Total bridges
344
Public highway bridges in Shelby County
County profile · official public datasets
Shelby County, AL
344 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 41% rated Good, 58.1% Fair, 0.9% Poor.
- 344
- Public bridges
- 41%
- Good condition
- 0.9%
- Poor condition
The verdict
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory.
Shelby County pairs a top-quartile lowest Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.
- Top 15%
- lowest Poor share in state
- 0.9%
- Poor-condition share
- 344
- public highway bridges
- 1981
- 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.
Shelby County Bridge Snapshot
According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Shelby County ranks #10 of 67 Alabama counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 0.9%). Shelby County, Alabama contains 344 public highway bridges. Roughly 41% are rated “Good,” 58.1% “Fair,” and 0.9% “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%
141 of 344 rated 7-9
Fair condition
58.1%
200 of 344 rated 5-6
Poor condition
0.9%
3 of 344 rated 4 or below
In-state Poor-share rank
#10 of 67
Among Alabama counties with 5+ bridges, lower share ranks better
Condition distribution
Share of 344 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.
Good 41% (141)
Fair 58.1% (200)
Poor 0.9% (3)
Shelby County's Poor-condition bridges carry 29,411 vehicle crossings a day
That is 1.2% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 0.9% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry more traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 9,804 crossings a day against 2,663 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 344 of 344 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
32.3% of Shelby County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark
111 of the 344 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% 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 96.9% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic
AL - 3 NORTH over PEAVINE CK * ACL RR, built 1924, carries 28,511 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 3-bridge count understates how much of the daily burden sits on a single crossing.
Share is of the 29,411 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.
When Shelby County's bridges were built
344 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade
- 1900s 1
1900–1909
1 bridges
- 1920s 15
1920–1929
15 bridges
- 1930s 23
1930–1939
23 bridges
- 1940s 4
1940–1949
4 bridges
- 1950s 32
1950–1959
32 bridges
- 1960s 26
1960–1969
26 bridges
- 1970s
1970–1979
42 bridges
- 1980s
1980–1989
39 bridges
- 1990s
1990–1999
53 bridges
- 2000s
2000–2009
82 bridges
- 2010s 21
2010–2019
21 bridges
- 2020s 6
2020–2029
6 bridges
What this shows Construction peaked in the 2000s, when 82 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 15 to 24 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1981, 7 years newer than the Alabama average of 1974.
How Shelby County compares with Alabama's closest counties by inventory size
The 5 Alabama counties nearest Shelby County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 0.9% Poor share is the 1st-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1981 against a peer-group mean of 1973 is 8 years newer.
Showing the 5 closest of 66 Alabama counties eligible for comparison.
| County | Bridges | Good | Fair | Poor | Avg. built |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 386 | 32.9% | 63.2% | 3.9% | 1969 |
| Baldwin County | 381 | 48.3% | 50.4% | 1.3% | 1991 |
| Shelby County (this page) | 344 | 41% | 58.1% | 0.9% | 1981 |
| Covington County | 332 | 31.9% | 63% | 5.1% | 1970 |
| Limestone County | 324 | 45.1% | 52.8% | 2.2% | 1972 |
| Jackson County | 314 | 29% | 67.2% | 3.8% | 1961 |
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 Shelby 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 Shelby County, both outside Alabama so the neighborhoods are not the same-state size table above.
Similar inventory size
Nearest county inventories outside AL (344 bridges here).
- DuPage County, IL · 344 bridges
- Kankakee County, IL · 344 bridges
- Cumberland County, ME · 344 bridges
- Greene County, OH · 344 bridges
Similar average build year
Nearest mean year-built outside AL (1981 here).
- Franklin County, OH · avg 1981 · 922 bridges
- Greenville County, SC · avg 1981 · 635 bridges
- Montgomery County, OH · avg 1981 · 632 bridges
- McLean County, IL · avg 1981 · 624 bridges
Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release. Peers floor at 10 bridges so stub inventories cannot own the match.
