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

SPRING VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK RELIEF

SPRING VALLEY RELIEF, Colbert, AL

Built 1982 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 945

SPRING VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

SPRING CREEK MAIN CHANNEL, Colbert, AL

Built 1982 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 878

RIVER RD

Fair

Over: DONEGAN SLOUGH-MCKIERNAN

RIVER RD DONEGAN SLOUGH, Colbert, AL

Built 1985 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 3,775

UNDERWOOD MTN RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

UNDERWOOD MTN BEAR CREEK, Colbert, AL

Built 1986 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 823

BAIRD-COXWELL RD.

Fair

Over: BAKER CREEK

0.4 MI N. DAWES RD, Mobile, AL

Built 2000 Load: 43.8 t ADT: 371

COUNTY ROAD 1177

Fair

Over: BEEMAN CREEK

SEC 10 T10N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1994 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 150

TINY MAE RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH NO NAME

0.9 MI NW OF AL131, Barbour, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 40

US 11

Fair

Over: WHITE CREEK

EUTAW, Greene, AL

Built 1930 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 3,658

CO 399

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

9.0 MI W AL 21, Talladega, AL

Built 1963 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 610

CO RD 60

Fair

Over: BULGER CREEK

1.25 MI. EAST SR199, Macon, AL

Built 1983 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 90

CO RT 20

Fair

Over: BURNT CORN CREEK

3MI EAST BERMUDA, Conecuh, AL

Built 1985 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 720

LOWER DRY CRK RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

2.0 MI NW SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1993 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 725

I - 65

Fair

Over: 4TH. AVE. NORTH

I65*4TH. AVE. NORTH, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 136,580

I - 65

Fair

Over: 5TH AVE. SOUTH

I65 * 5TH AVE SOUTH, Jefferson, AL

Built 1970 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 69,245

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

CONECUH CHURCH BRIDGE, Covington, AL

Built 1929 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 210

FAWN LAKE BR RD

Fair

Over: HENSON CREEK

FAWN LAKE RD AT 247, Colbert, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 175

PRYOR ST.

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

1101 PRYOR @ SAMOLA, Limestone, AL

Built 1996 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 1,661

COUNTY ROAD 52

Fair

Over: LEE BROOK

INTERSECTION CR 95/52, Shelby, AL

Built 1997 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 12,538

Lee Road 217

Fair

Over: ROPES BRANCH

3.0 MI N MACON CO, Lee, AL

Built 1950 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 54

SR1/US431

Fair

Over: FROG LEVEL CREEK

TOWN OF WEDOWEE, Randolph, AL

Built 1957 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 6,946

CO RD 18

Fair

Over: DOUBLE BRIDGE CREEK

CO RD 49 TO CO RD 43, Houston, AL

Built 1958 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 198

I - 20/59 SOUTH

Fair

Over: 11TH ST BESSEMER

I59 * 11TH ST BESS., Jefferson, AL

Built 1977 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 63,516

I -20/59 NORTH

Fair

Over: 11TH ST BESSEMER

I59 * 11TH ST BESS., Jefferson, AL

Built 1977 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 31,758

US 431

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.5 MI N JCT US 29, Lee, AL

Built 1985 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 11,480

US 411

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.6 MI S GA STATE LINE, Cherokee, AL

Built 1928 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 3,983

SR 105 MP 1.621

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.6 MI.N.SR 27, Dale, AL

Built 1948 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 4,160

US 31

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.2 MI N CO RD 77, Conecuh, AL

Built 1960 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 3,227

CO 43

Fair

Over: BURKE BRANCH

8 MI S E SEALE, Russell, AL

Built 1966 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 260

I - 20/59 EAST

Fair

Over: WOODWARD RAILROAD

I59 * WOODWARD RR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 23,555

LITTLETON ROAD

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

0.5 MI N US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 1986 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 25

SR53

Fair

Over: NORTHFORK * SOUTHERN RR

JCT SR53 * SOUTHERN RR, Madison, AL

Built 1990 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 26,819

COLLEGE PARKWAY

Fair

Over: HONEY CREEK

0.354 KM WEST OF US 431, Etowah, AL

Built 1974 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,000

I-65 ON RAMP

Fair

Over: SR 158/213

I-65 @ SR 158/213, Mobile, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 6,492

SR 91

Fair

Over: CREEK

5.4 MI S JCT I65* SR91, Cullman, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 835

AL 22

Fair

Over: BOGUE CHITTO CR. RELF2

2.7 MI. W. OF ORRVILLE, Dallas, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 1,820

WAVERLY PKWY

Fair

Over: CREEK

WAVERLY PARKWAY, Lee, AL

Built 1940 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,000

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

1.5MI S BRADLEY, Escambia, AL

Built 1992 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 240

SR 20

Fair

Over: TRINITY BRANCH

4.7 M W JCT SR 20 & SR 67, Lawrence, AL

Built 1928 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 11,670

US 80

Fair

Over: CHILDERS CREEK

0.8 MI.W.OF AL 219, Dallas, AL

Built 1933 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 6,750

US 31

Fair

Over: BEAR BRANCH

2.0 MI S CO RD 6, Conecuh, AL

Built 1988 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 4,103

CR. 45

Fair

Over: PERSIMMON CREEK (MC)

N. CITY LIMITS GREENVILLE, Butler, AL

Built 1988 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 602

HENRY CO #22 RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE OMUSSE CREEK

HOUSTON COUNTY LINE, Henry, AL

Built 1989 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 2,120

CR # 45

Fair

Over: TRIB TO DRY CREEK

3.0 MI N US 80 W, Dallas, AL

Built 1990 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 450

CO RT 708

Fair

Over: WILSON MILL CREEK

6 MI SOUTH OF KEYTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1990 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 1,340

COUNTY ROAD NO75

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

RC PRECAST BR. ON FAS 23, Henry, AL

Built 1990 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 225

COUNTY ROAD 43

Fair

Over: TIGHT EYE CREEK

3 MILES N.E. OF SAMSON, Geneva, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 920

COUNTY ROAD 45

Fair

Over: WILKERSON CREEK

1 MILE NORTH OF BELLWOOD, Geneva, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 460

AL 605

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

1.1 MILE NORTH LONNIE RD, Houston, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 930

COUNTY ROAD 7

Fair

Over: SKIPPER MILL BRANCH

CENTER RIDGE RD, Crenshaw, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 175

COUNTY ROAD 77

Fair

Over: PANTHER CREEK

IVY CREEK RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 370

Showing 7,551-7,600 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.