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

MULBERRY RD.

Fair

Over: BURGAN BRANCH RELIEF

MULBERRY RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1991 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 25

MULBERRY RD.

Fair

Over: MULBERRY CREEK TRIBUTARY

MULBERRY RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1991 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 25

SPRING CREEK LOOP

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

SPRING CREEK LOOP, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1995 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 60

PETTY RD.

Fair

Over: STRINGER MILL CREEK

PETTY RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1993 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 55

FAIRVIEW CHURCH RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

FAIRVIEW CHURCH RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1996 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 75

HOLLAND BRIDGE RD.

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

HOLLAND BRIDGE RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1996 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 30

BEST RD.

Fair

Over: MILL BRANCH

BEST RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1993 Load: 31.9 t ADT: 55

CR 571

Fair

Over: WIDOWS CREEK

0.35 MI W JCT CR 75, Jackson, AL

Built 1939 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 12

GUNTERSVILLE RD.

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

0.5 MI NE AL 69, Marshall, AL

Built 1927 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY RD 55

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

CR55 2MIESE MT BETHEL CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1952 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 600

STINNETT HOLLOW R

Fair

Over: STINNETT BRANCH

SEC4 T2S R6W, Limestone, AL

Built 1960 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 608

AL 69

Fair

Over: I-65

S JCT I-65 * SR 69, Cullman, AL

Built 1960 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 11,830

AL 69

Fair

Over: I-65

N JCT I-65 AND SR 69, Cullman, AL

Built 1960 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 8,497

AL9 SBL

Fair

Over: I85 SBL

E.BYPASS AND I85 INTERCHE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1964 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 28,770

CO RD 73

Fair

Over: ROCKY CREEK

CO RD 3 TO CO RD 69, Houston, AL

Built 1965 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 495

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch

Vernon, Lamar, AL

Built 1930 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 5,574

CO RD 61

Fair

Over: MUD CR

1.5 MI W US 31, Limestone, AL

Built 1967 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 647

I - 59 SOUTH

Fair

Over: 3 RD AVE N * 63 RD ST

I 59 * 63 RD ST, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 38,900

CR 85

Fair

Over: BRANCH

100' E US 72, Jackson, AL

Built 1976 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 565

AL-96

Fair

Over: Branch

1.0 MI W Fayette Co Line, Lamar, AL

Built 1929 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 1,469

I - 65

Fair

Over: TCI RR * VILLAGE CREEK

I65 * VILLAGE CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1970 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 104,190

I - 65 NORTH

Fair

Over: FORREST BROOK DRIVE

I 65 * FORREST BROOK DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1972 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 60,340

CR # 424

Fair

Over: TRIBUTE TO CEDAR CREEK

2.5 MI S OF CR 4, Dallas, AL

Built 1999 Load: 32.0 t ADT: 10

CO 137

Fair

Over: LITTLE UCHEE CK. RELIEF

3.8 MI S JCT SR 165, Russell, AL

Built 1940 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 7,690

CO RD 26

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

ASHFORD TO US 84, Houston, AL

Built 1948 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 1,324

CO RT 88

Fair

Over: BRYANT CREEK

1.65 MI E JCT SR 71, Jackson, AL

Built 1952 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 242

PEARSON CHAPEL RD

Fair

Over: JACK BRANCH

3.6 MI N OF US 280, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1959 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 290

HARPER JOY

Fair

Over: DOUBLE BRIDGES CREEK

CO RD 29 TO CO RD 43, Houston, AL

Built 1966 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 245

I 65

Fair

Over: STREAM

3 M N JCT I 65 & I 565, Limestone, AL

Built 1970 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 25,660

CO.RD.24

Fair

Over: SWIFT CREEK

1 MILE EAST BILLINGSLEY, Autauga, AL

Built 1970 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 535

I 59/20 NORTH

Fair

Over: L * N * SOU RRS

I 59 * L * N * SOU RRS, Jefferson, AL

Built 1971 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 76,895

CO RT 24

Fair

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

1.0 W OF WHITES CHAPEL, Fayette, AL

Built 1974 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 170

I - 59 NORTH

Fair

Over: RED OAK RD

I 59 * RED OAK RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1975 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 34,590

COUNTY ROAD 9

Fair

Over: LITTLE CHOCTAWHATCHEE

US 84 TO DALE CO, Houston, AL

Built 1975 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 385

SR 169

Fair

Over: UCHEE CREEK

4.5 MI N JCT US 431, Russell, AL

Built 1976 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 2,090

CO RT 461

Fair

Over: PHILLIPS CREEK

2 MI SE OF INO, Coffee, AL

Built 1977 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 1,089

CR-49

Fair

Over: Unnamed Branch

0.8 MI. N. HANOVER, Coosa, AL

Built 1978 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 1,201

SOLLIE ROAD

Fair

Over: HALLS MILL CREEK

2.0 MI N THREE NOTCH ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 1984 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 7,521

LAKE BRIDGE RD

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

VAUGHN LAKES APARTMENT, Montgomery, AL

Built 1990 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 50

DEER DRIVE

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.833 MI. WEST OF CO RD 49, Barbour, AL

Built 1990 Load: 32.1 t ADT: 20

US 11; SR 7

Fair

Over: LITTLE WILLS CREEK

0.1 MI N JCT US11 * SR68, DeKalb, AL

Built 1936 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 1,719

SR 77

Fair

Over: CSX R/R

CITY OF TALLADEGA, Talladega, AL

Built 1936 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 8,203

US 11

Fair

Over: WARRIOR RIVER RELIEF

2.5 MI N WARRIOR RIVER, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1941 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 3,997

AL - 53 (US 231)

Fair

Over: BROKEN ARROW CREEK

.9 MI. NO AL 144, St. Clair, AL

Built 1948 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 4,820

US 31

Fair

Over: POLEY CREEK

SOUTHSIDE CLANTON, Chilton, AL

Built 1925 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 15,040

US 31

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

2.7 MI S SR 21, Escambia, AL

Built 1951 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 6,266

CO RT 106

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4MI. EAST MID MIDWAY, Conecuh, AL

Built 1956 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 325

CO RD 102

Fair

Over: STRAIGHT CREEK

1.5 MI N CO RT 67 T5SR7E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1960 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 310

601

Fair

Over: BRANCH

CR 601, Cullman, AL

Built 1962 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 80

AL - 34

Fair

Over: COOSA RIVER

ST CLAIR TALLEDEGA CO LN, St. Clair, AL

Built 1963 Load: 32.2 t ADT: 4,980

Showing 5,051-5,100 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.