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

I - 20 EAST

Fair

Over: CITY STREET * 1ST AVE SO

I20 * 1ST AVE SO, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 30,680

I - 459 SOUTH

Fair

Over: ACTON ROAD

I459 * ACTON ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 48,035

I - 459 NORTH

Fair

Over: ACTON ROAD

I459 * ACTON ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 48,035

PULASKI PIKE

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

500 FT N of Bob Wade LN, Madison, AL

Built 1975 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 13,980

CR 23

Fair

Over: LUXPALLILA TRIBUTARY

4 MI. NW OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1960 Load: 48.6 t ADT: 150

SR 69

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5.5 MI. N. OF LINDEN, Marengo, AL

Built 1937 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 1,450

I - 20 WEST

Fair

Over: I - 459 RAMPS

I459/I20 INTERCHANGE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1984 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 35,000

I - 20 EAST

Fair

Over: I - 459 RAMPS

I-20 * I-459 INTR., Jefferson, AL

Built 1984 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 35,000

SR 22

Fair

Over: PROCTOR CREEK

8.6 MI E COOSA CO LINE, Coosa, AL

Built 1985 Load: 48.7 t ADT: 1,054

SR 22

Fair

Over: LILES BRANCH

8.5 MI E TALLAPOOSA RV., Randolph, AL

Built 1935 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 2,103

CO 28

Fair

Over: JACK BRANCH

6 MI W PHENIX CITY, Russell, AL

Built 1946 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 900

SR 157

Fair

Over: SHAVERS CREEK

2.4 M N JCT SR157 & SR101, Lawrence, AL

Built 1959 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 5,670

US 431 MP 70.752

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.2 MI. N. JCT. U.S.82, Barbour, AL

Built 1937 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 17,500

AL 5

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK RELIEF

4.3 MI.N.OF AL 22, Dallas, AL

Built 1985 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 1,110

55TH STREET

Fair

Over: MOORES CREEK

VALLEY, Chambers, AL

Built 1962 Load: 48.8 t ADT: 710

SR 51

Fair

Over: WATULA CREEK

1 MI N JCT US 80, Lee, AL

Built 1939 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 1,200

CO RT 102

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.5 MI E JCT CR 21, Jackson, AL

Built 1955 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 138

CO 43

Fair

Over: BURKE BRANCH LT FORK

7.5 MI S E SEALE, Russell, AL

Built 1966 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 260

SR 25

Fair

Over: CREEK

8.4 MI. N. OF VINELAND, Marengo, AL

Built 1988 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 1,090

COUNTY ROAD #99

Fair

Over: WARDS MILL CREEK

.5 MI.N OF CO. RD. 66, Henry, AL

Built 1990 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 850

_CHEROKEE # 129

Fair

Over: _BRANCH

_0.8 MI NW INT CHERO # 99, Cherokee, AL

Built 1945 Load: 48.9 t ADT: 40

CO. HWY. 280

Fair

Over: BRANCH OFF YELLOWLEAF CR

.35 MI E JCT US 280, Shelby, AL

Built 1931 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 3,200

ROAD

Fair

Over: WALDEN BRANCH

RC BR. CULVT. WALDEN RD., Henry, AL

Built 1958 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 665

W MALL ENTRANCE

Fair

Over: EASTDALE DITCH

75 FT W OF EASTDALE CIR, Montgomery, AL

Built 1976 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 7,000

SR 247

Fair

Over: BRANCH

JCT SR 247 & SR 24, Franklin, AL

Built 1964 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 1,170

PINES ROAD

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF COTACO CR

4.5 MI E SR 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1984 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 186

SR 21

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.6 MI N JCT CO 96, Talladega, AL

Built 1942 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 9,233

CO RD 35

Fair

Over: BUTTAHATCHEE RIVER

2 MILES NORTH LAMARCO LIN, Marion, AL

Built 1954 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 600

AL - 3 SOUTH

Fair

Over: ROSEDALE DRIVE

US 31 * US 280 INTERCHANG, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 16,400

AL - 119

Fair

Over: LAKE PURDY

2.1 MI.NO.U.S. 280, Shelby, AL

Built 1973 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 10,530

I - 459 SOUTH

Fair

Over: CABAHA HEIGHTS ROAD

I459 * CAHABA HT RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1981 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 40,005

I - 459 NORTH

Fair

Over: CABAHA HEIGHTS ROAD

I459 * CAHABA HEIGHTS RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1981 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 40,005

AL 14

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

SUTTLE, Perry, AL

Built 1997 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 1,050

PHILLIPS RD

Fair

Over: HESTER CREEK

0.3 MI NE JCT CO RD 485, Madison, AL

Built 1950 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 75

EL BETHEL RD.

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

EL BETHEL RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1965 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 75

AL 152

Fair

Over: LOWER WETUMPKA RD

3.1 MW US 231, Montgomery, AL

Built 1972 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 12,509

AL 152

Fair

Over: LOWER WETUMPKA RD

3.1 M W US 231, Montgomery, AL

Built 1972 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 12,509

I - 20/59 E RAMP

Fair

Over: 50TH ST NORTH

I 59 * 50 TH ST, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 14,040

I - 459 SOUTH

Fair

Over: DERBY PARKWAY

I 459 AT DERBY PARKWAY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 28,675

I- 459 NORTH

Fair

Over: DERBY PARKWAY

I459 AT DERBY PARKWAY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 28,675

AL-171

Fair

Over: Moss Creek

1.0 MI S Marion Co Line, Fayette, AL

Built 1926 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 4,420

US 29

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.5 MI.N.OF AL.239 JCT, Bullock, AL

Built 1928 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 2,520

US 29

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.1 MI. N. OF AL. 239 JCT, Bullock, AL

Built 1928 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 2,520

AL. 5

Fair

Over: STREAM

5.2MI.S.US 80, Dallas, AL

Built 1929 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 1,110

NORTHSIDE ROAD

Fair

Over: CRIPPLE CREEK

3.5 MI E JCT USNO 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1947 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 300

AIR BASE BLVD

Fair

Over: BELL ST

0.15 MI N OF AFB ENTRANCE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1957 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 10,000

SR 21

Fair

Over: INSTITUTE CREEK

1.9 MI.S.OF SNOW HILL, Wilcox, AL

Built 1989 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 980

US 84

Fair

Over: BRANCH

GOSPORT, Clarke, AL

Built 1931 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 3,151

COUNTY ROAD 40

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

COFFEE SPRINGS, Geneva, AL

Built 1925 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 850

CR # 462

Fair

Over: TRIB TO CAMP CREEK

0.86 MI E OF CR 7, Dallas, AL

Built 1951 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 100

Showing 8,101-8,150 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.