County profile · official public datasets

Pickens County, AL

233 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 41.6% rated Good, 50.2% Fair, 8.2% Poor.

233
Public bridges
41.6%
Good condition
8.2%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

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

62nd
of 67 on Poor share
8.2%
Poor-condition share
233
public highway bridges
1970
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.

Pickens County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Pickens County ranks #62 of 67 Alabama counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 8.2%). Pickens County, Alabama contains 233 public highway bridges. Roughly 41.6% are rated “Good,” 50.2% “Fair,” and 8.2% “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

233

Public highway bridges in Pickens County

Good condition

41.6%

97 of 233 rated 7-9

Fair condition

50.2%

117 of 233 rated 5-6

Poor condition

8.2%

19 of 233 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#62 of 67

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

Condition distribution

Share of 233 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
41.6% (97)
Fair
50.2% (117)
Poor
8.2% (19)

Pickens County's Poor-condition bridges carry 6,380 vehicle crossings a day

That is 2.2% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 8.2% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 336 crossings a day against 676 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 233 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

49.4% of Pickens County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

115 of the 233 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 41.6% 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 66.9% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

CO RD 30 over BURDINE CREEK, built 1929, carries 4,270 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 19-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.

Share is of the 6,380 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Pickens County's bridges were built

233 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 51 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 21.9% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year (1970) matches the Alabama average (1974).

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

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

The 5 Alabama counties nearest Pickens County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 8.2% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1970 against a peer-group mean of 1972 is in line with the group.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Pickens County and the 5 Alabama counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Talladega County 243 3.3%
Sumter County 241 5.4%
Etowah County 236 2.1%
Pickens County (this page) 233 8.2%
Dallas County 225 3.1%
Conecuh County 224 6.3%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside AL (233 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside AL (1970 here).

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

All bridges (233)

CO#26 PINE GROVE

Fair

Over: WOOLBANK CREEK

4 MILES NORTH OF SR #86, Pickens, AL

Built 1958 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 550

COUNTY RT #16

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.7 MI EAST OF JCT CO #57, Pickens, AL

Built 1964 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 500

COUNTY RT #1

Fair

Over: BOGUE CHITTO CREEK

2.8 MI N OF JCT SR RT #32, Pickens, AL

Built 1965 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 260

AL-6

Fair

Over: Bear Creek

1.4 MI W of Gordo, Pickens, AL

Built 1954 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 7,221

COUNTY RT 75

Fair

Over: KINCAIDE CREEK

4.5MI N OF US HW 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1955 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 550

AL-17

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River

6.0 MI S of Aliceville, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,524

AL-86

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River Relief

0.3 MI E Miss State Line, Pickens, AL

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,426

AL-14

Fair

Over: Big Creek

1.5 MI E Pickensville, Pickens, AL

Built 1950 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,574

AL-86

Fair

Over: Bear Creek

1.9 MI W JCT US-82, Pickens, AL

Built 1965 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 3,132

COUNTY RT #77

Fair

Over: LUBBUB CREEK

0.6 MI E OF JCT SR 17, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 27.1 t ADT: 300

AL-17

Fair

Over: Fenachee Creek

3.1 MI N SUMTER CO LINE, Pickens, AL

Built 1927 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 1,010

#22/RAY BASS RD.

Fair

Over: SNEADS CREEK

14.4 MI EAST SR #17, Pickens, AL

Built 1972 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 300

AL-6

Fair

Over: Coal Fire Creek

0.2 MI W of Coalfire, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 5,981

AL-6

Fair

Over: Coal Fire Creek

0.2 MI W of Coalfire, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 5,981

AL-6

Fair

Over: Coal Fire Creek Relief

Coal Fire, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 5,981

#22/RAY BASS RD.