Fair-condition bridges (200)
I - 65 SOUTH
FairOver: OAK MOUNTAIN ROAD
I 65 * OAK MT RD, Shelby, AL
Built 1979 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 41,800
CO RD 33
FairOver: I 65
I 65 * CO RD 33, Shelby, AL
Built 1979 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 1,200
I - 65 NORTH
FairOver: CO RD 17
I 65 * VALLEYDALE RD, Shelby, AL
Built 1980 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 47,910
CO.HWY.306
FairOver: N.FORK BUXAHATACHEE CRK.
0.1MI. E. ST. HWY. 25, Shelby, AL
Built 1993 Load: 36.2 t ADT: 796
CO. HWY. 72
FairOver: HOGPEN CREEK
.15 MI E JCT CO 35, Shelby, AL
Built 1989 Load: 36.7 t ADT: 769
I - 65 SOUTH
FairOver: CO RD 17
I 65 * VALLEYDALE RD, Shelby, AL
Built 1980 Load: 36.8 t ADT: 47,910
AL - 3 NORTH
FairOver: CAHABA VALLEY CREEK
.1 MI. SO. AL 119, Shelby, AL
Built 1924 Load: 37.1 t ADT: 15,675
AL - 38 WEST
FairOver: SCL RR
.8 MI W. AL 25, Shelby, AL
Built 1985 Load: 37.1 t ADT: 8,810
AL - 38 EAST
FairOver: SCL RR
US 280 * SCL RR, Shelby, AL
Built 1985 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 8,810
COUNTY ROUTE 39
FairOver: YELLOWLEAF CREEK
0.12MI E OF CR 47, Shelby, AL
Built 1996 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 817
AL - 38 WEST
FairOver: MUDDY PRONG CREEK
US 280 * MUDDY PRONG CK, Shelby, AL
Built 1976 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 9,075
AL - 38 EAST
FairOver: MUDDY PRONG CREEK
US 280 * MUDDY PRONG CK, Shelby, AL
Built 1976 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 9,075
AL - 70
FairOver: BRANCH
0 . 5 MI E JCT US 31, Shelby, AL
Built 1966 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 10,680
16TH STREET
FairOver: BUXAHATCHEE CREEK
AT 16TH STREET CHURCH., Shelby, AL
Built 1984 Load: 38.0 t ADT: 500
AL - 38 (US 280)
FairOver: MORGAN CREEK
.1 MI. E. CO RD 280, Shelby, AL
Built 1931 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 18,130
AL - 3 NORTH
FairOver: BRANCH
. 4 MI N JCT CO RD 26, Shelby, AL
Built 1920 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 11,185
AL - 38 EAST
FairOver: COOSA RIVER
CHILDERSBURG, Shelby, AL
Built 1999 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 10,090
COUNTY ROAD 85
FairOver: CSX RAILROAD
.2 MI SO. OF CO. RD. 62, Shelby, AL
Built 2002 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 765
OLD DEER CREEK RD
FairOver: BEAR CREEK
0.4MI E JCT CO 43, Shelby, AL
Built 1995 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 50
CO. HWY. 71
FairOver: KATES BRANCH
0.64 MI. SOUTH CR 46, Shelby, AL
Built 1963 Load: 38.7 t ADT: 848
CO. HWY. 280
FairOver: N. FORK OF MUDDY PRONG
300 EAST CO 51, Shelby, AL
Built 1931 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 642
CR 85
FairOver: LOCUST CREEK
.2 MI FROM INT CR 85 *463, Shelby, AL
Built 2003 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,278
AL - 25
FairOver: BRANCH
0 . 3 MI W JCT CO RD 73, Shelby, AL
Built 1925 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 6,830
AL 25
FairOver: BRANCH
@ CALERA PARK, Shelby, AL
Built 1925 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 6,650
LACEYS GROVE
FairOver: BEAVERDAM CK
LACEYS GROVE SUBDIVISION, Shelby, AL
Built 2005 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 150
