State profile · Below median Poor share

Alabama bridge safety

According to the Federal Highway Administration's 2024 National Bridge Inventory, condition ratings, load ratings, and Poor-condition shares for every public highway bridge in Alabama.

16,205
Public bridges
37.0%
Good condition
3.4%
Poor condition

Alabama holds 16,205 public highway bridges (#15 of 52 by inventory) with a 3.35% Poor share (#43 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 3.4% of the state's inventory, against an average of 7.5% across the 54 states and territories with Poor-rated bridges on file, which places it 10 of 54 ordered from the lowest Poor share upward. A bridge is rated Poor when its weakest applicable component scores 4 or below on the inspecting agency's 0-9 scale, so the category is a maintenance and funding signal rather than a closure order or a live crossing-safety verdict.

Inventory: FHWA NBI 2024 · last ETL August 2026

Total Bridges

16,205

Public highway bridges in Alabama

Good Condition

37.0%

5,993 bridges rated 7-9

-13.0pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

3.4%

543 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-4.2pp vs national avg 7.5%

Alabama vs national bridge condition

Alabama - Good condition share 37.0%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Alabama - Poor-condition share 11.2%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Alabama in the national condition pattern

Each point is a state or territory in the FHWA NBI; the highlighted point is this profile.

Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Alabama has 16,205 bridges and a 3.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #10 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold. Scatter plot of 54 data points. 0%10%20%30%40% 0k20k40k60k Public bridges in inventory (thousands) Poor-condition share (%) AL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.35%AK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.89%AZ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.15%AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%CA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 25.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.91%CO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.82%CT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.72%DE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.26%DC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.95%FL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.79%GA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.59%GU, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.77%HI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 1.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.53%ID, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.9%IL, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.35%IN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.22%IA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 19.16%KS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.26%KY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.37%LA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 12.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.48%ME, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.41%MD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.56%MA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.88%MI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 11.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 11.27%MN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.44%MS, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 16.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.03%MO, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 24.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 8.95%MT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.81%NE, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 15.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.9%NV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.14%NH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.51%NJ, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 6.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.01%NM, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.51%NY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 17.6k · Poor-condition share (%): 9.43%NC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 19.2k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.76%ND, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 4.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 10.98%OH, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 26.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.74%OK, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 22.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 7.7%OR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.61%PA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 23.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 12.58%PR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 13.92%RI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0.8k · Poor-condition share (%): 15.2%SC, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 9.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.17%SD, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 5.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 16.36%TN, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 20.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 4.41%TX, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 56.7k · Poor-condition share (%): 1.23%UT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.91%VT, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 2.9k · Poor-condition share (%): 2.9%VI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 0k · Poor-condition share (%): 29.17%VA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 3.39%WA, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 8.5k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.45%WV, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 7.3k · Poor-condition share (%): 18.64%WI, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 14.4k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.52%WY, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 3.1k · Poor-condition share (%): 6.51%
Inventory size and Poor-condition share are different measures: Alabama has 16,205 bridges and a 3.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #10 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The dashed comparisons mark the national average state rate and the midpoint of the plotted inventory range; neither is a live safety or closure threshold.

Alabama vs all states by public bridge inventory

Where this state's FHWA NBI public-highway bridge count sits among every state and territory on PlainBridges

16,205 15th of 54 higher than 39 of 54 states

States and territories, banded by public bridge inventory size

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FHWA National Bridge Inventory · 2024

Read the rank neighborhood for Alabama

The highlighted point is Alabama: 16,205 bridges and 3.35% in Poor condition, rank #10 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Alabama on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Vermont: 2,862 bridges · 2.90% Poor
  • Utah: 3,125 bridges · 2.91% Poor
  • Alabama: 16,205 bridges · 3.35% Poor
  • Virginia: 14,120 bridges · 3.39% Poor
  • Tennessee: 20,379 bridges · 4.41% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Alabama

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 16,205 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Alabama’s inventory

State agency holds 36.0% of the 16,205 public highway bridges filed under Alabama in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Alabama’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 15.3% of the 16,205 bridges with a recorded original year in Alabama. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Alabama37%59.7%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Alabama (FHWA NBI)

Counties (67)

Autauga 118 Baldwin 381 Barbour 192 Bibb 126 Blount 180 Bullock 136 Butler 189 Calhoun 386 Chambers 185 Cherokee 167 Chilton 189 Choctaw 154 Clarke 155 Clay 129 Cleburne 165 Coffee 216 Colbert 172 Conecuh 224 Coosa 126 Covington 332 Crenshaw 171 Cullman 246 Dale 206 Dallas 225 DeKalb 300 Elmore 202 Escambia 200 Etowah 236 Fayette 186 Franklin 194 Geneva 205 Greene 204 Hale 177 Henry 133 Houston 247 Jackson 314 Jefferson 1068 Lamar 181 Lauderdale 266 Lawrence 215 Lee 214 Limestone 324 Lowndes 157 Macon 177 Madison 710 Marengo 203 Marion 255 Marshall 172 Mobile 612 Monroe 142 Montgomery 596 Morgan 271 Perry 162 Pickens 233 Pike 169 Randolph 165 Russell 205 Shelby 344 St. Clair 183 Sumter 241 Talladega 243 Tallapoosa 149 Tuscaloosa 482 Walker 275 Washington 177 Wilcox 168 Winston 78

Alabama vs nearby ranks

Adjacent states by Poor-condition share (lower share = better)

States are ranked by the share of bridges whose lowest applicable component rating is 4 or below. This describes recorded condition; it does not measure funding effectiveness or live crossing safety. States here sit immediately above and below Alabama on the same metric.

