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

AL - 5 (US 11)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

BETWEEN 2 OVERHEAD RR BRD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 20,070

US 84

Fair

Over: MANCIL MILL CREEK

0.6 MI W CO 39, Conecuh, AL

Built 1954 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 2,356

CO RD 92

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

EAST OF CR 578, DeKalb, AL

Built 1954 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 758

CO HWY 64

Fair

Over: GENEVA CO LAKE BRANCH

5 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAMS, Geneva, AL

Built 1961 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 120

AL - 79

Fair

Over: BRANCH

SO. OF JCT AL 151, Jefferson, AL

Built 1957 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 20,220

US 98

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

0.8 MI E SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1985 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 13,841

SR 28

Fair

Over: BRANCH

6MI.E.OF LINDEN, Marengo, AL

Built 1988 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 1,710

AL 143

Fair

Over: DOUBLE BOTTOM CREEK

0.6 MI N MONTG CO LINE, Elmore, AL

Built 1995 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 10,350

Doster Road

Fair

Over: Pine Creek

.23 mile west of US31, Autauga, AL

Built 1980 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 1,720

AL - 4 (US 78)

Fair

Over: MOODY CK

AT BROMPTON RD, St. Clair, AL

Built 1928 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 3,170

AL-17

Fair

Over: Lubbub Creek Branch

5.1 MI N JCT SR 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1926 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 3,429

CO RD 6

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.2 MI E INT AL 17 * RT21, Choctaw, AL

Built 1946 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 375

WINCHESTER RD

Fair

Over: JENNY RIVER

0.3 MI SO TENN ST LINE, Madison, AL

Built 1946 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 3,500

MCVEY RD

Fair

Over: PRAIRE CREEK

BARFIELD TO BELVIEWCHURCH, Clay, AL

Built 1964 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 5

AL 41

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.7 MI. N. US #80, Dallas, AL

Built 1976 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 11,020

US 280

Fair

Over: BRANCH

TOWN OF OPELIKA, Lee, AL

Built 1929 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 20,950

COUNTY ROUTE 35

Fair

Over: SWEET WATER CREEK

BLUFF SPRINGS, Clay, AL

Built 2006 Load: 51.4 t ADT: 415

US 31

Fair

Over: HALL STILL BRANCH

0.3 MI S CO RD 26, Conecuh, AL

Built 1925 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 726

AL-7

Fair

Over: Trib. to Minters Creek

6.0 MI East I-20/59, Greene, AL

Built 1934 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 4,500

SR 10

Fair

Over: STRAIGHT CREEK

3.8 MI. E. OF OAK HILL, Wilcox, AL

Built 1982 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 720

SHIELDS ROAD

Fair

Over: NORFOLK RAILROAD

.5 MILE NORTH U.S. 72, Madison, AL

Built 1999 Load: 51.5 t ADT: 17,080

AL 25

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.8 MI NO JCT AL 70, Shelby, AL

Built 1931 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 5,530

SR 10

Fair

Over: BRANCH

7.5 MI. E. OF BUTLER, Choctaw, AL

Built 1934 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 3,200

CO. RT. 1725

Fair

Over: BECKWORTH BRANCH

CR 1725, Cullman, AL

Built 1950 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 65

AL 126 SERVICE RD

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.1 MI. E. OF RYAN RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1962 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 3,830

AL - 3 NORTH

Fair

Over: RAMP A * US 280

US 31 * US 280 INTR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 16,400

Mag. Springs Hwy.

Fair

Over: MAGNOLIA RIVER

0.5 MI.S.OF US.98, Baldwin, AL

Built 1996 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 2,535

AL 61

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK RELIEF

3.8 MI N PERRY CO LINE, Hale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 51.6 t ADT: 1,270

CO 39

Fair

Over: COWPEN CREEK

10.5 MI S W PHENIX CITY, Russell, AL

Built 1960 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 750

CO. HWY. 45

Fair

Over: YELLOW BRANCH CREEK

1.3 MI. N OF ST. 25, Shelby, AL

Built 1990 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 606

CR. 42

Fair

Over: LANGSTON CREEK

11 NW OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1995 Load: 51.7 t ADT: 100

AL - 5 (US 11)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

100 NO. RR BRIDGE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1937 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 19,340

US 29

Fair

Over: MEETING HOUSE CREEK

1.8 MI S CO RD 43, Escambia, AL

Built 1988 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 1,099

US 331

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.4 MI. N. OF CO. RD. 24, Montgomery, AL

Built 2006 Load: 51.8 t ADT: 5,960

US 43

Fair

Over: BOONE CK

3.0 MI S FAYETTE CO LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1923 Load: 51.9 t ADT: 2,950

COUNTY ROUTE 23

Fair

Over: RANDONS CREEK

6 MI. N. W. FRISCO CITY, Monroe, AL

Built 1949 Load: 51.9 t ADT: 700

CO RD 54

Fair

Over: THOMAS CREEK

ALA 52 TO CO RD 48, Houston, AL

Built 1952 Load: 51.9 t ADT: 655

LENLOCK LANE

Fair

Over: BRANCH

LENLOCK LN., Calhoun, AL

Built 1958 Load: 51.9 t ADT: 8,156

CO RT 25

Fair

Over: GUESS CREEK

0.2 MI NW SR 79, Jackson, AL

Built 1930 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 100

DUNNS CREEK ROAD

Fair

Over: DUNNS CREEK

1.2KM W OF SR10, Wilcox, AL

Built 1985 Load: 52.0 t ADT: 50

SR 17

Fair

Over: BIG BRANCH

3.9 MI. N.OF MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 1929 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 1,690

AL-7

Fair

Over: Deadmans Branch

3.9 MI N EUTAW, Greene, AL

Built 1934 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 1,440

JACK WARNER PKWY

Fair

Over: US 82

0.2 MI E WARRIOR RIVER, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1970 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 19,445

COUNTY ROAD 154

Fair

Over: MOUNTAIN CREEK

SEC 36 T13 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1988 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 50

OVERLAND ROAD

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

SHOAL CK * OVERLAND RD, Shelby, AL

Built 1994 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 3,000

US 331

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.35 MI N OF CO. RD 24, Montgomery, AL

Built 2006 Load: 52.1 t ADT: 5,960

US 43

Fair

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

3.2 MI. N. OF DIXONS MILL, Marengo, AL

Built 1929 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 3,310

US 31

Fair

Over: STREAM

0.6MI N BUTLER CO LINE, Lowndes, AL

Built 1950 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 1,230

AL - 132

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.6 MI W ETOWAH CO LINE, Blount, AL

Built 1956 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 1,110

SR 3

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3 MI S JCT SR 3 & SR 2, Limestone, AL

Built 1957 Load: 52.2 t ADT: 12,600

Showing 8,251-8,300 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.