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 51

Fair

Over: REEDER CREEK

12.0 MI.N.OF US 82, Bullock, AL

Built 1989 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 1,200

FOUR OAKS ROAD

Fair

Over: CANTRELL MILL CREEK

2.5 MI. NE. HENSON SPRING, Lamar, AL

Built 2003 Load: 53.0 t ADT: 50

AL 5

Fair

Over: HILL CREEK

WEST BLOCTON, Bibb, AL

Built 1957 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 4,897

AL 126

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.0 MI N OF MITYLENE EXIT, Montgomery, AL

Built 1963 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 4,370

AL- 38 WEST

Fair

Over: PONCIANA DR

US 280 * PONCIANA DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 33,275

AL - 38 EAST

Fair

Over: PONCIANA DR

US 280 * PONCIANA DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 33,275

US 90

Fair

Over: DOLIVE CREEK

1.7 MI E JCT US 90 * 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 1971 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 16,774

CO RT 169

Fair

Over: BULLARD BRANCH

1.5 MI N OF SHILOH T2SR10, DeKalb, AL

Built 1984 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 296

I - 65

Fair

Over: DANA ROAD

2ND WARRIOR EXIT, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 49,930

PADGETT SWITCH RD

Fair

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

258 N. OF HALF MILE ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 1959 Load: 53.1 t ADT: 2,679

AL-171

Fair

Over: Trib. of Moss Creek

1.5 MI S Marion Co Line, Fayette, AL

Built 1926 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 4,420

COUNTY LAKE RD

Fair

Over: EALON BRANCH

3.3 MI. N. ALA. HWY. 18, Lamar, AL

Built 1953 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 340

US 431 MP 70.012

Fair

Over: TWO MILE CREEK

0.4 MI. N. JCT. US 82, Barbour, AL

Built 1937 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 17,500

ROSWELL CREEK RD

Fair

Over: ROSWELL CREEK

1 MI W OF SUMMIT, Blount, AL

Built 1948 Load: 53.2 t ADT: 193

CO RD 63

Fair

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

1.5 MILES NORTH CR22, Macon, AL

Built 1992 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 200

SR 13

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2 MI N JCT SR 13 & SR 24, Franklin, AL

Built 1956 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 17,230

AL 139

Fair

Over: UT SIXMILE CREEK

4.3 MI N OF RANDOLPH, Bibb, AL

Built 1958 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 1,575

MT GAP RD

Fair

Over: YELLOW CREEK

2.7 MI. N. CO. RD. 36, Lamar, AL

Built 1963 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 60

CO RD20

Fair

Over: MORGAN CREEK

1.7 MI SE BOLIGEE, Greene, AL

Built 1966 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 550

CO RD 36

Fair

Over: COOPER CREEK

2.5 MILES SO. SR 56, Macon, AL

Built 1986 Load: 53.3 t ADT: 385

US 11

Fair

Over: Little Hurricane Creek

4.5 MI S BIBB CO LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1945 Load: 53.4 t ADT: 6,450

COMERS DAIRY ROAD

Fair

Over: NORTH CREEK

1.0 MILES S OF CROSSTON, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 15

CO RD 92

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK CREEK

2 MI S JCT CO RD 77, Winston, AL

Built 1967 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 100

14TH ST SE

Fair

Over: L*N RR * 4TH AVE SE

JCT L*N RR * 14TH ST SE, Morgan, AL

Built 1967 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 13,490

SR1/US431

Fair

Over: BATTLE CREEK

0.2 MI S JCT SR144, Calhoun, AL

Built 1970 Load: 53.5 t ADT: 21,647

BALL PLAY ROAD

Fair

Over: BALL PLAY CREEK

BALLPLAY RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 2005 Load: 53.6 t ADT: 1,220

SR 156

Fair

Over: STREAM

4.4 MI. E OF JACHIN, Choctaw, AL

Built 1965 Load: 53.7 t ADT: 1,460

US 82

Fair

Over: SLAUGHTER CRK.RELIEF

0.4 MI.W.OF AL 110, Bullock, AL

Built 1984 Load: 53.7 t ADT: 1,070

CR. 40

Fair

Over: JOHNS CREEK

0.5 MI. W CO. LINE CHURCH, Butler, AL

Built 1993 Load: 53.7 t ADT: 339

CARSON ROAD

Fair

Over: CUNNINGHAM CRK TRIBUTARY

100 NE RED HOLLOW RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1968 Load: 53.7 t ADT: 5,725

COUNTY HIGHWAY116

Fair

Over: COLLINS CREEK

89 FT S JCT 1291, Marshall, AL

Built 1962 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROAD 59

Fair

Over: TAN CREEK TRIBUTARY

NEW BETHEL CHURCH RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1963 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 385

CO 24

Fair

Over: CHULAFINNEE CREEK

CO 24 CHULAFINNEE CREEK, Cleburne, AL

Built 1986 Load: 53.8 t ADT: 858

US 11

Fair

Over: Dowdle Branch

0.6 MI S BIBB CO LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1945 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 5,550

COUNTY ROAD 15

Fair

Over: SAND VALLEY CREEK

3 MI E OF LOCUST FORK, Blount, AL

Built 1958 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 818

I-65

Fair

Over: BATTLE CREEK

5 MI N JCT SR 41, Conecuh, AL

Built 1959 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 26,326

AL-257

Fair

Over: Rock Creek

AL-257 Rock Creek, Walker, AL

Built 1969 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 7,661

AL - 74 (US 278)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.1 MI E JCT 231, Blount, AL

Built 1994 Load: 53.9 t ADT: 6,700

COUNTY ROAD 14

Fair

Over: PEA RIVER

SEC 16 T12 R25, Bullock, AL

Built 1956 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 300

CR73 UNION CH

Fair

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

CR73 1M S UNION SPGCHURCH, Chilton, AL

Built 1985 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 300

CENTER SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: LOCUST FORK RIVER

5 MI W OF LOCUST FORK, Blount, AL

Built 1985 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 633

SR 59

Fair

Over: HOLLEY CREEK

2.7 MI S CO RD 61, Baldwin, AL

Built 1988 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 820

I-22

Fair

Over: Cane Creek

W of Cordova, Walker, AL

Built 2002 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 22,592

SR 36

Fair

Over: MCDANIEL CREEK

0.1 MI E JCT SR36 & SR157, Lawrence, AL

Built 2002 Load: 54.0 t ADT: 2,370

Lee Road 175

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2 MI N JCT S 169, Lee, AL

Built 1948 Load: 54.1 t ADT: 682

COUNTY ROAD 26

Fair

Over: WARREN CREEK

3 MI NE OF GARDEN CITY, Blount, AL

Built 1949 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 1,521

US 82 WBL

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5.4 MI.E.OF U.S.29, Bullock, AL

Built 1928 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 1,635

COUNTY ROAD 23

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

Hester Store Road, Covington, AL

Built 1982 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 300

CENTRAL PARKWAY

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

400 FT S OF 3RD ST SW, Morgan, AL

Built 1983 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 16,487

CR 26

Fair

Over: BUCK CREEK

.25 MI WEST OF AL 119, Shelby, AL

Built 2003 Load: 54.2 t ADT: 9,533

Showing 8,351-8,400 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.