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

SR 223 MP 10.284

Good

Over: CONECUH RIVER

0.5 MI. SOUTH OF SACO, Pike, AL

Built 1959 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 650

CO. RT. 19

Good

Over: BIG REEDY CREEK

2.25 MI.S.JCT.CO.2*CO.19, Clarke, AL

Built 1964 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 225

CO RT 420

Good

Over: HAYS CREEK

2.2 MILES SW OF BASIN, Coffee, AL

Built 1968 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 125

SR 41

Good

Over: TALLAHATCHEE CREEK

HYBART, Monroe, AL

Built 1990 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 470

Lee Road 137

Good

Over: UT to Hodnett Creek

1.2 mi s w beehive road, Lee, AL

Built 2018 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 1,806

Ann Lane

Good

Over: Rakes Branch

Ann Ln., Calhoun, AL

Built 2013 Load: 23.4 t ADT: 38

CO RD 75

Good

Over: MEADOWS BRANCH

CO RD 33 TO CO RD 81, Houston, AL

Built 1966 Load: 23.5 t ADT: 383

CO RD 2

Good

Over: LITTLE TURKEY CREEK

6.7 MILES E.ON RTE.2, Wilcox, AL

Built 1976 Load: 23.5 t ADT: 260

CO 058

Good

Over: SALT CREEK

1.0 MI E JENEFER ONCO058, Talladega, AL

Built 1991 Load: 23.5 t ADT: 445

6TH AVE-ROBINWOOD

Good

Over: BARTON BRANCH

JCT 6TH AVE - AL HWY 79, Jefferson, AL

Built 1960 Load: 23.5 t ADT: 602

SR 65

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.7 MI N JCT US72 * SR65, Jackson, AL

Built 1922 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 999

SR 24

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

7.7 MI E JCT SR 243, Franklin, AL

Built 1927 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 438

SR 24

Good

Over: MULWEE CREEK

9.9 MI E JCT SR 243, Franklin, AL

Built 1927 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 438

FORREST AVE

Good

Over: REPUBLIC STEEL RAILROAD

FORREST AVE * REPUBLIC RR, Etowah, AL

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 16,100

CR 55

Good

Over: Tributary to Mud Creek

0.7 MI N JCT CR 42, Jackson, AL

Built 1931 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 104

CR 158

Good

Over: WIMBERLY BRANCH

1.0 MI W JCT CR 75, Jackson, AL

Built 1932 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 50

CO RT 206

Good

Over: BRANCH of JONES CREEK

1.4 MI W JCT SR 72, Jackson, AL

Built 1933 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 250

CO RT 88

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.35 MI E JCT SR 71, Jackson, AL

Built 1933 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 242

CR 92

Good

Over: MILLER BRANCH

0.8 MI W JCT SR 71, Jackson, AL

Built 1933 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 60

CO RT 11

Good

Over: YELLOW BRANCH

.45 MI N JCT US 72, Jackson, AL

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 130

6TH AVE NORTH

Good

Over: HALLS CREEK

6 TH AVE N * 13 TH ST, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 590

CO RT 5

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.1 MI S JCT US 72, Jackson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 370

SAM THOMAS RD

Good

Over: DAVIS BRANCH

0.2 MI S JCT FAS 03, Madison, AL

Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 220

22ND ST

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

22ND ST * 6TH AVE N, Jefferson, AL

Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,200

UPPER SNAKE RD

Good

Over: MAPLE SWAMP BR

SEC17 T2S R6W, Limestone, AL

Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 800

SR 68

Good

Over: BRANCH

3 MI W JCT I59 * SR 68, DeKalb, AL

Built 1942 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 4,026

AL-241

Good

Over: Wileys Branch

4 MI N JCT US 278, Marion, AL

Built 1942 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 780

Lee Road 146

Good

Over: 11NH CREEK

0.5 MI W JCT LEE RD 54, Lee, AL

Built 1946 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 5,655

SR 71

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.3 MI N JCT SR 35 * 71, Jackson, AL

Built 1927 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,591

26TH ST

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

26TH ST * 3RD AVE, Walker, AL

Built 1950 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,100

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1107 HALLS CREEK

9.8 MI E AL HWY 28, Sumter, AL

Built 1953 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 290

COUNTY ROAD 2287

Good

Over: PARKS BRANCH

SEC 21 T8N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1954 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 200

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1186 FACTORY CREEK

3.5 MI N EPES, Sumter, AL

Built 1955 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 504

WRIGHT ST

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

WRIGHT ST * 3RD AVE, Walker, AL

Built 1956 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,860

NORTHSIDE ROAD

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

4.0 MI E OF JCT CO NO 35, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1958 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,000

CO. HWY. 16

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

0.37 mi. east CR 23, Shelby, AL

Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 769

CO RD 156

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

4.1 MI E COTTON BR, Greene, AL

Built 1961 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 367

LILY FLAG RD

Good

Over: ALDRIDGE CREEK

720 LILY FLAG RD, Madison, AL

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,400

ZEHNER RD

Good

Over: ROUND ISLAND CR

SEC16 T3S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 1963 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 450

GREEN COVE RD

Good

Over: ALDRIDGE CREEK

GRN COVE RD * ALDRIDGE CR, Madison, AL

Built 1968 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,500

LOGAN ST

Good

Over: BRANCH

SANDERS AND LOGAN, DeKalb, AL

Built 1969 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 330

DRIVEWAY

Good

Over: ALDRIDGE CREEK

1115 DRAKE, Madison, AL

Built 1970 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6

POLLY REED ROAD

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CRK TRIBUTARY

CENTER POINT, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 5,080

HUNTER CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: TWO MILE CREEK

0.2 MI W US 82 BYPASS, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1986 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,980

SR 157

Good

Over: MIDDLE CYPRESS CREEK

6.0 M S AL & TN ST LINE, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1993 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,720

SR 193

Good

Over: DELCHAMPS DITCH

2.3 MI N SR 188, Mobile, AL

Built 1995 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 4,420

SR 193

Good

Over: AUSTIN BAYOU

3.9 MI N SR 188, Mobile, AL

Built 1997 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 4,420

BROCKWAY RD

Good

Over: TARKLIN BRANCH

0.8MI S US HWY 431S, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 200

BROCKWAY RD

Good

Over: TARKLIN BRANCH

0.3MI S US HWY 431S, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 200

OLD COLUMBIANA RD

Good

Over: N FORK GRIFFIN CRK

.1 MI S CARR AVE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 7,126

Showing 9,951-10,000 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.