County profile · official public datasets

Washington County, AL

177 public highway bridges tracked in the FHWA National Bridge Inventory: 32.8% rated Good, 56.5% Fair, 10.7% Poor.

177
Public bridges
32.8%
Good condition
10.7%
Poor condition

The verdict

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

Washington County pairs a higher-than-median Poor-condition share among rated counties in the state with a newer average build year than the state inventory.

65th
of 67 on Poor share
10.7%
Poor-condition share
177
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.

Washington County Bridge Snapshot

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, Washington County ranks #65 of 67 Alabama counties with at least 5 public highway bridges on Poor-condition share (lower share ranks better; currently 10.7%). Washington County, Alabama contains 177 public highway bridges. Roughly 32.8% are rated “Good,” 56.5% “Fair,” and 10.7% “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

177

Public highway bridges in Washington County

Good condition

32.8%

58 of 177 rated 7-9

Fair condition

56.5%

100 of 177 rated 5-6

Poor condition

10.7%

19 of 177 rated 4 or below

In-state Poor-share rank

#65 of 67

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

Condition distribution

Share of 177 NBI-tracked bridges by lowest applicable component rating.

Good
32.8% (58)
Fair
56.5% (100)
Poor
10.7% (19)

Washington County's Poor-condition bridges carry 1,615 vehicle crossings a day

That is 0.6% of the county's reported daily bridge traffic on 10.7% of its bridges: Poor-condition structures carry less traffic than their share of the inventory. Each Poor bridge averages 85 crossings a day against 1,451 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 177 of 177 bridges in this county that report an average daily traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

36.7% of Washington County's bridges have passed the 50-year mark

65 of the 177 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 32.8% 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 15.5% of the county's Poor-condition bridge traffic

LUKE RIVERS RD over BILBO CREEK, built 1984, carries 250 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 1,615 daily crossings on Poor-rated bridges that report a traffic count. Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2024 release.

When Washington County's bridges were built

177 bridges with a recorded construction year, grouped by decade

bridges

What this shows Construction peaked in the 1980s, when 33 of the county's bridges still in the inventory were built, which is 18.6% of those with a recorded year. That cohort is now 35 to 44 years old in the 2024 inventory. Its average build year is 1981, 7 years newer than the Alabama average of 1974.

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

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

The 5 Alabama counties nearest Washington County in number of bridges, with their condition splits. Its 10.7% Poor share is the 6th-lowest of these 6. Its average build year of 1981 against a peer-group mean of 1970 is 11 years newer.

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

Bridge inventory size and condition shares for Washington County and the 5 Alabama counties closest to it in inventory size
County Bridges Poor
Lamar County 181 2.2%
Blount County 180 7.8%
Hale County 177 5.1%
Macon County 177 10.7%
Washington County (this page) 177 10.7%
Colbert County 172 1.7%

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

Similar inventory size

Nearest county inventories outside AL (177 bridges here).

Similar average build year

Nearest mean year-built outside AL (1981 here).

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

All 177 Good 58 Fair 100 Poor 19

Good-condition bridges (58)

CO RD 01

Good

Over: TRIB ESCATAWPA RIVER

1.2MI W US 45, Washington, AL

Built 1963 Load: 19.7 t ADT: 450

CO RD 31

Good

Over: SIMMONS CR

5 M N CHATOM, Washington, AL

Built 1967 Load: 24.0 t ADT: 396

CO RD 5

Good

Over: BRANCH OF TAYLOR CREEK

1/2 MI W H17 BARLOW RD, Washington, AL

Built 1957 Load: 25.3 t ADT: 350

US 43

Good

Over: ROBERTS CREEK

2.1 MI.S. OF WAGGARVILLE, Washington, AL

Built 1989 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 4,260

CO RD NO 28

Good

Over: STREAM

3 1/2 MI S.STEPHENS, Washington, AL

Built 1958 Load: 26.9 t ADT: 118

CO RD 34

Good

Over: RED CREEK

0.6MI W SIX FORK RD, Washington, AL

Built 1959 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 400

SR 17

Good

Over: CROSBYS CREEK

MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 1986 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,900

SR 17

Good

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

CHATOM, Washington, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 4,990

SR 17

Good

Over: TAYLORS CREEK

8.5 MI. N. OF CHATOM, Washington, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,800

SR 17

Good

Over: MILLRY CREEK

MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 1986 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,900

