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 ROAD 39

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK YELLOWLEAF CR

2 MI SW JCT CO RD 74, Shelby, AL

Built 2001 Load: 88.4 t ADT: 600

I-20

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5.5 MI E JCT SR 77, Talladega, AL

Built 1965 Load: 88.5 t ADT: 44,364

COUNTY ROUTE 7

Fair

Over: EAST FORK HATCHET CREEK

0.5 MI. W OF COLETA, Clay, AL

Built 1964 Load: 88.5 t ADT: 403

CO RT 157

Fair

Over: MATTHEWS CREEK

2.9 MI SE OF CLINTONVILLE, Coffee, AL

Built 1974 Load: 88.8 t ADT: 100

CO RT 47

Fair

Over: WILSON CREEK

1.8 MI S INT CO RT 30, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1917 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,750

AL-118

Fair

Over: Camp Spring Branch

AL-118 MP 38.3, Walker, AL

Built 1925 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,050

SR 28

Fair

Over: ATKINS CREEK RELIEF

4.0MI.E.OF LINDEN, Marengo, AL

Built 1927 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,710

US 31

Fair

Over: BEE BRANCH

0.2 MI S CONECUH CO LINE, Escambia, AL

Built 1928 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,878

SR38/US 280

Fair

Over: NORTH FORK SANDY CREEK

1.3 MI N JCT SR 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1977 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 13,942

SR4/US78

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1 MI W AL/GA LINE, Cleburne, AL

Built 1929 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,857

US 98

Fair

Over: SPRING BRANCH

400 E CO 49, Baldwin, AL

Built 1929 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 9,465

AL 60

Fair

Over: MARTIN CREEK

4.0 MI E AKRON, Hale, AL

Built 1929 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,400

SR 69

Fair

Over: CABIN CREEK

0.7 MI N JCT SR 67, Cullman, AL

Built 1929 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 6,716

AL-17

Fair

Over: Clifty Creek

3 MI S JCT SR 172, Marion, AL

Built 1931 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,910

F.A.S.17

Fair

Over: BLACK CREEK

7.6MI N AL 15 MARVLRD, Bibb, AL

Built 1932 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 135

US 231

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.8 MI S JCT SR 69, Cullman, AL

Built 1934 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,184

AL 25

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.1 MI. NO. BEAR CREEK, Shelby, AL

Built 1935 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,080

CO RT 387

Fair

Over: WHEELER BRANCH

1.5 MI N JCT SR 20, Lawrence, AL

Built 1935 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 100

US 278

Fair

Over: Rock Creek

6.4 MI W JCT I 65, Cullman, AL

Built 1935 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,142

OLD LEEDS ROAD

Fair

Over: SHADES CREEK

MOUNTAINBROOK GOLF COURSE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 4,990

AL - 5 (US 11)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

BESSEMER HWY(MIDFIELD PK), Jefferson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 18,480

US 11

Fair

Over: WILLS CREEK

4 MI S JCT US11*SR35, DeKalb, AL

Built 1936 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,403

SR 79

Fair

Over: SEIBOLD CREEK

0.6 MI N JCT US431 * SR79, Marshall, AL

Built 1936 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,158

AL 21

Fair

Over: GREASY HEAD BRANCH

1.6 MI N JCT SR 76, Talladega, AL

Built 1937 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 9,228

CO RT 28

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

1.3 MI E JCT CO RT 57, Lawrence, AL

Built 1963 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 90

AL-17

Fair

Over: Lubbub Creek Branch

1.5 MI S JCT SR 86, Pickens, AL

Built 1926 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,810

SR21 / US231

Fair

Over: LYBRAND CREEK

3 MI N ELMORE CO LINE, Coosa, AL

Built 1938 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,561

SR21 / US231

Fair

Over: HACHEMEDEGA CREEK

7 MI N ELMORE CO LINE, Coosa, AL

Built 1938 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,475

SR 67

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.7 M N JCT SR 67 & SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1938 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,600

COUNTY HIGHWAY116

Fair

Over: HOG CREEK

1706 FT NW JCT 1291, Marshall, AL

Built 1962 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 150

ROCKY FORD RD.

Fair

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

.05 MI EAST OF CNTY RD 71, Etowah, AL

Built 1938 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 753

AL-18

Fair

Over: Branch

1.0 MI W OF JCT AL 17, Lamar, AL

Built 1939 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,046

AL - 53 (US 231)

Fair

Over: ROSWELL CREEK

2.1 MI.SO.CULLMAN CO LN, Blount, AL

Built 1939 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,880

SR 46

Fair

Over: MCDANIEL CREEK

1.2 MI E JCT US 78, Cleburne, AL

Built 1927 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,653

AL-195

Fair

Over: Mill Creek

6.4 MI S JCT US-278, Winston, AL

Built 1928 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,460

SR 5

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.0 MI. N. OF PINE HILL, Wilcox, AL

Built 1940 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,700

SR 5

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.2MI.NOF KIMBROUGH, Wilcox, AL

Built 1940 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,230

AL 17

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK BRANCH

2.5 MI. N. OF YORK, Sumter, AL

Built 1940 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 767

AL 17

Fair

Over: BAREBONE CREEK

5 MI. N. OF YORK, Sumter, AL

Built 1940 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 800

SR 77

Fair

Over: ALLEN/(HOOTALOOCCO) CK

5.1 MI W JCT US 431, Chambers, AL

Built 1941 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,373

US 31

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.6 MI.NO.CO RD 7, Blount, AL

Built 1942 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,925

AL 5

Fair

Over: UT BLUE GIRTH CREEK

1.0 MI N OF PERRY CO LINE, Bibb, AL

Built 1942 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,201

US 43

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAVER CREEK

7 MI. S. OF LINDEN, Marengo, AL

Built 1942 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,350

SR 75

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1.7 MI N JCT US431 * SR75, Marshall, AL

Built 1942 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,711

US 11

Fair

Over: Kepple Creek

COALING, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1945 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,381

COUNTY LINE RD

Fair

Over: MULWEE BRANCH

CLR N OF FRANKLIN CO LINE, Colbert, AL

Built 1945 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,000

SR1 / US 431

Fair

Over: JACKSON CREEK

8 MI W JCT SR 9, Cleburne, AL

Built 1947 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,383

SR 10

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.5 MI. W. OF BUTLER, Choctaw, AL

Built 1947 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,300

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch

3.3 MI N JCT SR 118, Lamar, AL

Built 1947 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,610

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch

4.4 MI N JCT SR 118, Lamar, AL

Built 1947 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,481

Showing 9,001-9,050 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.