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

AL - 4 (US 78)

Fair

Over: I 20

US 78 * I 20 RIVERSIDE, St. Clair, AL

Built 1964 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 8,520

FORREST AVE.

Fair

Over: IN 85

2.14 MI N OF I65, Montgomery, AL

Built 1967 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 12,227

N. BEVERLYE ROAD

Fair

Over: WISE BRANCH

0.4 MI. N. JCT. US 84, Houston, AL

Built 1973 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,325

8TH ST

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.1 MI W CENT PKY *8TH ST, Morgan, AL

Built 1975 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 20,930

I- 59 SOUTH

Fair

Over: 65*66TH ST

I-59 * 65TH STREET, Jefferson, AL

Built 1976 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 38,900

AL-5

Fair

Over: Branch

Stella Lockard Rd, Walker, AL

Built 1952 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 10,057

LAGRANGE RD

Fair

Over: POLK BRANCH

LAGRANGE RD S GARGIS LN, Colbert, AL

Built 1983 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,590

COUNTY ROAD 21

Fair

Over: MOSS CREEK

2.0 MI. N OF BOBO, Fayette, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 122

CR-63

Fair

Over: Branch

1.87 Mi S of SR-22, Coosa, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 318

CO RD 4

Fair

Over: LONG BRANCH

0.9 MI NORTH SR8/US80, Macon, AL

Built 1989 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 289

EVANS ROAD

Fair

Over: REEDBREAK CREEK

2.0 MI W US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1991 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 89

AL38/US280

Fair

Over: SAUGAHATCHEE CREEK

2.1 MI. E SR 147, Lee, AL

Built 2000 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 6,140

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Fair

Over: COUNTY ROAD

4.29 MILES SOUTH OF AL RO, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1964 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 670

US 31

Fair

Over: BLUE BRANCH

0.8 MI S CONECUH CO LINE, Escambia, AL

Built 1928 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 3,878

US 45

Fair

Over: CHUNCHULA BRANCH

1.7 MI N CO RD 63, Mobile, AL

Built 1931 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 7,307

SR 147

Fair

Over: SOUTH SANDY CREEK

5 MI N JCT US 280, Chambers, AL

Built 1948 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 2,920

ROAD

Fair

Over: STANLEY BRANCH

BR. CULVT. ON PAVEDRD. 31, Henry, AL

Built 1955 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 63

SR 77

Fair

Over: BRUNER CREEK

TALLADEGA/CALHOUN CO LINE, Talladega, AL

Built 1956 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 6,786

US 72; SR 2

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.7 MI E JCT PKWY. * US72, Madison, AL

Built 1957 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 15,045

CR. 42

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF STALLINGSCREEK

GIDDENS CHAPEL, Butler, AL

Built 1961 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 941

COUNTY ROAD 48

Fair

Over: ROSWELL CREEK

1 MILE NE. OF SUMMIT, Blount, AL

Built 1962 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 337

PRICHARD AVE.

Fair

Over: TOULMIN SPRINGS

0.1 MI E US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1979 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 4,905

HATLEY DETROIT RD

Fair

Over: SIPSEY CREEK RELIEF

2.2 MI. S.W. DETROIT, Lamar, AL

Built 1987 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 380

ALTON HANKINS ROA

Fair

Over: YELLOW CREEK

5.4 MI. N.E. VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 1988 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 50

US 80 WBL

Fair

Over: US 31

US 80 * US 31 INT., Montgomery, AL

Built 1992 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 16,685

US 80 EBL

Fair

Over: US 31

US 80 * US 31 INT, Montgomery, AL

Built 1992 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 16,685

CO HWY 105

Fair

Over: CAHABA VALLEY CREEK

0.4MI N JCT US 31, Shelby, AL

Built 1998 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 7,888

CHEROKEE #99

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5 MI N JCT CO RT 41, Cherokee, AL

Built 1957 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 415

HILLCREST AVE

Fair

Over: FROG LEVEL BRANCH

WEDOWEE, Randolph, AL

Built 1965 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 125

HALL ST

Fair

Over: I85

1.82 MI N OF I65, Montgomery, AL

Built 1968 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 9,945

I-359 (+)

Fair

Over: I-59

0.3 MI N JCT SKYLAND BLVD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1970 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 58,080

Grady Cole Road

Fair

Over: Barn Creek

2.8 MILES SOUTH JCTCO 12, Marion, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 25

US.82

Fair

Over: BOWLIN CRK TRIBUTARY

1.15 MI.E.OF CO.RD 22, Bullock, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 1,070

CO. HWY. 81

Fair

Over: BLUE SPRING BRANCH

0.3 MI S JCT CO 83, Shelby, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 450

BEIRD RD.

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

1.2 MI E MAYS X RDS, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 245

Ruffin Road

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

1. 7 MI N OF STATE 111, Elmore, AL

Built 1999 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 30

FLYOVER RAMP A

Fair

Over: I-459 AND RAMP B

.1 MI. SO. US 31, Jefferson, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 69,970

Bowden Road

Fair

Over: LIPSCHOGEE CREEK

2PT 3 MI N OF AL 231, Elmore, AL

Built 2001 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 399

Fern Road

Fair

Over: CALLOWAY CREEK

1.1 M. W. OF AL. 143, Elmore, AL

Built 2001 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 75

Carpenter Road

Fair

Over: CALLOWAY CREEK

1 MI E OF AL 143, Elmore, AL

Built 2001 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 109

Old US HWY 231

Fair

Over: YELLOW WATER CREEK

.5 M. N. OF AL 231, Elmore, AL

Built 2001 Load: 41.9 t ADT: 918

GUM POND ROAD

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF COTACO CREEK

0.5 MI W SR 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1960 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 275

CO RT 661

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

4.7 MI SE OF FAIRVIEW, Coffee, AL

Built 1963 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 180

SR38 / US 280

Fair

Over: TAR WATER BRANCH

2.8 MI N JCT ALA 21, Talladega, AL

Built 1963 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 20,051

PETTUS ROAD

Fair

Over: BALL SLOUGH

7.3 MI N OF HICKORY GROVE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1980 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 230

MONTLIMAR DRIVE

Fair

Over: BRANCH (NO NAME)

3000 N MICHAEL BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 1980 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 12,964

SR 59

Fair

Over: RED HILL CREEK

1.5 MI N JCT CO RD 96, Baldwin, AL

Built 1984 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 997

RED HOLLOW RD

Fair

Over: CUNNINGHAM CREEK

JCT POTTS HOLLOW RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 1,620

SR 255

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.7MILES N JCT US 72, Madison, AL

Built 1992 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 31,769

US 280

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.4MI E INT US 29, Lee, AL

Built 1996 Load: 42.0 t ADT: 32,040

Showing 7,251-7,300 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.