SR 17

Good

Over: LITTLE BASSETTS CREEK

2.5 MI N OF TIBBIE, Washington, AL

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 1,640

US 43

Good

Over: ARMSTRONG CREEK

1 MI.S.OF WAGARVILLE, Washington, AL

Built 1989 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 3,950

CO RD 35

Good

Over: BILBO CREEK

1/2 MILE W MCINTOSH, Washington, AL

Built 1992 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 709

CR 28

Good

Over: BULL HALL CREEK

HOBSON, Washington, AL

Built 2013 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 118

US 43

Good

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

1.7 MI. N. OF WAGERVILLE, Washington, AL

Built 1987 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 4,120

SR 17

Good

Over: LONG BRANCH

4.9 MI N MOBILE CO LINE, Washington, AL

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,750

CR 34

Good

Over: PINE BARREN CREEK

2.7 MILES W BIGBEE, Washington, AL

Built 2008 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 1,277

US 43

Good

Over: ROBERTS BRANCH

2.1 MI. STH OF WAGERVILL, Washington, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 4,260

US 43

Good

Over: BATES CREEK

3.4 MI N OF CALVERT, Washington, AL

Built 2009 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 4,785

CR-2

Good

Over: Escatawpa River

Yellow Pine, Washington, AL

Built 2017 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 35

CO RD 31

Good

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

2.5 MI N. CHATOM, Washington, AL

Built 1967 Load: 33.8 t ADT: 396

US 45

Good

Over: PINE BARREN CREEK

4.1 MI N OF DEER PARK, Washington, AL

Built 1995 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 2,500

US 43

Good

Over: LEWIS CREEK

4.7 MI N OF MCINTOSH, Washington, AL

Built 2009 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 3,975

CO RD 36

Good

Over: RED CREEK

0.81 KM W OF MEHAPHY, Washington, AL

Built 1995 Load: 35.7 t ADT: 784

CO RD 12

Good

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

HOBSON, Washington, AL

Built 2017 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 211

CO RD 19

Good

Over: Bassetts Creek

Rutan, Washington, AL

Built 2017 Load: 35.9 t ADT: 96

CO RD 34

Good

Over: STREAM

1/2 MI E TAULER CR, Washington, AL

Built 1946 Load: 36.4 t ADT: 987

SR 17

Good

Over: FLAT BRANCH

5.4 MI N OF MOBILE CO LIN, Washington, AL

Built 2012 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 4,460

SPURGEON ROAD

Good

Over: GAINES CREEK

1.5 MI. E. HWY. 43, Washington, AL

Built 1987 Load: 37.3 t ADT: 100

SR 17

Good

Over: LITTLE BASSETT'S CRE

2.3 MILES N OF TIBBIE, Washington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 1,640

CR 9

Good

Over: LITTLE CREEK

SHILOH, Washington, AL

Built 2013 Load: 38.6 t ADT: 305

CR 8

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER

DEERPARK, Washington, AL

Built 2014 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 840

CR 8

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER RELIEF

DEERPARK, Washington, AL

Built 2014 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 840

CR 8

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER RELIEF

DEER PARK, Washington, AL

Built 2014 Load: 39.8 t ADT: 840

SR 17

Good

Over: LITTLE BASSETTS CRK REL.

2.2 MILES N OF TIBBIE, Washington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 1,640

CO RD NO. 35

Good

Over: BATES CREEK

SIMS CHAPEL, Washington, AL

Built 2005 Load: 40.5 t ADT: 709

COUNTY ROAD 35

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROA

OLIN OVERPASS, Washington, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,150

CR 6

Good

Over: ROBERTS CREEK

CORTELYOU, Washington, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 560

CO. RD. NO.1

Good

Over: CREEPING SWAMP CREEK

5.5 MI SOUTH CHATOM-CR1, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 385

CO. RD. 1

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER

CR 1/CARPENTER XING, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 385

COUNTY ROAD 1

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER RELIEF

.25MI WEST OF HWY 45, Washington, AL

Built 1998 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 275

COUNTY RD. 20

Good

Over: PINE BARREN CREEK

5 MI.EAST OF 4POINTS, Washington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 280

CR 25-SEABOARD RD

Good

Over: WOLF BRANCH

SEABOARD, Washington, AL

Built 2011 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

CR. 34

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

4 MI.EAST OF MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 987

CR04

Good

Over: POLL BAYOU

.25MI W OF US 43, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 885

CO RD 5

Good

Over: TAYLORS CREEK

BARLOW, Washington, AL

Built 2012 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 370

CR 6

Good

Over: ARMSTRONG CREEK

CORTELYOU, Washington, AL

Built 2014 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 560

COUNTY ROAD 4

Good

Over: BATES CREEK

2.5 MI E OF CR35, Washington, AL

Built 2004 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 980

CO RD 1

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER

VINEGAR BEND, Washington, AL

Built 2011 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 240

CR.34

Good

Over: TOMBIGBEE RIVER RELIEF

W OF AEC STEAM PLANT, Washington, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 415

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

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
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.