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-107

Fair

Over: Langston Creek

2.4 MI S of Wayside, Fayette, AL

Built 1949 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 545

CO. HWY. 40

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK BRANCH

COFFEE SPRINGS, Geneva, AL

Built 1994 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 350

TYLER RD.

Fair

Over: JUSTICE MILL CREEK

1 MILE S.W. OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1960 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 25

SR 69

Fair

Over: JOPPA CREEK

2.4 MI N JCT SR 67, Cullman, AL

Built 1929 Load: 73.8 t ADT: 6,716

SR 38/US280

Fair

Over: BRANCH

CITY OF CHILDERBURG, Talladega, AL

Built 1935 Load: 73.8 t ADT: 26,597

US 82

Fair

Over: UT BEAR CREEK

4.5 MI E DUNCANVILLE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1930 Load: 73.8 t ADT: 7,080

OLD SHELL ROAD

Fair

Over: TWELVE-MILE CREEK

OLD SHELL RD * UNIV BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 1970 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 23,105

WRIGHT ROAD

Fair

Over: GRAVES CREEK

LIBERTY, Blount, AL

Built 1990 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 82

SR 189 MP 14.802

Fair

Over: MOORES CREEK

0.2 MI.N COFFEE 42, Coffee, AL

Built 1993 Load: 73.9 t ADT: 2,190

I-10 WB * EB

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3 MI E US 90, Mobile, AL

Built 1964 Load: 74.1 t ADT: 96,938

AL-86

Fair

Over: Stream

0.6 MI W JCT US-2, Pickens, AL

Built 1968 Load: 74.1 t ADT: 2,500

AL 77

Fair

Over: GREEN CREEK

AL 77 * GREEN CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1958 Load: 74.2 t ADT: 9,603

US 82

Fair

Over: UT BEAR CREEK

3.5 MI E OF DUNCANVILLE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1942 Load: 74.3 t ADT: 7,080

AL - 38 (US 280)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.4 MI. W. CO RD 51, Shelby, AL

Built 1976 Load: 74.3 t ADT: 19,210

SOUTH JEFFERSON S

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.1 MI SOUTH US 72, Limestone, AL

Built 1987 Load: 74.4 t ADT: 1,629

AL. 181

Fair

Over: TURKEY BRANCH

0.2 MI. N. OF U.S. 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 1991 Load: 74.5 t ADT: 4,239

AL 25

Fair

Over: UT FIVEMILE CREEK

2.0 MI S BIBB COUNTY LINE, Hale, AL

Built 1957 Load: 74.7 t ADT: 550

MARDIS MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: GRAVES CREEK

3 MI SW OF BLOUNTSVILLE, Blount, AL

Built 1948 Load: 74.8 t ADT: 190

I-10 WB

Fair

Over: BATES CREEK

0.8 MI W FLA ST LINE, Baldwin, AL

Built 1965 Load: 75.0 t ADT: 43,024

SR 5

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1 MI.S.OF CATHERINE, Wilcox, AL

Built 1938 Load: 75.1 t ADT: 1,950

US 31

Fair

Over: BRANCH MP 251.40

. 4 MI NO JCT CO RD 26, Shelby, AL

Built 1957 Load: 75.1 t ADT: 11,185

COUNTY ROAD 11

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

SEC 13 T12 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1957 Load: 75.1 t ADT: 200

C.R. 50

Fair

Over: ROGERS CREEK

.6M EAST CO RT#1, Perry, AL

Built 1961 Load: 75.1 t ADT: 125

US 29

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.6 MI N CO RD 53, Escambia, AL

Built 1985 Load: 75.2 t ADT: 1,099

AUSTIN RD. RELOC.

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

1.1M S. CO RD 64, Baldwin, AL

Built 2021 Load: 75.2 t ADT: 1,354

AL-118

Fair

Over: Burton Creek

0.04 MI E of Blackwell Rd, Walker, AL

Built 1960 Load: 75.3 t ADT: 1,298

BUTTS ROAD

Fair

Over: COPELAND CREEK

2.5MI SW BLOUNTSVILLE, Blount, AL

Built 1960 Load: 75.5 t ADT: 70

YORKWOOD DRIVE S.