VT

Vermont

2.90% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$2,862

UT

Utah

2.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$3,125
Selected

AL

Alabama

3.35% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$16,205

VA

Virginia

3.39% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$14,120

TN

Tennessee

4.41% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$20,379

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Alabama

Six lowest-condition bridges in Alabama, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

COUNTRY CLUB ROAD

Poor

Over: BLACKWATER CREEK

1 MILE EAST HWY 195, Walker, AL

Built 1898 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 400

KINGS MILL ROAD

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK

1 MILE N OAKMAN HWY, Walker, AL

Built 1900 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 150

CAHABA BEACH ROAD

Poor

Over: LITTLE CAHABA RIVER

1.8 MILES NORTH OF US 280, Shelby, AL

Built 1904 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

19TH AVE

Poor

Over: MOORES CREEK

VALLEY, Chambers, AL

Built 1910 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 350

ROADWAY

Poor

Over: CO RT 1065 SUCARNOCHEE R

4.0 MI N CO RT 1064, Sumter, AL

Built 1912 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 40

SMITH CHAPEL RD

Poor

Over: MILL CREEK

1 MILE N HWY 78, Walker, AL

Built 1915 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 125

All Bridges in Alabama

BURROUGHS ROAD

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO SPARKS CREEK

6.2 MI. S. OF HOGGLESVILL, Hale, AL

Built 1960 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 50

BLUE BIRD RD

Fair

Over: BOGUE CREEK

0.1 MI. S. CO. RD. 30, Lamar, AL

Built 1960 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 90

Piney Grove Road

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Between CR72 and CR30, Covington, AL

Built 1934 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 190

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

3 MI SOUTH OF BEULAH CH., Covington, AL

Built 1940 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 70

CALLOWAY ROAD

Fair

Over: J.R.HARPER BRANCH

3.1 MI S E PAUL, Conecuh, AL

Built 1986 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 60

LIZZARD LOPE ROAD

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3MI. SO. OF OLD TOWN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1987 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 75

CO RD 1296

Fair

Over: CO RD 1162;CO RD 1293

1 M S CO RD 1162, Marshall, AL

Built 1970 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 200

CO. RD. 606

Fair

Over: WEDOWEE BRANCH

4 MI. SE OF WEDOWEE, Randolph, AL

Built 1964 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 22

ELKWOOD SECTION RD

Fair

Over: COPELAND CREEK

1.1 MI E JCT FAS RT 45 04, Madison, AL

Built 2010 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 1,196

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

3.8 MILES NORTH OF MS ROU, Colbert, AL

Built 1981 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 720

CHEROKEE #120

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.2 MI NE INT CHERO #97, Cherokee, AL

Built 1935 Load: 11.9 t ADT: 80

GAY STREET

Fair

Over: CREEK

AUBURN, Lee, AL

Built 1965 Load: 11.9 t ADT: 4,745

CO RD 873

Fair

Over: UN-NAMED

8 MI SW OF WEDOWEE, Randolph, AL

Built 1958 Load: 11.9 t ADT: 25

CHAVIES ROAD

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

0.5 MILE S OF SR 35, DeKalb, AL

Built 1898 Load: 11.9 t ADT: 615

JEFF RD

Fair

Over: VAUGHN BRANCH

0.8 MI N US HWY 72, Madison, AL

Built 1939 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 3,500

CO RD 14

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.2 MI W INT RT 108 * 8, Choctaw, AL

