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

SHADY GROVE ROAD

Fair

Over: NEW FOUND CREEK

1.5 MI S MOUNT OLIVE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 1,750

CO RD 13

Fair

Over: MCCALLS CREEK

2.6 MI. E.ON RD 56/13, Wilcox, AL

Built 1960 Load: 17.5 t ADT: 40

WEST LIMESTONE RD

Fair

Over: COPELAND CREEK

2 MI W HAZEL GREEN, Madison, AL

Built 1940 Load: 17.6 t ADT: 1,620

NORTHSIDE ROAD

Fair

Over: NORTH RIVER

2.4 MI E OF JCT US NO 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1948 Load: 17.6 t ADT: 650

HAYES ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1MI E OF BLOUNT SPRING, Blount, AL

Built 1997 Load: 17.6 t ADT: 62

LOUINA ST.

Fair

Over: SCL RR

0.3 MI SW OF AL 22, Randolph, AL

Built 2014 Load: 17.6 t ADT: 400

CO 108

Fair

Over: BENGIS CREEK

2.5 MI E AL 75 T6SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1961 Load: 17.7 t ADT: 1,265

CO. 1053

Fair

Over: PIGEON ROOST CREEK

1 MI. S. E. FOSTER X ROAD, Chambers, AL

Built 1920 Load: 17.7 t ADT: 108

OLD SELMA RD.

Fair

Over: PINTLALA CREEK

PINTLALA CREEK AT CO LINE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1954 Load: 17.7 t ADT: 2,000

CO. RD. 731

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

300 FT W US 11 T4 R10, DeKalb, AL

Built 1971 Load: 17.7 t ADT: 344

I - 459 SOUTH

Fair

Over: KARL DALY ROAD

I459 * KARL DALY ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1983 Load: 17.7 t ADT: 37,915

COUNTY ROAD 265

Fair

Over: WOOLBANK CREEK

4MI.NORTH OF STATE RT.86, Pickens, AL

Built 1995 Load: 17.7 t ADT: 50

SAMPLE ROAD

Fair

Over: ROAN BRANCH

0.5 MI W CR 267, Morgan, AL

Built 1930 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 45

FAS 06 CO RD 51

Fair

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

2.1MI S JCT SR 68 T9SR7E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1955 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,202

CHEROKEE #71

Fair

Over: TERRAPIN CREEK

1.2 MI N JCT CO RD 19, Cherokee, AL

Built 1951 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 2,000

CO 7

Fair

Over: HATCHET CREEK

1.8 MI N JCT CO NO 6, Clay, AL

Built 1953 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 277

CO. RT. 747

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

Cr 747 double Bridge, Cullman, AL

Built 1957 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,852

CO 39

Fair

Over: UCHEE CREEK

10 MI S W PHENIX CITY, Russell, AL

Built 1960 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 750

ST CLAIR CO 14

Fair

Over: KELLY CREEK

0 1 E SHELBY CO LINE, St. Clair, AL

Built 1962 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 1,008

CR # 50

Fair

Over: ENGLISH CREEK

0.8 MI W SR 5, Dallas, AL

Built 1964 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD 178

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

3 MILES EAST CHILDERSBURG, Talladega, AL

Built 1986 Load: 17.8 t ADT: 510

COUNTY ROUTE 333

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

1 MI S SOMERVILLE, Morgan, AL

Built 1953 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 1,562

CHEROKEE #45

Fair

Over: FROG CREEK

0.6 MI N INT US #278, Cherokee, AL

Built 1955 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 475

CREEKVIEW DR

Fair

Over: PATTON CREEK

CREEKVIEW DR * PATTON CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 3,796

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: NARROW GAP CREEK

.5 MI W FOSHEE, Escambia, AL

Built 1955 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 580

CO. 133

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.8 MI. N.E. SPARKLING SP, Chambers, AL

Built 1992 Load: 17.9 t ADT: 15

CO 14

Fair

Over: BUMPASS CREEK

N C1 OF WATERLOO, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1906 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 210

MAYSVILLE RD

Fair

Over: LOLLAR BRANCH

INTERSECT CO RD1443 1258, Madison, AL

Built 1939 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 650

COUNTY LAKE RD

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.2 MI EAST CO RD 1468, Madison, AL

Built 1939 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 927

COUNTY ROAD 1043

Fair

Over: CROOKED CREEK

CR 1043 clarkson, Cullman, AL

Built 1962 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 514

CO 104

Fair

Over: NORMAN CREEK

CO 104 NORMAN CREEK, Cleburne, AL

Built 1968 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 425

CO 26

Fair

Over: ALEWINE CREEK

ALEWINE CREEK CR 26, Cleburne, AL

Built 1972 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 210

MC GOWIN ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

8MI E TRAVIS BRIDGE, Conecuh, AL

Built 1994 Load: 18.0 t ADT: 75

CO RT 260

Fair

Over: BRYANT CREEK

0.2 MI S JCT CR 165, Jackson, AL

Built 1934 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 185

LANE DR

Fair

Over: LIL CAHABA RV

LANE DR * ASHVILLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1937 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,060

LEE RD 295

Fair

Over: HOSPILIKA BRANCH

0.3 MI N JCT LEE RD 246, Lee, AL

Built 1940 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,460

CO RT 63

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

3.5 S OF BERRY, Fayette, AL

Built 1949 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 196

ST JOHN CHURCH RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2MI SOUTH OF OLD TOWN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1992 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 40

CO RD 93

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

1.5 NE OF BANKSTON, Fayette, AL

Built 1950 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 142

ROADWAY

Fair

Over: CO RT 1087 JONES CREEK

5.5 MI E SUMTERVILLE, Sumter, AL

Built 1951 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 210

CO RD 42

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK

0.7 MI S JCT CR 39, Jackson, AL

Built 1957 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 250

CO RT 6

Fair

Over: MURDER CREEK

1 E CASTLEBERRY, Conecuh, AL

Built 1948 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,330

SEIBELS RD

Fair

Over: HANNON SLOUGH

0.2 MI W OF NARROW LANE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1964 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 600

FLEMING ROAD

Fair

Over: BARTON BRANCH

750 W AL 79, Jefferson, AL

Built 1968 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 916

CO. 62

Fair

Over: CREEK

1 MI. W. TALLAPOOSA RIVER, Chambers, AL

Built 1956 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 198

HELLS CREEK RD.

Fair

Over: HELLS CREEK

0.2 MI S ALA HWY 18, Lamar, AL

Built 1986 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 120

WINSTON BAILEY RD

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.0MI N FLAT ROCK, Conecuh, AL

Built 1993 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 40

Commercial Street

Fair

Over: North Fork Mud Creek

0.6 mi East of US Hwy 31, Cullman, AL

Built 1950 Load: 18.1 t ADT: 1,100

CO RD 29

Fair

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1.3 MI. SO. OF SR 5, Wilcox, AL

Built 1947 Load: 18.2 t ADT: 435

Lee Road 137

Fair

Over: CHOCLAFAULA CREEK

1.5 MI N E BEEHIVE, Lee, AL

Built 1947 Load: 18.2 t ADT: 2,099

Showing 801-850 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.