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.3 MI S.HIGHCREST DR., Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 75.6 t ADT: 1,816

AL-86

Fair

Over: Branch

5.6 MI E Pickensville, Pickens, AL

Built 1948 Load: 75.7 t ADT: 1,165

COUNTY HIGHWAY119

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2367 FT N JCT 1214, Marshall, AL

Built 1951 Load: 75.9 t ADT: 550

BAILEY COVE ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

BAILEY COVE* COUNTRY LANE, Madison, AL

Built 1982 Load: 75.9 t ADT: 14,700

AL-14

Fair

Over: Lindsey Branch

2.7 MI E MISS ST LINE, Pickens, AL

Built 1953 Load: 76.0 t ADT: 1,054

AL 22

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK

1.3 MI E OF INT SR 22, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1985 Load: 76.0 t ADT: 26,563

SR4/US78

Fair

Over: EGONIAGA CREEK

2.8 MI EAST JCT US 431, Calhoun, AL

Built 1929 Load: 76.2 t ADT: 4,241

OLD LEE HWY

Fair

Over: THROCKMORTON BRANCH

OLD LEE W OF FRANKFORT RD, Colbert, AL

Built 1940 Load: 76.5 t ADT: 4,600

COUNTY ROAD NO47

Fair

Over: BENNETT CREEK

RC CULVERT ON FAS RT. 12, Henry, AL

Built 1956 Load: 76.5 t ADT: 130

CO RD 140

Fair

Over: TRICE HOLLOW CREEK

1.6 MILES NORTH OF CO 141, Jackson, AL

Built 1987 Load: 76.5 t ADT: 65

AL 5

Fair

Over: CONGO CREEK RELIEF

1.6 MI N JCT SR 25, Bibb, AL

Built 1928 Load: 76.6 t ADT: 5,141

SR 5

Fair

Over: LITTLE CUB CREEK

1 MI. S.OF LAMISON, Wilcox, AL

Built 1938 Load: 76.6 t ADT: 1,840

COUNTY ROAD 33

Fair

Over: CHITWOOD CREEK

EASLEY, Blount, AL

Built 1959 Load: 76.6 t ADT: 634

US 82

Fair

Over: BLACK CREEK

7.9 MI.E.OF CO.RD 37, Bullock, AL

Built 1985 Load: 76.6 t ADT: 960

AL 69

Fair

Over: UT TWOMILE CREEK

0.1 MI N JCT US 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1986 Load: 76.6 t ADT: 16,550

AL-86

Fair

Over: Branch

3.1 MI E Pickensville, Pickens, AL

Built 1948 Load: 76.7 t ADT: 1,165

COUNTY ROAD 1143

Fair

Over: PEARSON BRANCH

SEC 6 T10N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1966 Load: 76.7 t ADT: 275

BYNUM EXIT

Fair

Over: BRANCH

BYNUM EXIT CULVERT, Calhoun, AL

Built 1982 Load: 76.7 t ADT: 4,057

AL 17

Fair

Over: UT BODKA CREEK

1.1 MI. N. OF S.R.116, Sumter, AL

Built 1940 Load: 76.8 t ADT: 950

SR 69

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.6 MI. N. OF JACKSON, Clarke, AL

Built 1950 Load: 76.8 t ADT: 1,240

US 29

Fair

Over: BETHEA MILL CREEK

0.5 MI N CO RD 22, Escambia, AL

Built 1986 Load: 77.0 t ADT: 1,606

I-65

Fair

Over: COBB CREEK

4.3 MI S SHELBY CO LINE, Chilton, AL

Built 1960 Load: 77.1 t ADT: 19,495

CO. HWY. 42

Fair

Over: S. FORK CAMP BRANCH

0.2 MI E ST. 25, Shelby, AL

Built 1992 Load: 77.1 t ADT: 1,588

Showing 8,851-8,900 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.