AL 25
FairOver: CAMP BRANCH
4.7 MI. N. I-65, Shelby, AL
Built 1928 Load: 40.7 t ADT: 3,208
CO. HWY. 47
FairOver: YELLOWLEAF CREEK
1 MI. NO CR 69, Shelby, AL
Built 1987 Load: 40.7 t ADT: 3,818
CO. HWY. 42
FairOver: WAXAHATCHEE CREEK
2.5 MI. WEST SHELBY, Shelby, AL
Built 1971 Load: 41.4 t ADT: 769
CO HWY 105
FairOver: CAHABA VALLEY CREEK
0.4MI N JCT US 31, Shelby, AL
Built 1998 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 7,888
CO. HWY. 81
FairOver: BLUE SPRING BRANCH
0.3 MI S JCT CO 83, Shelby, AL
Built 1984 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 450
CO. HWY. 45
FairOver: BEAR CREEK
2.5 MI NW JCT STATE 25, Shelby, AL
Built 1989 Load: 42.1 t ADT: 406
AL - 38 (US 280)
FairOver: BRANCH
3 TH E CO RD 47, Shelby, AL
Built 1976 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 25,070
AL - 3 (US 31)
FairOver: I - 65
US 31 * I 65 @ ALABASTER, Shelby, AL
Built 1974 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 25,980
CO. HWY. 47
FairOver: N.FORK YELLOWLEAF CREEK
10 MI. N. ST 25, Shelby, AL
Built 1984 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 3,690
CO HWY 10
FairOver: DAVIS CREEK
1.3 MI W MONTEVALLO, Shelby, AL
Built 1994 Load: 43.5 t ADT: 1,545
COUNTY ROAD 52
FairOver: LEE BROOK
INTERSECTION CR 95/52, Shelby, AL
Built 1997 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 12,538
CO. RD. 20
FairOver: N. FORK BUXAHATCHEE CR.
.3 MI W. JCT. AL. 25, Shelby, AL
Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 768
CO. HWY. 42
FairOver: CAMP BRANCH
2.5 MI W JCT ST 25, Shelby, AL
Built 1967 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 795
I - 65 NORTH
FairOver: BRANCH
2 MI N US 31, Shelby, AL
Built 1975 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 38,920
AL - 145
FairOver: STREAM
1.8 MI N BEESWAX CK, Shelby, AL
Built 1969 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 2,470
AL 25
FairOver: TOWN CREEK
.1 MI. SO. AL 70, Shelby, AL
Built 1963 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 3,630
SIMMSVILLE RD
FairOver: I - 65
I 65 * SHELBY CO RD 11, Shelby, AL
Built 1975 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 800
CO. HWY. 368
FairOver: CAHABA VALLEY CREEK
0.1 MI SO. AL 119, Shelby, AL
Built 1993 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 171
CO RD 52
FairOver: TRIGGER CREEK
2.4MI S GENERY JCT, Shelby, AL
Built 1952 Load: 46.3 t ADT: 14,630
CO. HWY. 280
FairOver: N. FORK OF MUDDY PRONG
.3 MI W JCT CO RD 55, Shelby, AL
Built 1931 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 600
CO. RD. 77
FairOver: LITTLE BEESWAX CREEK
.8 MI. S. JCT. CO. RD.28, Shelby, AL
Built 2000 Load: 47.6 t ADT: 150
CO ROAD 66
FairOver: BUCK CREEK
.16 MI W JCT US HY 31, Shelby, AL
Built 1997 Load: 48.1 t ADT: 19,216
CR 55
FairOver: FOUR MILE CREEK
INT. CR 55 AND CR 61, Shelby, AL
Built 2007 Load: 48.4 t ADT: 1,526
CO. HWY. 42
FairOver: CAMP BRANCH
3 MI. W. SHELBY, Shelby, AL
Built 1971 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 769
CO. HWY. 280
FairOver: BRANCH OFF YELLOWLEAF CR
.35 MI E JCT US 280, Shelby, AL
Built 1931 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 3,200
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.