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

FORREST ST

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

FORREST ST * JEFFERSON ST, Limestone, AL

Built 1984 Load: 45.5 t ADT: 2,178

???????

Fair

Over: BOB BRANCH

1.5 MI. W. OF GROVEHILL, Clarke, AL

Built 1938 Load: 45.6 t ADT: 1,900

WINCHESTER RD

Fair

Over: LAWLER BRANCH

0.2 MI N CO RD 1469, Madison, AL

Built 1965 Load: 45.6 t ADT: 4,000

ALEX/JACK. HWY

Fair

Over: WEAVER CREEK

ALEX-JACK HWY, Calhoun, AL

Built 1967 Load: 45.6 t ADT: 3,554

SR 113

Fair

Over: CSX RR * RINGOLD ST

0.1 MI N AL/FL LINE, Escambia, AL

Built 1968 Load: 45.6 t ADT: 12,786

DEAVER-WALKER RD

Fair

Over: YOUNGBLOOD LAKE

2 1/2 MI SW OF LOCUST FOR, Blount, AL

Built 1985 Load: 45.6 t ADT: 190

SR38/US280

Fair

Over: AL. 9

3 MI WEST OF ALEX CITY, Coosa, AL

Built 1999 Load: 45.6 t ADT: 5,661

US 231

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.4 MI N JCT AL 53 S, St. Clair, AL

Built 1926 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 4,640

US 331

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.1 MI.S.AL 94 I, Montgomery, AL

Built 1928 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 4,160

CHEROKEE #140

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.4 MI E INT ALA #68, Cherokee, AL

Built 1960 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 135

AL 25

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

.1 MI. SO. AL 70, Shelby, AL

Built 1963 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 3,630

SR 48

Fair

Over: RICE CREEK

4.5 MI E WOODLAND, Randolph, AL

Built 1964 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 3,174

GAINESVILLE ROAD

Fair

Over: THORNTON CREEK

1.8 MI NW OF JCT US NO 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1968 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 450

CO RD 855

Fair

Over: HIGHPINE CREEK

.6MI W ROANOKE, Randolph, AL

Built 1970 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 75

I 565

Fair

Over: WITHERS SPRING BRANCH

6.4 M E JCT I 565 & I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1988 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 53,280

COUNTY ROAD 14

Fair

Over: PEA RIVER

SEC 17 T12 R25, Bullock, AL

Built 1990 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 350

COUNTY ROAD 50

Fair

Over: ELLIOTS CREEK

3.5 MI. E. OF MOUNDVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1994 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 150

US 80

Fair

Over: UPHAPEE CREEK

3.4 MI. W. OF AL 186, Macon, AL

Built 2002 Load: 45.7 t ADT: 3,750

CO. RD. 138

Fair

Over: BRANCH

ASHFORD, Houston, AL

Built 1927 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 710

AL-171

Fair

Over: Branch

0.3 MI S JCT SR 17, Marion, AL

Built 1928 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 13,505

ROAD

Fair

Over: JONES BRANCH

RC BR. CULVT.ON WOODS RD, Henry, AL

Built 1960 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 320

CO RD 12

Fair

Over: WILLIAMS COVE BRANCH

1.1 MI E JCT SR 65, Jackson, AL

Built 1984 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 52

COUNTY ROAD 82

Fair

Over: FIVE RUN CREEK

CR 82 N of Straughn, Covington, AL

Built 1999 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 220

WIDE BABBIE ROAD

Fair

Over: LIGHTWOOD KNOT CREEK

Babbie Road, Covington, AL

Built 1998 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 440

C0 642

Fair

Over: NORMAN CREEK

BETWEEN CR 104 * CR 37, Cleburne, AL

Built 1995 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 40

SNOW ROAD SOUTH

Fair

Over: MILLER CREEK

1.4 MI. S.OF AIRPORT BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 1986 Load: 45.8 t ADT: 8,101

18TH AVE BESSEMER

Fair

Over: VALLEY CREEK

2 MI SW BRIGHTON, Jefferson, AL

Built 1941 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 3,350

SR 251

Fair

Over: SWAN CREEK

0.1 M S JCT SR251 & I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1926 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 7,620

SR 251

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

2.9 M N JCT SR251 & I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1926 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 5,510

I-10EB TO WATER ST

Fair

Over: ROYAL/MONROE STS

WEST TUNNEL INTERCHANGE, Mobile, AL

Built 1972 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 12,558

SIMMSVILLE RD

Fair

Over: I - 65

I 65 * SHELBY CO RD 11, Shelby, AL

Built 1975 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 800

MILLDALE ROAD

Fair

Over: DAVIS CREEK

3.2 MI NE OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1987 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 400

AL 22

Fair

Over: BOGGLE CREEK

3.1 MI W JCT US 82, Chilton, AL

Built 1989 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 2,820

AL 51

Fair

Over: STREAM

0.1 MI. S OF RUSSELL CO., Bullock, AL

Built 1990 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 1,200

AL-74

Fair

Over: Buttahatchee River

4 MI W JCT AL-253, Marion, AL

Built 1992 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 1,850

CO DIRT RD.

Fair

Over: NO NAME CREEK

1.5 M NW SMYRNA CHURCH, Covington, AL

Built 1999 Load: 45.9 t ADT: 40

AL-118

Fair

Over: Branch

Sulligent, Lamar, AL

Built 1926 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 3,306

SR 210 MP 9.130

Fair

Over: POPULAR SPRING BRANCH

1.4 MI. N. SR. 52E, Houston, AL

Built 1958 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 26,740

DAVIDSON ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1 MI NORTH OF ALLGOOD, Blount, AL

Built 1985 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 31

I-22

Fair

Over: Rabbit Branch

West of CR- 11, Walker, AL

Built 2004 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 294

MARTIN ROAD

Fair

Over: MCDONALD CREEK

0.5 MILES WEST OF GATE 1, Madison, AL

Built 1962 Load: 46.0 t ADT: 14,800

SR 2

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

4 M W JCT SR 2 & SR 101, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1936 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 17,560

I-65

Fair

Over: NORTON CREEK

1.4 MI N SR 158, Mobile, AL

Built 1967 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 46,104

RAMP AL 149 TOI65

Fair

Over: 8 TH ST SO

I 65 * 8TH ST SO, Jefferson, AL

Built 1970 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 13,206

I - 20 WEST

Fair

Over: US 78 (AL-4)

I 20 * US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 27,875

US 80

Fair

Over: JONES CREEK

0.2 MI.W.OF AL 14, Dallas, AL

Built 1933 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 9,880

CR 35

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

2.0 MILES W.ON RTE. 35, Wilcox, AL

Built 1987 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 160

CHESTNUT ST

Fair

Over: THREE MILE BRANCH

0.17 MI E OF ANN ST, Montgomery, AL

Built 1985 Load: 46.1 t ADT: 3,600

SR 10

Fair

Over: WARDLAW CREEK

2.9 MI. W.OF OAK HILL, Wilcox, AL

Built 1924 Load: 46.2 t ADT: 980

SYLVAN LOOP ROAD

Fair

Over: PHILLIPS CREEK

0.2 MI NE OF JCT US NO 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1932 Load: 46.2 t ADT: 50

Showing 7,851-7,900 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.