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

CO. 53

Fair

Over: CATY CREEK

0.4 MI. S.E. ABANDA, Chambers, AL

Built 1940 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 25

Red Robin Road

Fair

Over: Monk Creek

2 MI. S. W. TALL. CO.LINE, Coosa, AL

Built 1949 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 36

TURNER RD

Fair

Over: LESLIE BRANCH

SEC 24 T2S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1962 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 280

STEPHENS FERRY RD.

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

8 MILES S E OF SAMSON, Geneva, AL

Built 1957 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 17

CORBIN RD.

Fair

Over: UT PATES CREEK

4.5 MI NE OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1995 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 20

PLEASANT HILL RD

Fair

Over: UT SHADES CK

0.6 MI FROM DICKEY SPRING, Jefferson, AL

Built 1975 Load: 16.7 t ADT: 500

HSV-BRFERRY ROAD

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CR RELIEF

SEC33 T3S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1946 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 8,300

CRENSHAW SWAMP RD

Fair

Over: YELLOWLEAF CREEK

1.2MI E JCT CO 47, Shelby, AL

Built 1963 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 99

CHEROKEE #77

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.0 MI S INT CHEROKEE #41, Cherokee, AL

Built 1965 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 300

LINDSEY LOOP ROAD

Fair

Over: SHADES CREEK

3 MILES S OF GREENWOOD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1981 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 330

TA-1 CENTERLINE RD

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

4.0 MI WEST PATTON ROAD, Madison, AL

Built 1992 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 30

7804 TARGET RANGE

Fair

Over: WETLAND

BEHIND (W) BUILDING 7804, Madison, AL

Built 1991 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 10

COUNTY HIGHWAY109

Fair

Over: BIG MUD CREEK

1823 FT N JCT 1092, Marshall, AL

Built 1970 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 75

TANNER WILLIAMS RD

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK LAKE

3 MI E OF WILMER RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1948 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 5,739

CO RT NO 62

Fair

Over: FRENCH CREEK

1.5 MI NW JEFFERSON, Marengo, AL

Built 1960 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 200

CAMPBELL HILL RD.

Fair

Over: CAMPBELL MILL CREEK

2 MILES E OF CHANCELLOR, Geneva, AL

Built 1961 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 55

HOLLY RD

Fair

Over: BOGUE CREEK

1.5 M E OF MULBERRYCH, Lamar, AL

Built 1975 Load: 16.9 t ADT: 50

CR-41

Fair

Over: Weogufka Creek

0.8 MI. W. JCT. 231, Coosa, AL

Built 1945 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 707

MORGAN STREET

Fair

Over: ONE MILE CREEK

MORGAN @ LAWRENCE, Mobile, AL

Built 1957 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 1,469

US 84

Fair

Over: TOMBIGBEE RIVER

CHOCTAW * CLARKE COLINE, Choctaw, AL

Built 1958 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 2,050

FOXHALL DRIVE

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

1.0 MI N R.THORNINGTON RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1970 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 218

CEDAR CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.5 MI S CR 123, Morgan, AL

Built 1974 Load: 17.0 t ADT: 145

CO. HWY. 280

Fair

Over: LITTLE CREEK

.25 MI E MT SIGNAL CHURCH, Shelby, AL

Built 1931 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 1,000

AL - 53 (US 231)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.3 MI NO ST CLAIR CO LN, Blount, AL

Built 1945 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 4,970

JERKINS ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

3 MI. S. RANGE, Conecuh, AL

Built 1992 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 20

CR # 85

Fair

Over: DRY CEDAR CREEK

3.1 MI S CR 12, Dallas, AL

Built 1963 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 400

PINES ROAD

Fair

Over: COTACO CREEK

1.2 MI E SR 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1962 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 670

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.5MI NNW APPLETON, Escambia, AL

Built 1948 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 200

CR # 949

Fair

Over: BRANCH OFF OF ALA

0.3 MI W CR 31, Dallas, AL

Built 1983 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 25

CR # 272

Fair

Over: LITTLE OAKMULGEE CREEK

PANHANDLE, Dallas, AL

Built 1970 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 25

CO 8

Fair

Over: CHULAFINNEE CREEK

CO 8 CHULAFINNEE CREEK, Cleburne, AL

Built 1989 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 255

SANDY CREEK RD.

Fair

Over: SANDY CREEK

5 MI W. OF GENEVA, Geneva, AL

Built 1971 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 55

PENDER RD

Fair

Over: WHITLEY CREEK

7MI NE OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1970 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 40

BROWNVILLE-FLATROC

Fair

Over: OLD TOWN CREEK

5MI. N.E. OF EVERGREEN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1994 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 75

Dipping Vat Road

Fair

Over: Dipping Vat Creek

0.6 M E CO RD 554, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 2011 Load: 17.1 t ADT: 65

COUNTY ROAD 26

Fair

Over: LOCUST FORK RIVER

RIVERSIDE, Blount, AL

Built 1954 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,236

NANCEFORD ROAD

Fair

Over: FLINT CREEK

2.0 MI FR SR 31, Morgan, AL

Built 1955 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,600

CO RT 224

Fair

Over: WHITEWATER CREEK

1.4 MILES S OF SHADYGROVE, Coffee, AL

Built 1957 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 125

CR # 4

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

3.2 MI E SR 89, Dallas, AL

Built 1960 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 300

AL 63

Fair

Over: KOWALIGA CRK-LAKE MARTIN

1.5 MI.S.OF TALLAPOOSA CO, Elmore, AL

Built 1975 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,210

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Fair

Over: COLBERT COUNTY ROAD 21

5.49 MILES NORTH OF U.S., Colbert, AL

Built 1966 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 670

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Fair

Over: U.S. ROUTE 72

13.3 MILES NORTH OF MS RO, Colbert, AL

Built 1966 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 670

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Fair

Over: U.S. ROUTE 72 ACCESS

0.3 MILES SOUTH OF U.S. R, Colbert, AL

Built 1966 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 670

FORREST AVE

Fair

Over: BAYOU SARA

0.6 MI N CELESTE ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 1950 Load: 17.3 t ADT: 1,850

CHEROKEE #42

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.1 MI E INT US #411, Cherokee, AL

Built 1955 Load: 17.3 t ADT: 85

FIVE MI RD

Fair

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

5 MI RD * 5 MILE CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 17.3 t ADT: 10,500

CO 486

Fair

Over: SALT CREEK

4.0 MI E CO RT 385, Talladega, AL

Built 1920 Load: 17.4 t ADT: 113

CO RT 35

Fair

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

1.8 S OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1952 Load: 17.4 t ADT: 1,065

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: DIXON BRANCH

1MI ESE TRAVIS, Escambia, AL

Built 1989 Load: 17.4 t ADT: 25

CHEROKEE #129

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.2 MI NW INT CHERO #129, Cherokee, AL

Built 1940 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 38

Showing 751-800 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.