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK BRANCH

6.5 MILE EAST SR #17, Pickens, AL

Built 1953 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 100

AL-17

Fair

Over: Kilpatrick Creek

3.7 MI N JCT SR 86, Pickens, AL

Built 1939 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 3,429

COUNTY RT #9

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

0.2 MI NORTH OF SR #86, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 350

Al-17

Fair

Over: Johnsons Branch

5.0 MI S JCT US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1939 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 3,429

AL-17

Fair

Over: Buck Creek

3.3 MI S JCT US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,587

AL-86

Fair

Over: Lubbub Creek Relief

1.0 MI E Carrollton, Pickens, AL

Built 1961 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,058

COUNTY RT #63

Fair

Over: CURRY BRANCH

16.9 MILES EAST OF SR #14, Pickens, AL

Built 1954 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 600

AL-86

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River

1.5 MI W Pickensville, Pickens, AL

Built 1984 Load: 31.2 t ADT: 1,653

AL-159

Fair

Over: Clear Creek

3.0 MI N Gordo, Pickens, AL

Built 1947 Load: 31.8 t ADT: 1,493

AL-17

Fair

Over: Beaver Creek

1.0 MI S of Palmetto, Pickens, AL

Built 1929 Load: 32.4 t ADT: 1,218

AL-32

Fair

Over: Branch

0.1 MI E MISS STATE LINE, Pickens, AL

Built 1984 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 640

AL-6

Fair

Over: Coal Fire Creek Relief

Coal Fire, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 5,981

AL-17

Fair

Over: Coal Fire Creek

0.7 MI S Lamar Co Line, Pickens, AL

Built 1983 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 880

AL-17

Fair

Over: Strattons Branch

2.9 MI N JCT SR 86, Pickens, AL

Built 1939 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 3,429

Al-6

Fair

Over: Buncombe Creek

0.7 MI W of Coalfire, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 5,981

AL-6

Fair

Over: Buncombe Creek

0.7 MI W of Coalfire, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 5,981

AL-17

Fair

Over: Trib. of Lubbub Creek

1.6 MI N of Reform, Pickens, AL

Built 1929 Load: 35.3 t ADT: 2,476

COUNTY RT #58

Fair

Over: COALFIRE CREEK

0.5 MI N CO RT # 238, Pickens, AL

Built 1975 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 50

AL-6

Fair

Over: Lubbub Creek

1.0 MI E of Reform, Pickens, AL

Built 1988 Load: 36.4 t ADT: 10,041

AL-17

Fair

Over: Jennings Creek

4.3 MI S JCT US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1939 Load: 36.5 t ADT: 2,587

AL-17

Fair

Over: Johnsons Branch

2.6 MI S JCT US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1939 Load: 36.5 t ADT: 2,587

AL-17

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River Relief

1.0 MI N TOMBIGBEE, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 1,524

AL-17

Fair

Over: Blubber Creek

1.5 MI N Tombigbee River, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 1,524

AL-17

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River Relief

2.2 MI N TOMBIGBEE RIVER, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 1,524

AL-17

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River Relief

2.7 MI N TOMBIGBEE RIVER, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 1,524

COUNTY RT 63

Fair

Over: JONES BRANCH

16.4 MI EAST OF SR #14, Pickens, AL

Built 1954 Load: 37.0 t ADT: 600

AL-17

Fair

Over: Town Creek

Reform, Pickens, AL

Built 1981 Load: 38.9 t ADT: 3,160

AL-86

Fair

Over: Bastic Creek

6.1 MI W US-82, Pickens, AL

Built 1961 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 2,988

AL-6

Fair

Over: Holley Creek

3.9 MI E of Reform, Pickens, AL

Built 1954 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 7,652

AL-17

Fair

Over: AGR Railroad

AGR Railroad Aliceville, Pickens, AL

Built 1986 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 4,360

COUNTY RT 75

Fair

Over: LINDSEY BRANCH

4.1 MI NORTH OF US # 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1959 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 550

AL-14

Fair

Over: Beaver Creek

4.5 MI NW OF SR17, Pickens, AL

Built 1950 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 1,676

AL-17

Fair

Over: Lubbub Creek Branch

5.1 MI N JCT SR 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1926 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 3,429

AL-14

Fair

Over: Pine Knot Creek

2.0 MI E PICKENSVILLE, Pickens, AL

Built 1950 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 1,564

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch of Lubbub Creek

1.5 MI N Reform, Pickens, AL

Built 1929 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 2,274
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.