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

MILL CREEK

Good

Over: CR-311

CR 311 .02mi AL 145, Shelby, AL

Built 2017 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 177

CO 099

Good

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

4.0 MILES E OF CHILDERSBU, Talladega, AL

Built 1965 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 472

WARES FERRY ROAD

Good

Over: TEMPLE BRANCH

.8 MI N OF US 80 E, Montgomery, AL

Built 1967 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 2,000

WARES FERRY ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE RELIEF

5.8 MI NW OF US 80E, Montgomery, AL

Built 1967 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 2,000

Rifle Range Road

Good

Over: CHUBBAHATCHEE CREEK

SEC 17 T17N R20E, Elmore, AL

Built 1970 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 350

CO. 48

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2 MI. W. LAFAYETTE, Chambers, AL

Built 1981 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 500

COUNTY RD. 10

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

1.3 MILES EAST OF HWY.431, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 726

WALLACE ROAD

Good

Over: EASTABOGA CREEK

.2 MI NORTH OF CO 005, Talladega, AL

Built 1970 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 265

SR 24

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.9 MI E JCT SR 243, Franklin, AL

Built 1927 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 438

OLD GREENSBORO RD

Good

Over: RICE BRANCH

0.9 MI NE OF JCT NEW N 69, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1957 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 200

MT. ZION ROAD

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

12.7 MI N PIKE CO LINE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1970 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 400

FLOWERS ROAD

Good

Over: MCDOWELL CREEK

.6 MI N OF BULLOCK CO, Montgomery, AL

Built 1971 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 195

COUNTY RD NO 4

Good

Over: TUMKEHATCHEE CREEK

SEC 9 T21N R18E, Elmore, AL

Built 1957 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 300

FRIEND ROAD

Good

Over: PETTY BRANCH

SEC 28 T3S R6W, Limestone, AL

Built 1967 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 290

SR 55 MP 11.126

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

JCT. COV. CO. # 24, Covington, AL

Built 1940 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 2,360

sumter 9

Good

Over: BIG KINTERBISH

2.9 MI N CHOCTAW COLINE, Sumter, AL

Built 1952 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 450

CO RD 1226

Good

Over: LITTLE KIN CK

3.4 MI N CHOCTAW CO. LINE, Sumter, AL

Built 1952 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 345

JC 61

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.4 MI EAST JCT 126, Jackson, AL

Built 1983 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 65

CHEROKEE #175

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.2 MI SE INT ALA #9, Cherokee, AL

Built 1994 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 69

CO. RD. 619

Good

Over: WEDOWEE CREEK

JIM BROWN(S NEPOLEON), Randolph, AL

Built 1922 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 20

US 43

Good

Over: SPRINGFIELD CREEK

LINDEN, Marengo, AL

Built 2008 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 5,900

SR 36

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK

5.6 M E JCT SR 36 & SR 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1950 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 1,040

MARINA DR

Good

Over: JONES CREEK

BET. AL. 22 AND MARINA ST, Dallas, AL

Built 1973 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 122

CALLAWAY ROAD

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 MI SE OF BROOKLYN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1947 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 60

Landers Swink Road

Good

Over: Gold Branch

SEC-20-T20N-R21E, Elmore, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 141

CO RD NO 22

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

HENRY CO LINE TO AL52, Houston, AL

Built 1950 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 675

Industrial Blvd

Good

Over: Mud Creek

150 feet SW Alabama Ave, Cullman, AL

Built 2000 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 500

SR 27 MP 38.326

Good

Over: BRANCH RELIEF

1.7 MI.N.COFFEE LINE, Dale, AL

Built 1929 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 2,710

CR-9

Good

Over: BRANCH

VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 1950 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 1,920

WOODLEY ROAD

Good

Over: CATOMA CREEK

23.7 MI N PIKE CO LINE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1958 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 900

F.A.S.03

Good

Over: COPPERAS CREEK

5.5 MI E AL 82 ON CO 20, Bibb, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 165

BIBB CO.4

Good

Over: HAYSOP CREEK

ENGATE BIBB CO.4, Bibb, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 260

COUNTY 17

Good

Over: SIX MILE CREEK

1.5MI S OF SIX MILECO.17, Bibb, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 166

COUNTY ROAD 4423

Good

Over: BOWDEN MILL CREEK

SEC 18 T8N R23E, Pike, AL

Built 1969 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 300

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1252

3.4 MI SE ALA HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 1930 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 25

CR 500

Good

Over: SOUTH PRONG CREEK

CR500 .5 MNW VERBENA CEM, Chilton, AL

Built 1978 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 100

PINE LAKE DR

Good

Over: SPILLWAY OF PINE LAKE

3.1 MI NW US 231, Marshall, AL

Built 2004 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 335

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: BURNT CORN CREEK

GEORGE LEE ROAD, Conecuh, AL

Built 2012 Load: 21.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY ROAD 2276

Good

Over: CONECUH RIVER RELIEF

SEC 21 T8N R19E, Pike, AL

Built 1956 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 250

CO. HWY. 71

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.7 MI. SO JCT CO.42, Shelby, AL

Built 1963 Load: 21.1 t ADT: 675

CR. 16

Good

Over: ROCKY CREEK

BETWEEN GEORGIANA *AVANT, Butler, AL

Built 1954 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 260

CO RT 28

Good

Over: STREAM

1.3 MI S JCT CR 460, Lawrence, AL

Built 1955 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 412

CO RT 28

Good

Over: STREAM

1.1 MI S JCT CR 460, Lawrence, AL

Built 1955 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 412

COUNTY ROAD 1111

Good

Over: BEEMAN CREEK

SEC 23 T11N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1965 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 220

HICKORY GROVE RD

Good

Over: GUM SLOUGH BRANCH

AL 53 TO CO RD 81, Houston, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 295

CR. 45

Good

Over: PERSIMMON CREEK

1 MI. SE GREENVILLE C. L., Butler, AL

Built 1975 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 2,483

CO RT 304

Good

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

1.1 MI N OF BLUFF SPRINGS, Coffee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 21.2 t ADT: 195

EAST BROAD ST

Good

Over: NOWLIN BRANCH

E BROAD ST * NOWLINBRANCH, Etowah, AL

Built 1991 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 12,222

BRUTON GAP RD.

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.4 MI S OF DUCK SPRINGS, Etowah, AL

Built 1957 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 2,000

COUNTY ROAD 49

Good

Over: DOBBS CREEK

SEC 04 T14 R24, Bullock, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.3 t ADT: 100

Showing 9,751-9,800 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.