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

COUNTY ROAD 4408

Fair

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

SEC 27 T9N R23E, Pike, AL

Built 1957 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROAD 1128

Fair

Over: BEEMAN CREEK

SEC 3 T10N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1958 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 250

COMMERCE ST

Fair

Over: BIG NOSE CREEK

0.2 MI NE AL # 9, Cherokee, AL

Built 1966 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY ROAD 4442

Fair

Over: PEA RIVER RELIEF

SEC 34 T8N R23E, Pike, AL

Built 1966 Load: 13.0 t ADT: 400

CO RT 44

Fair

Over: SOAP HOLE BRANCH

2.7 MI S JCT CO RT 343, Lawrence, AL

Built 1951 Load: 13.1 t ADT: 80

CO RD NO 9

Fair

Over: POND CREEK

SHILOH ROAD, Washington, AL

Built 1962 Load: 13.1 t ADT: 305

CHEROKEE #97

Fair

Over: CHATTOOGA RIVER

0.3 MI SE INT ALA #68, Cherokee, AL

Built 1964 Load: 13.1 t ADT: 365

CO 6

Fair

Over: MIDDLE CYPRESS RELIEF

0.5 MI W CO 9, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1985 Load: 13.1 t ADT: 500

CO RD 11 SPUR

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.3MI SW CO RD 11, Franklin, AL

Built 1997 Load: 13.1 t ADT: 25

JIM GRACE ROAD

Fair

Over: W MURDER CREEK

2.5 MI E RAMAH, Conecuh, AL

Built 1999 Load: 13.1 t ADT: 25

COUNTY ROAD 39

Fair

Over: BEAVER BRANCH

1 MILE S LUVERNE, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1951 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 325

CO RD 15

Fair

Over: SHOAT MILL BRANCH

2.3 MI NW CO 15 CO 90 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1955 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 120

CR. 11

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

1.0 MI.NE JCT. FAS RT. 12, Butler, AL

Built 1957 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 22

CO 134

Fair

Over: WEST FORK ANDERSON CREEK

0.8 MI E INT CO 89, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1967 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 140

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: PANTHER CREEK

George Lundy Road, Covington, AL

Built 1931 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 80

MARTIN ROAD

Fair

Over: WEST FORK COTACO CREEK

4.0 MI N CULLMAN COLINE, Morgan, AL

Built 1986 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 6

HODGES RD

Fair

Over: SANDY CREEK SPUR

1.6 M N OF AL 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1930 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 35

#24/HOUSTON WINDLE

Fair

Over: SENNECA CREEK

3.9 MI EAST OF JCT SR 17, Pickens, AL

Built 1988 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROAD 2

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO YELLOW CREEK

0.4 MI. S. OF ARCOLA, Hale, AL

Built 1955 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 100

CO RT 174

Fair

Over: SLEDGE CREEK

0.9MI E JCT CO RT 177, Lawrence, AL

Built 1994 Load: 13.2 t ADT: 25

CR-61

Fair

Over: Swamp Creek

2.5 Miles N of SR-9, Coosa, AL

Built 1910 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 32

SHARPES COVE RD

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.2 MI W CO RD 417, Madison, AL

Built 1934 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 190

CHEROKEE #8

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.1 MI E INT CHERO #179, Cherokee, AL

Built 1940 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 265

CO RT 227

Fair

Over: LITTLE SHOAL CREEK

0.7 MI W JCT CO RT 434, Lawrence, AL

Built 1949 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 215

CR-107

Fair

Over: Mill Creek

1.06 MI. S.E. CR-56, Coosa, AL

Built 1959 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 47

LITTLE HELLS CK RD

Fair

Over: HELLS CREEK

2.1 MI. S.W. CROSSVILLE, Lamar, AL

Built 1961 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 40

COUNTY RT #190

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

3.0 MI NORTH OF CO RT#193, Pickens, AL

Built 1992 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 65

BO HOWARD RD

Fair

Over: LONG BRANCH

DEER HEAD (43), Washington, AL

Built 1965 Load: 13.3 t ADT: 50

CO RT 138

Fair

Over: STREAM

0.55 MI S JCT CO RT 136, Lawrence, AL

Built 1937 Load: 13.4 t ADT: 55

CO 28

Fair

Over: HORSELOT CREEK

1.2 MI E PARKMANVILLE, Russell, AL

Built 1946 Load: 13.4 t ADT: 900

REID RD

Fair

Over: ROUND ISLAND

SEC14 T3S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 1960 Load: 13.4 t ADT: 798

FIKES FERRY CR30

Fair

Over: MAIN BRIDGE RICE CK

2.5M EAST AL 5 IN MARION, Perry, AL

Built 1965 Load: 13.4 t ADT: 150

BARKER MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: BARKER MILL CREEK

8 MILES S.W.OF SAMSON, Geneva, AL

Built 1976 Load: 13.4 t ADT: 51

Hardy Lane

Fair

Over: Shelton Creek

0.45 Mi S of CR-78, Coosa, AL

Built 1940 Load: 13.5 t ADT: 33

CO 51

Fair

Over: SECOND CREEK

1.2 MI N CO RT 50, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1957 Load: 13.5 t ADT: 150

WESTERN FRONT RD

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

3.2 MI. N.E. BEAVERTON, Lamar, AL

Built 1999 Load: 13.5 t ADT: 20

62ND STREET

Fair

Over: MOORES CREEK

VALLEY, Chambers, AL

Built 1931 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 660

SOUWILPA RD

Fair

Over: SOUWILPA CREEK

1.0 MI W INT AL 17 * RT47, Choctaw, AL

Built 1936 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 125

CO 137

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.6 MI N CO 14, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1938 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 125

CO 126

Fair

Over: SILAS CREEK

CR 126 SILAS CREEK, Cleburne, AL

Built 1940 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 75

CO 008

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

LOCATED IN FAYETTE-VILLE, Talladega, AL

Built 1952 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 905

TUTWILER RD

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

3 MILES S HWY 269, Walker, AL

Built 1962 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 800

CAHABA ROAD

Fair

Over: SHADES CREEK

500 FT S LAKESHORE DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 3,526

COUNTY RD 51

Fair

Over: BIG BRUSH CRK(RELIEF)

5.5 MI. N. OF GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 1969 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 150

CO RD 23

Fair

Over: SHILOH SPRING BRACH

.1 MI N SR 247 CO 23 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1972 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 73

ROBERSON MILL RD.

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO MURDER CK.

1.4 MI NW FAIRNELSON, Conecuh, AL

Built 1985 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 30

CO.RD.70 SHER.HEUY

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM CRK RELIEF

.5 MILE WEST SR 219, Perry, AL

Built 1985 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 30

APPLE LANE

Fair

Over: REEDY CREEK

1 MI. SO OF SHREEVE, Conecuh, AL

Built 2007 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 50

CO. RD. 439

Fair

Over: COPPER ROCK CREEK

HIGH BR)N BETHEL, Randolph, AL

Built 1900 Load: 13.7 t ADT: 75

CR. 26

Fair

Over: LONG CREEK

0.5 MI.E.MT.PISGAH CHURCH, Butler, AL

Built 1960 Load: 13.7 t ADT: 40

Showing 551-600 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.