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

ABERDEEN RD

Fair

Over: WATSON CREEK

2.7 MI. NW VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 980

COUNTY ROAD 28

Fair

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

2MI NORTH HWY 56 HOBSON, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 559

HYUNDAI BLVD.

Fair

Over: WILEY CREEK

2.0 MILES E. OF U.S.31, Montgomery, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 3,000

COUNTY ROAD NO 36

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK RELIEF

2 MILES EAST OF WAYSIDE, Fayette, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.2 t ADT: 883

COUNTY ROAD 70

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

SEC-18 T-7-N R-25-E, Dale, AL

Built 1964 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 86

AL - 145

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.8 MI N BEESWAX CK, Shelby, AL

Built 1969 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 2,470

CO RT 421

Fair

Over: BURNS BRANCH

1.5 MI W ARONEY T9SR5E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1970 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 162

RAMP D TO I59

Fair

Over: RAMP B TO I 20

I20 * I59 INTR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 13,410

SANDIFER RD E

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

.2 MI E US 31 ON SANDIFER, Limestone, AL

Built 1974 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 112

CO RD 4

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

.7 MI E JCT CO 23, Franklin, AL

Built 1988 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 150

COUNTY RD 101

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Midway Drive, Covington, AL

Built 1932 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 220

SR 35

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

S CITY OF RAINSVILLE, DeKalb, AL

Built 1995 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 9,107

CO. RD. 7

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Turkey Creek Road, Covington, AL

Built 1970 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 130

CO. RD. 7

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

Turkey Creek Road, Covington, AL

Built 1970 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 110

T BRIDGE ROAD

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

T Bridge Road, Covington, AL

Built 1999 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 75

MUSEUM DRIVE

Fair

Over: TWELVE-MILE CREEK

500 EAST OF GALLIARD DR, Mobile, AL

Built 2008 Load: 45.3 t ADT: 3,878

SR 26

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.9 MI E OF HATCHECHUBBEE, Russell, AL

Built 1926 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 1,670

US 29 MP 115.985

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.9 MI. N. OF BANKS, Pike, AL

Built 1927 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 1,570

WARRIOR-TRAFFORD R

Fair

Over: HOGELAND CREEK

100 E SIBLEYVILLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1940 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 1,723

ST CLAIR CO HW 78

Fair

Over: BROKEN ARROW CREEK

0.6 MI N HARKEYS CHAP.CH., St. Clair, AL

Built 1994 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 450

AIRPORT BLVD

Fair

Over: MILKHOUSE CREEK

0.7 MI W CODY RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1961 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 31,774

COUNTY ROAD 5

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

S. GOSHEN RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1962 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 338

I85 SBL

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.03 MI.N.OF E.BYPASS, Montgomery, AL

Built 1965 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 42,250

ENSLEY AVE EAST

Fair

Over: I - 20/59

ENSLEY AVE * I 59, Jefferson, AL

Built 1966 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 7,000

ENSLEY AVE WEST

Fair

Over: I59/20

I59 * ENSLEY AVE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1966 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 7,000

I - 20/59 SOUTH

Fair

Over: RAMP C

I 59 * AL 79, Jefferson, AL

Built 1973 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 14,040

US 80

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.6MI.E.OF DEMOPOLIS, Marengo, AL

Built 1928 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 8,650

Slaughter Pen Road

Fair

Over: Flat Creek

0.1 MI NORTH OF ST RD 5, Marion, AL

Built 1970 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 30

I - 65

Fair

Over: TYLER ROAD

I65 * TYLER ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1972 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 117,910

COUNTY ROAD 16

Fair

Over: WHITSITT CREEK RELIEF

0.5 MI. N. OF NEWBERN, Hale, AL

Built 1900 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 300

MOODY LN

Fair

Over: MULBERRY CREEK

MOODY LN @ OLD LEE HWY, Colbert, AL

Built 1940 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 1,300

BETHABARA RD.

Fair

Over: HELLS CREEK

3.5MILES SOUTH OF BLUFF, Fayette, AL

Built 1964 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 71

SIBLEYVILLE ROAD

Fair

Over: SIBLEYVILLE CREEK

4 MI SW OF HAYDEN, Blount, AL

Built 1990 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 164

U.S. 80 EBL

Fair

Over: US 80 WBL (RAMP)

0.7 MI E OF JCT OF US 31, Montgomery, AL

Built 1992 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 14,120

CROSSROADS RD.

Fair

Over: TATTILABI CREEK

0.8 MI. EAST AL. 69, Clarke, AL

Built 1993 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 75

HERRON BAY RD SOUT

Fair

Over: HERRON BAYOU

0.7MI S AL 188, Mobile, AL

Built 1996 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 275

AL 183

Fair

Over: LITTLE CREEK RELIEF

1.2 MI S OF THEO, Perry, AL

Built 1997 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 421

SATCHEL PAIGE DR.

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

200 N OF HALLS MILL RD., Mobile, AL

Built 2000 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 3,100

CODEN BELT RD SOUT

Fair

Over: TIDAL STREAM

0.5 MI SW OF HWY 188, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 291

AL 14

Fair

Over: BIG MULBERRY CREEK

AUTAUGA--DALLAS CO LINE, Dallas, AL

Built 2005 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 3,910

COUNTY ROAD 1

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

NW CORNER ATMORE CITY LMT, Escambia, AL

Built 2004 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 4,320

BUCK CREEK

Fair

Over: KING ROAD

.6 MILES WEST HWY 5, Walker, AL

Built 2002 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 67

Fair

Over: CHISENHALL SPRINGS

4.3 MI S JCT SR 35, Jackson, AL

Built 2003 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 420

BELLINGRATH RD

Fair

Over: BAYOU JONAS

1.4 MI N ALA 188, Mobile, AL

Built 2005 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 1,870

ABERDEEN RD

Fair

Over: WILSON CREEK

4.6 MI. NW OF VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 2004 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 510

HOUSH CHAPEL RD.

Fair

Over: MUSGROVE CHAPEL

8 MI. N OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 2000 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 75

FLANNIGAN CREEK-Br

Fair

Over: FLANNIGAN CREEK

BANKHEAD DISTRICT, Lawrence, AL

Built 1979 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 50

AL-7

Fair

Over: Sims Creek

4.2 MI S JCT I-59, Greene, AL

Built 1925 Load: 45.5 t ADT: 2,088

US11

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.8 MI N JCT US11*I59, DeKalb, AL

Built 1926 Load: 45.5 t ADT: 2,534

AL.14

Fair

Over: ABERCOMBY CREEK

1.5 MI.W.OF AL 63, Elmore, AL

Built 1983 Load: 45.5 t ADT: 6,020

Showing 7,801-7,850 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.