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

COUNTY RT 1

Fair

Over: JAYE BRANCH

1 MI. N. ROCKY HILL, Monroe, AL

Built 1986 Load: 65.6 t ADT: 375

SR 51

Fair

Over: HURTSBORO CREEK

1.1 MI E BULLOCK CO LINE, Russell, AL

Built 1990 Load: 65.6 t ADT: 1,380

COUNTY ROAD 57

Fair

Over: GIN CREEK

GIN CREEK RD, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1962 Load: 65.7 t ADT: 215

US 82

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

0.1 MI W 15TH STREET, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1970 Load: 65.7 t ADT: 45,420

US 72 SR 2

Fair

Over: SHEEPNECK CREEK

1.5 MI E JCT JC ROUTE 63, Jackson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 65.7 t ADT: 14,489

AL.14

Fair

Over: BRANCH

6.3 MI.E.OF 63, Elmore, AL

Built 1929 Load: 65.7 t ADT: 4,240

US 331

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.2MI S. PLEASANT GROVE, Montgomery, AL

Built 2003 Load: 65.7 t ADT: 5,960

WASHINGTON ST NW

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

JCT WASHINGTON *DRYBRANCH, Morgan, AL

Built 1935 Load: 65.8 t ADT: 16,187

LOCKWOOD DRIVE

Fair

Over: JACKSON CREEK

0.5 MI S OF CO ROAD 28, Mobile, AL

Built 1985 Load: 65.8 t ADT: 362

AL-18

Fair

Over: Little Piney Creek

1.5 MI W JCT AL-18, Fayette, AL

Built 1926 Load: 65.9 t ADT: 1,620

SR 17

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.9 MI. N. OF JACHIN, Choctaw, AL

Built 1939 Load: 65.9 t ADT: 1,590

SR 5

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.9 MI. N. OF THOMASVILLE, Clarke, AL

Built 1940 Load: 66.0 t ADT: 6,500

AL-17

Fair

Over: Rushing Creek

2.1 MI S of Millport, Lamar, AL

Built 1929 Load: 66.1 t ADT: 2,190

SR 21

Fair

Over: INDIAN CREEK

6.6 MI.N.OF FURMAN, Wilcox, AL

Built 1939 Load: 66.1 t ADT: 900

I-65

Fair

Over: CADIZ BRANCH

1.8 MI S JCT US 84, Conecuh, AL

Built 1959 Load: 66.1 t ADT: 26,326

SR 35

Fair

Over: STRAIGHT CREEK

2 MI N LITTLE RIVER, DeKalb, AL

Built 1949 Load: 66.2 t ADT: 4,872

CO. 32

Fair

Over: CHATAHOSPEE CREEK

1.4 MI. N. KENDALL C.R., Chambers, AL

Built 1960 Load: 66.3 t ADT: 75

SR 67

Fair

Over: CLARK SPRING

1.5 MI N JCT SR 67 & SR 3, Morgan, AL

Built 1965 Load: 66.5 t ADT: 31,030

SERV RD UNIV SH VI

Fair

Over: TWELVE MILE CREEK

N E QUAD.UNIV.BLVD./OLD S, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 66.6 t ADT: 4,992

SR 21

Fair

Over: CAVE CREEK

4.4 MI N JCT US 431, Calhoun, AL

Built 1926 Load: 66.9 t ADT: 23,103

CO. RT. 1564

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

CR 1564, Cullman, AL

Built 1952 Load: 67.0 t ADT: 250

AL 9

Fair

Over: BAKER CREEK

2.5 MI N JCT US 280/AL9, Coosa, AL

Built 1986 Load: 67.0 t ADT: 3,559

AL 223

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.0MI N. OF PIKE COLINE, Bullock, AL

