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

MT HEBRON RD

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK RELIEF

.5 MI. N. CREWS, Lamar, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 120

MT HEBRON RD

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

.5 MI. N. CREWS, Lamar, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 120

EVANS ROAD

Fair

Over: REEDBREAK CREEK

2.05 MI W US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 89

KEENES MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: COTTONDALE CREEK

0.9 MI E OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 750

CO RT NO 12

Fair

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

0.60 MI E OF CO RT 51, Marengo, AL

Built 1992 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 400

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: CONECUH RIVER

Prestwood Bridge Road, Covington, AL

Built 1992 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 350

FIFTH STREET

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.6 MI SE OF HWY 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1992 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 9,680

AL 106

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.5 MI E OF CONECUH CO LI, Butler, AL

Built 1994 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 350

COUNTY RD 33

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

CR33 SOUTH OF JONES RD, Colbert, AL

Built 1994 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 400

GRIFFIN RIDGE RD.

Fair

Over: LYE BRANCH

3.0 MI NE OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1994 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 250

CO RD 94

Fair

Over: BOARDTREE CREEK

1.3 KM E OF CO RD 11, Marion, AL

Built 1994 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 390

CO RD 94

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

1.5 KM JCT CO RD 13, Marion, AL

Built 1995 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 390

FORTNER ST EXT

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

CO RD 49 TO PILGRAM REST, Houston, AL

Built 1995 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 700

CO RD #19

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Rabren Road, Covington, AL

Built 1996 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 186

CR73 DRY VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: CO RD 73 MAHAN CRK

CR73 2.5M W DRY VAL CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1962 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,061

CR73 DRY VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: CR73 DRY CREEK

CR73 2M W DRY VALLEY CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1963 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 1,061

CLEMENTS ROAD

Fair

Over: FLINT BRANCH

6.3MI SE JCT US 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1997 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 350

CO RD 55

Fair

Over: COWARTS CREEK

ASHFORD TO COTTONWOOD, Houston, AL

Built 1997 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 775

COMMERCE DRIVE

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

2.0MI W JCT BLK WARRIOR P, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1997 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD 45

Fair

Over: NO NAME CREEK

Jody Wiggins Road, Covington, AL

Built 1960 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 290

COUNTY ROAD 73

Fair

Over: HOLLIS CREEK

Oliver Taylor Road, Covington, AL

Built 1967 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 140

COUNTY RD. 70

Fair

Over: GOOD SPRINGS CREEK

CR 70 @ Babbie rd, Covington, AL

Built 1961 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 280

COUNTY ROAD 59

Fair

Over: GUNTER MILL CREEK

CR 59, Covington, AL

Built 1970 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 440

PLEASANT GROVE RD.

Fair

Over: ROCKCASTLE CREEK

1.9 MI. N JCT. AL # 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1988 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 60

HARGROVE ROAD E

Fair

Over: HORSE CREEK

5.6 MI NE JCT US #82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 70

UPPER COLUMBUS RD.

Fair

Over: SIPSEY RIVER RELIEF

8 MI. NW INT. HWY 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 400

BILLY BIGHAM ROAD

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

1.2 MI. N JCT. CO. # 38, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

HALF MILE ROAD

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK FOWL RIVER

0.7 MI W OF CO ROAD 59, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 3,427

CO. RD. 20

Fair

Over: N. FORK BUXAHATCHEE CR.

.3 MI W. JCT. AL. 25, Shelby, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 768

BARGER ROAD

Fair

Over: YELLOW CREEK

1.0 MI. E YELLOW CREEK RD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 400

NO NAME CREEK

Fair

Over: COUNTY DIRT ROAD

CR 89, Covington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 75

HALLMAN ROAD

Fair

Over: THORNTON CREEK

1.1 MI. N INT. AL. #171, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 150

BOYD ROAD

Fair

Over: COTTON CREEK

2.4 MI N INT BVILLE PIKE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 130

ROCKY HOLLOW ROAD

Fair

Over: BROWNS CREEK

2 MI N OF BROOKSVILLE, Blount, AL

Built 2003 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 362

COUNTY DIRTROAD

Fair

Over: ADAMS CREEK

1 1/2 MI SW OF RIVER FALL, Covington, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 210

TINGLE TANGLE ROAD

Fair

Over: SHANTY BRANCH

1.3 MILE SW OF JCT US #11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 500

CURTIS ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE YELLOW CREEK

.7 MI. S YELLOW CREEK RD., Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

COUNTY DIRT ROAD

Fair

Over: LARKING CREEK

1/4 MILE SOUTH CR4, Covington, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

ROBERTSON ROAD

Fair

Over: DUNNS CREEK

2.7 MILES W BOYD ROAD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

YEEND STREET

Fair

Over: SOUTHERN DRAIN CANAL

0.4M EAST I-10, Mobile, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 2,455

HANNAH CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: DAVIS CREEK

4.2 MI NE JCT CO RT 59, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 300

OLD PIED-GAD HWY

Fair

Over: UNKNOWN TRIBUTARY

OLD PIED-GAD HWY, Calhoun, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 557

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: NO NAME CREEK

1 MI SOUTH OF FRIENDSHIP, Covington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

CAULEY ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

FRIENDSHIP COMMUNITY, Covington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 100

BOOKER ROAD

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

Booker Rd., Covington, AL

Built 1970 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 50

OLD MARION ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

.5MI FM INT/W BEAR CK RD., Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 431

U. S. 031

Fair

Over: L * N RAILROAD

1200 FT W OF S. BY-PASS, Montgomery, AL

Built 2006 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 13,930

SHELL BELT RD W

Fair

Over: UNAMED STREAM

2MI SW AL 188, Mobile, AL

Built 2010 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 941

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: LONG HOLLOW CREEK

1 MI SE BOONEVILLE CHURCH, Escambia, AL

Built 2012 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 340

CR 8

Fair

Over: POND CREEK

WALLEY BEND, Washington, AL

Built 2012 Load: 44.5 t ADT: 160

Showing 7,651-7,700 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.