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 - 25 (US 411)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.2MI N MOODY CTY LM, St. Clair, AL

Built 1947 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,070

AL-107

Fair

Over: Ashpond Creek

1.7 MI N JCT SR 18, Fayette, AL

Built 1947 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 920

AL - 174

Fair

Over: BRANCH

100 E.CO. RD. 16, St. Clair, AL

Built 1941 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 4,480

US 231

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1 . 5 MI NO JCT US 11, St. Clair, AL

Built 1948 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,520

SR 91

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.8 MI S JCT US 278, Cullman, AL

Built 1948 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,736

JOE QUICK RD

Fair

Over: PIGRUM BRANCH

0.4 MI NE JCT CO RD 187, Madison, AL

Built 1948 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,078

US 278

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.3 MI E JCT SR 91, Cullman, AL

Built 1949 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 6,296

US 278;SR74

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.3 MI E JCT SR 91*US278, Cullman, AL

Built 1949 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,998

CR-9

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.6 MI. N.E. STAR, Lamar, AL

Built 1950 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 510

CO. RD. 20

Fair

Over: NORTH CREEK

W. OFN. CREEK CHURCH, Covington, AL

Built 1950 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 270

SR 77

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

2 MI N OF WADLEY, Randolph, AL

Built 1950 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,616

AL-17

Fair

Over: Seven Mile Creek

1 MI N JCT SR 187, Marion, AL

Built 1931 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,346

US 431

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1.5 MI S JCT US431 * SR75, Marshall, AL

Built 1952 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 30,653

CO. 460

Fair

Over: FOX CREEK

9.3 MI. E. ALA. 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1952 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,093

SR 117

Fair

Over: CROW CREEK

2 MI SE JCT SR 75, DeKalb, AL

Built 1952 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,987

AL-129

Fair

Over: Stud Hoss Creek Branch

Hubbertville, Fayette, AL

Built 1952 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 882

US 31

Fair

Over: MAYS BRANCH

1.5 MI N CO RD 18, Escambia, AL

Built 1953 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,203

AL - 74

Fair

Over: Mill Branch

0.8 MI W JCT CO RD 35, Blount, AL

Built 1953 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 6,590

AL 22

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.1MI.E.AL.219, Dallas, AL

Built 1927 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,230

AL 22

Fair

Over: JONES CREEK

2.5 MI. E.AL.219, Dallas, AL

Built 1927 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 8,450

AL - 4 (US 78)

Fair

Over: ABES CK

.5 MI.W. CAHABA RIVER, Jefferson, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 8,800

US 80

Fair

Over: BUCK CREEK

1.5 MI.W. OF JCT. AL 17, Sumter, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,950

CO. RT. 15

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF SALT CREEK

2.25 MI NW ROCKVILLE, Clarke, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 400

SR 69

Fair

Over: ULCANUSH CREEK

2.8 MI. N. OF COFFEEVILLE, Clarke, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 470

CO 49

Fair

Over: MATHIS BRANCH

CO 49 MATHIS BRANCH, Cleburne, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 300

SEGERS RD

Fair

Over: MOORE BR

SEC11 T4S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,487

SR 265

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

5.8 MI S. OF CAMDEN, Wilcox, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 430

COUNTY RD. NO. 99

Fair

Over: SPIVEY MILL CREEK

1.6 MI. NORTH OF HEADLAND, Henry, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,320

US 31

Fair

Over: PINE CREEK

2.0 MI S OF PRATTVILLE, Autauga, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 10,640

CITY STREET

Fair

Over: CREEK

SYLACAUGA W 4TH STREET, Talladega, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,000

SR 13

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

1.6 M N JCT SR13 & SR237, Franklin, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,960

CO RT 474

Fair

Over: CRIPPLE CREEK

1 MILE EAST OF KINSTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 463

US 82

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.5 MI E NARROWLANE RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 40,960

US 82

Fair

Over: BRANCH

JCT US 82 * US 231, Montgomery, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 42,870

SR 35

Fair

Over: BRANCH

9 MI N JCT SR 68 *35, Cherokee, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,707

COUNTY RT 63

Fair

Over: YEARBY BRANCH

21.2MI E OF SR 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 600

CO. RT. 1742

Fair

Over: BECKWORTH CREEK

CR 1742, Cullman, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 750

SR 91

Fair

Over: RICE CREEK

3.5 MI W JCT I65, Cullman, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,029

US 431

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3 MI N ATTALLA CITY LIMIT, Etowah, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 17,452

AL-5

Fair

Over: Town Creek

AL-5 Town Creek, Walker, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,128

CO. RT. 38

Fair

Over: EIGHTMILE CREEK

CR 703, Cullman, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 570

AL - 67

Fair

Over: ROSWELL CREEK

1.5 MI. NO. US 231, Blount, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,970

AL - 67

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1 . 3 MI SO CULLMAN CO LN, Blount, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,960

SR 106 MP 29.464

Fair

Over: PINEY WOODS CREEK

2.8 M.E.BUTLER CO.LINE, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 700

WEBSTERS CHAPEL RD

Fair

Over: TRIB OF BIG COVE CK

CO0195 WEBSTERS CHAPEL RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 675

AL-269

Fair

Over: Bryants Creek

0.7 MI S Parrish City, Walker, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,621

BLOUNT CO NO 5

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1 MI SW OF BLOUNT SPRINGS, Blount, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 697

AL-13

Fair

Over: Rocky Branch

0.5 MI S JCT SR 18, Fayette, AL

Built 1926 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 3,021

SR 20

Fair

Over: WHEELER LAKE

1.1 M E JCT SR 20 & SR 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1928 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 24,460

US 43

Fair

Over: CONRAD CREEK

4.9 MI N CO RD 84, Mobile, AL

Built 1930 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 15,629

Showing 9,051-9,100 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.