Built 1990 Load: 67.0 t ADT: 780

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: TRAVIS CREEK

.2MI E. RIVERVIEW, Escambia, AL

Built 1948 Load: 67.1 t ADT: 310

US 45

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

2.9 MI N CO RD 55, Mobile, AL

Built 1992 Load: 67.1 t ADT: 8,598

SR 59

Fair

Over: FISH RIVER

0.5 MI S OF JCT 59 * 31, Baldwin, AL

Built 1999 Load: 67.1 t ADT: 17,647

HORNS LAKE RD

Fair

Over: BLUE CREEK

0.1 MI N CO 009 INTERSECT, Talladega, AL

Built 1965 Load: 67.1 t ADT: 590

SR 77

Fair

Over: BLUE CREEK

1.3 MI. N CLAY CO. LINE, Talladega, AL

Built 1974 Load: 67.2 t ADT: 2,895

SR 22

Fair

Over: JACK BRANCH

7 MI E TALLAPOOSA RIVER, Randolph, AL

Built 1935 Load: 67.2 t ADT: 2,007

CO RD 59

Fair

Over: GUNTER MILL CREEK

Huggins Road, Covington, AL

Built 1963 Load: 67.3 t ADT: 150

TRICO.BLVD.

Fair

Over: TRICO.BLVD./CREEK

1.2 KM.OF HWY.72 WEST, Morgan, AL

Built 1996 Load: 67.3 t ADT: 741

AL-102

Fair

Over: North River

3.5 MI W Walker Co Line, Fayette, AL

Built 1956 Load: 67.4 t ADT: 839

US 43

Fair

Over: Taylor Branch

FORKLAND, Greene, AL

Built 1948 Load: 67.5 t ADT: 3,740

AL - 3 (US 31)

Fair

Over: PATTON CREEK

.9 MI. NO. I-65, Jefferson, AL

Built 1926 Load: 67.5 t ADT: 32,920

US 11

Fair

Over: UT ALAMUCHEE CREEK

1.5 MI. N. OF CUBA, Sumter, AL

Built 1946 Load: 67.6 t ADT: 2,710

I-65 SB

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.2 MI N BALDWIN CO LINE, Escambia, AL

Built 1964 Load: 67.7 t ADT: 26,382

US 231 SBL

Fair

Over: OLUSTEE CREEK

2.3 MI.N.AL 94, Montgomery, AL

Built 1965 Load: 67.8 t ADT: 7,370

N. MAIN OLD US 331

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.5 MI.N.JCT.US 84, Covington, AL

Built 1940 Load: 67.9 t ADT: 8,570

SR 2

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

0.7 MI W JCT SR 2 & SR 3, Limestone, AL

Built 1956 Load: 67.9 t ADT: 31,750

AL 21

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.8MI.NOFJCT.AL.263, Lowndes, AL

Built 1928 Load: 68.0 t ADT: 1,390

COLEMAN DAIRY RD E

Fair

Over: JUNIPER CREEK

2.5MI N OF LOTT RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1996 Load: 68.0 t ADT: 615

AL-195

Fair

Over: Charlies Crk Branch

1.5 MI S THACH, Walker, AL

Built 1929 Load: 68.1 t ADT: 4,130

SR 146

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.7 MI W JCT SR79 * SR146, Jackson, AL

Built 1958 Load: 68.1 t ADT: 585

US 431

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.2 MI N FLINT RIVER, Madison, AL

Built 1961 Load: 68.1 t ADT: 28,833

CO.208

Fair

Over: MOORES CREEK

1MI. S. W. LANETT, Chambers, AL

Built 1966 Load: 68.1 t ADT: 2,050

US 80

Fair

Over: UT Third Creek

.2 MI E BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 1954 Load: 68.2 t ADT: 5,100

AL 170

Fair

Over: CORN CREEK

0.6MI.EAST JCT.ALA.14, Elmore, AL

Built 1968 Load: 68.2 t ADT: 4,820

COUNTY RD 31

Fair

Over: NO NAME CREEK

Rock Hole Bridge Road, Covington, AL

Built 1956 Load: 68.3 t ADT: 280

COUNTY ROAD 24

Fair

Over: BIG GERMAN CREEK TRIB.

4.6 MI. E. OF MILLWOOD, Hale, AL

Built 1978 Load: 68.4 t ADT: 200

AL-18

Fair

Over: Branch

0.8 MI W Stough, Fayette, AL

Built 1926 Load: 68.4 t ADT: 2,217

Showing 8,701-8,750 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.