 482 | 44.6% | 54.8% | 0.6% | 1981 |
| Calhoun County | 386 | 32.9% | 63.2% | 3.9% | 1969 |
| Baldwin County | 381 | 48.3% | 50.4% | 1.3% | 1991 |
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 Madison 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 Madison County, both outside Alabama so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside AL (710 bridges here).
- Montgomery County, TX · 710 bridges
- McLennan County, TX · 714 bridges
- Pinal County, AZ · 716 bridges
- Pulaski County, AR · 721 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside AL (1972 here).
- Santa Clara County, CA · avg 1972 · 964 bridges
- Kern County, CA · avg 1972 · 668 bridges
- York County, PA · avg 1972 · 569 bridges
- Middlesex County, NJ · avg 1972 · 563 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
All bridges (710)
BELL FACTORY RD
FairOver: BELL FACTORY BRANCH
0.25 MI SO FAP RT 116, Madison, AL
Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,451
OSCAR PATTERSON R
FairOver: RICE BRANCH
0.5 W JCT CO RD 305, Madison, AL
Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600
COUNTY LAKE RD
FairOver: ELDER BRANCH
2.3 MI JCT CO RD FAP116, Madison, AL
Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600
NEW HOPE C.PT. RD
FairOver: CEDAR PT. BRANCH
1.6 MI SO JACKSON CO LIN, Madison, AL
Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 410
WALL-TRIANA HWY
FairOver: LOVE DITCH
0.6 MI S CO RD 068, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,800
BROWNS FERRY RD
FairOver: MILL CREEK
1.1 MI E LIMESTONE CO LI., Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 850
NICK FITCHARD RD
FairOver: KELLY SPRING BRANCH
2.0 MI N ALA HWY 53, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 420
OPP REYNOLDS RD
FairOver: BANYON CREEK
0.2 MI E JCT CO RD 106, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 648
BUTTER * EGG RD
FairOver: COPELAND CREEK
0.1 S CO RD 214, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 250
NEBO RD
FairOver: POND CREEK
0.1 MI E FAS RT 01, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 400
ELKWOOD SECTION R
FairOver: W FORK COPELAND CREEK
100 FT W JCT FAS RT 45 04, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 620
READY SECTION RD
FairOver: BEAVER DAM CREEK
0.1 MI S CO RD 1263, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,783
MOORES MILL RD
FairOver: MOORES BRANCH
0.1 MI N CO RD 1449, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,400
ORVILLE SMITH RD
FairOver: SMITH BRANCH
0.4 MI N JCT FAS RT 45 03, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 220
ESSLINGER RD
FairOver: BUCK DITCH
1.2 MI NE JCT CO RD 220, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 347
C C IVEY RD
FairOver: TURNER BRANCH
1 MI E JCT CO RD 375, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 75
NEW HOPE CED PNT
FairOver: POND CREEK
.2 MI. NE POP. RIDGE RD(3, Madison, AL
Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 825
JOHNS RD
FairOver: OAKWOOD BRANCH
1.2 MI W US HWY 72W, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600
WALKER LA
FairOver: SANDIDGE CREEK
1.5 MI E US HWY 231 NO, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 920
MAPLES RD
FairOver: VANN SPRING BRANCH
1.0 MI W US HWY 431, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 319
CHERRY TREE RD
FairOver: BUTLER SPRING BRANCH
0.5 MI N CO RD 395, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 550
BOLES RD
FairOver: PIGRUM BRANCH
0.3 MI W JCT CO RD 249, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 634
LINCOLN RD
FairOver: SLATE ROCK BRANCH
1.6 MI E JCT US HWY 231, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,636
DUG HILL RD
FairOver: DUG HILL BRANCH
0.7 MI E CO RD 1240, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 794
DUG HILL RD
FairOver: HILL BRANCH
1.0 MI NO CO RD 1335, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 650
MACON LA
FairOver: RICE BRANCH
0.6 MI NO CO RD 451, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 320
WALL-TRIANA HWY
FairOver: DRY CREEK
2 MI N HWY 53, Madison, AL
Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 699
KELLY SPRINGS RD
FairOver: KELLY SPRING BR
0.1 MI E JCT CO RD 088, Madison, AL
Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 720
SLAUGHTER RD
FairOver: INDIAN CREEK
0.2 MI N ALA HWY 20, Madison, AL
Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,100
CAVE SPRING RD
FairOver: RICH CREEK
0.1 MI JCT US HWY 431, Madison, AL
Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 550
MOONTOWN RD
FairOver: MOONTOWN BRANCH
1.0 MI SO US HWY 72EAST, Madison, AL
Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 60
COUNTY LAKE RD
FairOver: SO FORK LAWLER BRANCH
0.5 MI FAP 116, Madison, AL
Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 520
BOB WADE LA
FairOver: FORK OF DRY CREEK
1.7 MI E JCT ALA HWY 53, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,118
OLD GURLEY PIKE
FairOver: HILL CREEK
22 MI N NEW HOPE, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 325
MAYSVILLE RD
FairOver: LOCUST GROVE BRANCH
0.2 MI SO CO. RD 1448, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600
ORVILLE SMITH RD
FairOver: SMITH BRANCH
0.5 MI E JCT CO RD 011, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 220
ST CLAIR RD
FairOver: BERRY SPRING BRANCH
0.1 MI W CO RD 1427, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 115
SHARPES HOLLOW RD
FairOver: BARLEY BRANCH
1 MI SE JCT CO RD 468, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 40
DARWIN RD
FairOver: DARWIN BRANCH
0.2 MI NO CO RD 269, Madison, AL
Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 650
OPP REYNOLDS RD
FairOver: BEAVER DAM CREEK
1.8 MI W JCT CO RD 260, Madison, AL
Built 1948 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 733
BIG COVE RD
FairOver: FLINT RIVER
0.5 MI W OLD US HWY431, Madison, AL
Built 1961 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600
BIG COVE RD
FairOver: FLINT RIVER
0.6 W OLD US HWY 431, Madison, AL
Built 1961 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 500
SHERWOOD DR
FairOver: ALDRIDGE CREEK
803 SHERWOOD DR, Madison, AL
Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,725
WEATHERLY RD
FairOver: ALDRIDGE CREEK
ALDRIDGE CREEK AT WEA. RD, Madison, AL
Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 13,600
OLIVE DR SE
FairOver: FAGAN CREEK
OLIVE DR * BLOSSOMWOODSCH, Madison, AL
Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 900
ANDREW JACKSON
FairOver: DALLAS CREEK
ANDREW JACKSON * RISON, Madison, AL
Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 14,700
PATTON ROAD
FairOver: MCDONALD CREEK
PATTON * MCDONALD CREEK, Madison, AL
Built 1942 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 12,700
FOUR MILE POSTROA
FairOver: ALDRIDGE CREEK
1204 FOUR MILE POST RD, Madison, AL
Built 1968 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 9,100
WINDWOOD DR.
FairOver: LAWLER BRANCH
0.1 MI N JCT CO RD 332, Madison, AL
Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 350
WASHINGTON ST
FairOver: DALLAS CREEK
WASHINGTON * DALLAS CREEK, Madison, AL
Built 1972 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,800
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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.