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

US 29 * US 80

Fair

Over: OSCEOLA CREEK

IN TUSKEGEE, Macon, AL

Built 1995 Load: 56.8 t ADT: 5,340

CLUBHOUSE DRIVE

Fair

Over: WEST 1ST ST. DRAINAGE

192 W OF SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1990 Load: 56.9 t ADT: 1,283

AL-17

Fair

Over: Clear Creek

3.1 MI S of Millport, Lamar, AL

Built 1929 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 2,330

AL - 5 (US 11)

Fair

Over: VALLEY CK RELIEF

@ AUSTIN AUTO PARTS, Jefferson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 20,070

US 231

Fair

Over: YELLOW WATER CREEK

3.0 MI.NORTH WETUMPKA, Elmore, AL

Built 1976 Load: 57.0 t ADT: 6,070

AL 17

Fair

Over: UT NOXUBEE RIVER

2 MI. N. OF GEIGER, Sumter, AL

Built 1939 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 950

ALDRIDGE ROAD

Fair

Over: GAP CREEK

2 MILES E HWY 269, Walker, AL

Built 1965 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 325

US 82

Fair

Over: MARTIN CREEK

0.9 MI.W.OF BARBOURCO LIN, Bullock, AL

Built 1980 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 1,900

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch

1.8 MI S of Millport, Lamar, AL

Built 1929 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 3,154

CR 129 C.JAMES RD.

Fair

Over: BOUGE CHITTO CREEK

.5M.WEST.AL14.GRAVL .ROAD, Perry, AL

Built 1970 Load: 57.2 t ADT: 115

AL 25

Fair

Over: BRANCH

@ CO. RD. 227, Shelby, AL

Built 1925 Load: 57.3 t ADT: 6,290

DENTON RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

DENTON RD INDUSTRIAL PARK, Colbert, AL

Built 1993 Load: 57.3 t ADT: 410

AL 183

Fair

Over: WASHINGTON CREEK

3.0 MI E OF CR 23, Perry, AL

Built 1994 Load: 57.3 t ADT: 870

CR 21

Fair

Over: LUXAPALLILA TRIBUTARY

7.5 MI. N OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1960 Load: 57.3 t ADT: 128

AL 25

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

.4 MI. SO. I-65, Shelby, AL

Built 1928 Load: 57.5 t ADT: 8,490

HOBBIE ROAD

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.2 MI N S-94 IN RAMER AL, Montgomery, AL

Built 1990 Load: 57.5 t ADT: 525

SR 59

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

0.5 MI N US 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 1993 Load: 57.5 t ADT: 28,470

SR 27 MP 38.296

Fair

Over: BLACK MILLS CREEK

1.6 MI.N.COFFEE CO.LINE, Dale, AL

Built 1928 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 2,710

US 29 MP 68.688

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.9 MI. S. SR 106, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1923 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 1,980

AL-14

Fair

Over: Pine Knot Creek

2.0 MI E PICKENSVILLE, Pickens, AL

Built 1950 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 1,564

US 98

Fair

Over: WORM BRANCH

1.7 MI E SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1985 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 11,099

PLEASANT GROVE RD

Fair

Over: STREAM

PLEASANT GROVE RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 2003 Load: 57.6 t ADT: 5,960

COUNTY ROAD 27

Fair

Over: NO NAME STREAM

SEC 6 T11 R23, Bullock, AL

Built 1957 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 200

SR 189 MP 12.613

Fair

Over: HELMS MILL CREEK

2 MI.N. SR. 141, Coffee, AL

Built 1950 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 930

VERMONT RD

Fair

Over: CREEK

.5 MI W HWY 231 SOUTH, Madison, AL

Built 1986 Load: 57.7 t ADT: 3,065

SR 9

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.5 MI N JCT SR 9 * 35, Cherokee, AL

Built 1929 Load: 57.8 t ADT: 6,329

COUNTY ROAD 15

Fair

Over: MOUNTAIN CREEK

SEC 28 T13 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1950 Load: 57.8 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD 8

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

SEC 19 T12 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1957 Load: 57.8 t ADT: 410

CO. RT. 35

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF BASSETTS CREEK

7.0 MI SOUTH AL 84, Clarke, AL

Built 1965 Load: 57.8 t ADT: 100

MAGNOLIA STREET

Fair

Over: BRUSH CREEK

JCT MAGNOLIA * BRUSH CK, Morgan, AL

Built 1987 Load: 57.8 t ADT: 4,176

COUNTY ROAD 5

Fair

Over: ISABELLE CREEK

3 MI S OF SULPHUR SPRINGS, Blount, AL

Built 1967 Load: 57.9 t ADT: 666

I-22

Fair

Over: Broadtree Creek

1.1 MI W JCT AL-19, Marion, AL

Built 1958 Load: 57.9 t ADT: 13,039

AL 110

Fair

Over: MATHEWS CREEK

.71 MI. FROM PHARR ROAD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1993 Load: 57.9 t ADT: 2,750

AL 175

Fair

Over: Wallace Creek

0.3 MI S FISH HATCHERY, Perry, AL

Built 1929 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 380

US 84 MP 216.723

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5.3 MI. E. SR 210, Houston, AL

Built 1927 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 16,230

CR-55

Fair

Over: Clay Creek

7.1 MI SW UNITY, Coosa, AL

Built 1993 Load: 58.0 t ADT: 363

AL - 53 (US 231)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

JCT CO RD 57 * US 231, Blount, AL

Built 1939 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 6,460

SR 69

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.8 MI N JCT SR 91, Cullman, AL

Built 1949 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 4,371

CR-1

Fair

Over: Proctor Creek

0.3 MI. W. CO. 19, Coosa, AL

Built 1965 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 270

COUNTY ROAD 10

Fair

Over: BIG PRARIE CREEK TRIB.

0.5 MI. W. OF SLEDGE, Hale, AL

Built 1900 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 300

CO RD 57

Fair

Over: LITTLE CREEK

2 MI. NO. OF AL 25, Shelby, AL

Built 1998 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 98

ALLEN STREET

Fair

Over: BRANCH

100 FT W OF JUDY CIR, Talladega, AL

Built 1940 Load: 58.1 t ADT: 400

US 11

Fair

Over: UT BEAN STACK CREEK

1.2 MI N ALLISION, Greene, AL

Built 1929 Load: 58.2 t ADT: 961

ROSWELL CREEK RD

Fair

Over: ROSWELL CREEK

2 MI NW OF RAINBOW CROSS, Blount, AL

Built 1961 Load: 58.2 t ADT: 70

CO RD #77

Fair

Over: YELLOW RIVER BRANCH

Rose Hill Road, Covington, AL

Built 1961 Load: 58.2 t ADT: 270

COUNTY RD 82

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Gantt Red Level Road, Covington, AL

Built 1963 Load: 58.2 t ADT: 730

CARNATION ROAD

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO HINES CREEK

3.3 MI. S. OF SAWYERVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1960 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 25

AL - 75

Fair

Over: FIVE MI CREEK

AL 75 * FIVE MI CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 32,440

AL-118

Fair

Over: Stream

.4 MI W Lost Creek, Walker, AL

Built 1930 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 3,624

PRIV DRIVE (SR181)

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

2.3 mi N OF SR 104, Baldwin, AL

Built 2020 Load: 58.3 t ADT: 10

Showing 8,501-8,550 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.