Built 1947 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 1,785

CO 65

Fair

Over: MTN BROOK CREEK

CO 65 MTN BROOK CREEK, Cleburne, AL

Built 1957 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 450

CO RT #016

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

2.7 MI EAST OF COUNTY #57, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 12.0 t ADT: 300

CO RD #843

Fair

Over: WOLF PEN CREEK

(BALD ROCK)S OF ST.77, Randolph, AL

Built 1932 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 60

CO 19

Fair

Over: LOCKCHELODGE CREEK

CR 19 LOCKCHELODGE CREEK, Cleburne, AL

Built 1936 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 1,020

CO RD 859

Fair

Over: SEABOARD COAST LINERR

.8MI EAST PEAVY, Randolph, AL

Built 1950 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 90

COUNTY RT #67

Fair

Over: BEAVER POND BRANCH

.7 MILES EAST OF US#17, Pickens, AL

Built 1976 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 150

COUNTY RT #70

Fair

Over: NOLAND BRANCH

1.7 MI N OF CO RT #22, Pickens, AL

Built 1981 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 150

COUNTY RT #129

Fair

Over: COAL FIRE CREEK

0.8 MI NORTH OF CO RT 59, Pickens, AL

Built 1981 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 75

CO 693

Fair

Over: TUMLIN CREEK

1 MI EAST OFF CR 37, Cleburne, AL

Built 1950 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 25

COUNTY RD 59

Fair

Over: NO NAME CREEK

Falls Road, Covington, AL

Built 1983 Load: 12.1 t ADT: 130

COLLEGE AVE

Fair

Over: LITTLE WILLS CREEK

BETWEEN MAIN * REED ST, DeKalb, AL

Built 1925 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 61

BROADWELL ST

Fair

Over: JACOB CREEK

BROADWELL ST * JACOB ST, Etowah, AL

Built 1930 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 570

COUNTY RT 21

Fair

Over: DOUBLE CREEK

04.3 MI NE JEFFERSON, Marengo, AL

Built 1935 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 400

CO RD B83

Fair

Over: STREAM INTO BEAR CREEK

.1 MI E SR 243 CO B83 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1954 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 256

CO 460

Fair

Over: BRANCH

OFF BONNER LAKE RD, Cleburne, AL

Built 1971 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 20

CO RT #133

Fair

Over: LITTLE LUBBUB CREEK

0.2 MI EAST OF JCT SR #17, Pickens, AL

Built 1976 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 75

COUNTY RT 47

Fair

Over: LUBBUB CREEK

2.0 MI E OF JCT SR #159, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RT #145

Fair

Over: LITTLE COALFIRE CREEK

0.5 MI EAST OF CO RT #45, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 211

Fair

Over: WEEWOKA CREEK

0.3 MI S CO302 AT BERNEYS, Talladega, AL

Built 1982 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 440

COUNTY RT #37

Fair

Over: ANNA BRANCH

.1 MI EAST OF CO RT.#35, Pickens, AL

Built 1984 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 200

COUNTY RT #177

Fair

Over: BELL BRANCH

0.4 MI EAST JCT SR #82, Pickens, AL

Built 1985 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: HALL CREEK

1.3 MI. S PINEVIEW, Escambia, AL

Built 1947 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 65

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Henagan Rd, Covington, AL

Built 1956 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RT #124

Fair

Over: HIGDON BRANCH

.3 MI EAST OF CO RT 51, Pickens, AL

Built 1987 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 100

PILGRUM ROAD

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

1/2 MI NE MIXONVILLE, Conecuh, AL

Built 2001 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 25

Cook Road

Fair

Over: Jones Creek

2.6 M. N. CO RD 591, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1988 Load: 12.2 t ADT: 45

HSV-BRFERRY ROAD

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CR RELIEF

SEC33 T3S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1934 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 3,200

CO RD 459

Fair

Over: HOG CREEK

CR459 1 MISE REFUGE CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1973 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 125

COUNTY RT 67

Fair

Over: HORTON BRANCH

0.4MI E OF US HWY # 17, Pickens, AL

Built 1976 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 150

OLDTOWN CHURCH LN.

Fair

Over: OLD TOWN CREEK

31 TO US.84, Conecuh, AL

Built 1978 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 100

CO RD 251

Fair

Over: ROCKEY CREEK

CR251 .1 M NE BRIDGE# 63, Chilton, AL

Built 1987 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 130

HARPER ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

3.1 MI NW OF JCT ALA N 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1959 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 132

KIRBY ROAD

Fair

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.5 MI. SE OF US HWY 11, DeKalb, AL

Built 1970 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 10

726

Fair

Over: WIGGINS CREEK

OAKMULGEE DISTRICT, Bibb, AL

Built 1981 Load: 12.3 t ADT: 50

Showing 451-500 of 16,205 bridges

Related

All states → | National rankings → | Understanding conditions → | Retired SD term explained →
Data sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI), latest released cycle. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainBridges.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI). Poor condition is an inspection-record category, not a closure or unsafe-to-cross designation. Consult the bridge owner for current status.

Understanding Bridge Conditions

How FHWA rates bridge condition on a 0-9 scale.

Check Your Daily Bridges

How to look up bridge condition data for bridges on your route.

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

What to do with this

Use Alabama's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Alabama and open the highest-Poor shares first. County list
  • See where this state sits among peers on Poor-condition share. State rankings
  • Compare this state with another jurisdiction on the same measures. State compare

NBI condition ratings are inventory snapshots, not live crossing-safety verdicts.

Every figure on PlainBridges is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Alabama Good/Fair/Poor shares and county rollups on this page are computed from the same NBI extract as the national boards; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2024 NBI release. NBI condition categories reflect the latest reported inventory record, not a live safety, closure, or travel decision.