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

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Good

Over: COLBERT COUNTY ROAD 1

2.4 MILES NORTH OF MS ROU, Colbert, AL

Built 1981 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 720

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Good

Over: WILLIS CREEK

5.81 MILES NORTH OF MS RO, Colbert, AL

Built 1981 Load: 25.4 t ADT: 720

CO RT 105

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.1 MILES WEST NEW HOPE, Coffee, AL

Built 1951 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 272

COUNTY ROAD 33

Good

Over: COTTON CREEK

SEC-33 T-7-N R-25-E, Dale, AL

Built 1959 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 898

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: FLINT RIVER RELIEF

0.2 MI W FLINT RIVER, Madison, AL

Built 1973 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 10,490

US 11

Good

Over: BLACK WARRIOR RIVER

8.7 MI S TUSCALOOSA, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2000 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 4,281

COUNTY ROAD 55

Good

Over: BAPTIZING CREEK

2 MI. EAST OF AL 25, Marengo, AL

Built 2006 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 256

1ST AVE. SE

Good

Over: FR0G LEVEL BRANCH

WEDOWEE, Randolph, AL

Built 2008 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 400

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

2 MI SO CASTLEBERRY, Conecuh, AL

Built 2011 Load: 25.5 t ADT: 80

COUNTY RT #3

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

3.8 MI EAST OF JCT SR 17, Pickens, AL

Built 1965 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 300

649

Good

Over: BRANCH

CR 649, Cullman, AL

Built 1967 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 110

F.A.S.01

Good

Over: TRAIL BRANCH

.2MI E CHILTON CO LF.A.S1, Bibb, AL

Built 1968 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 85

CHEROKEE #162

Good

Over: DRY BRANCH

0.2 MI W CO #45, Cherokee, AL

Built 1976 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 95

AL 39

Good

Over: FACTORY CRK.

4.5 MI.S.OF GAINSVILLE, Sumter, AL

Built 1992 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 830

BRIDGEFIELD RD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

300 W. WALL-TRIANA HWY, Madison, AL

Built 1996 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 110

VICKI DRIVE

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1.0 MI. S AL. #216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1999 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 300

COUNSIL DR

Good

Over: Beaver Creek

0.1 MI FROM US 411, St. Clair, AL

Built 2002 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 450

_S. Pecan St.

Good

Over: _Trib. to Wolf Creek

_500' S. of US 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 2015 Load: 25.6 t ADT: 52

VETO RD

Good

Over: MILL CR

SEC17 T1S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 1954 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 490

STRINGFIELD RD

Good

Over: PINHOOK CREEK

STRINGFIELD * MARYMONT, Madison, AL

Built 1958 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 4,000

COUNTY ROAD 2204

Good

Over: LYNN MILL CREEK

SEC 3 T9N R19E, Pike, AL

Built 1970 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 100

CR # 45

Good

Over: TATUM CREEK

0.56 MI N SR 22 W, Dallas, AL

Built 1970 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 400

R2 (US231S-I565W)

Good

Over: PULASKI PIKE

1.7 MI E JCT I565 * SR 53, Madison, AL

Built 1991 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 23,376

CO 28

Good

Over: LITTLE CHATAHOSPEE CREEK

2 MI E KENDALL C/R, Chambers, AL

Built 1994 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 280

SR 133

Good

Over: TENNESSEE RIVER

2.3 M N JCT SR133 & SR184, Colbert, AL

Built 2001 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 13,610

TIMBERLINE TRAIL

Good

Over: TIMBERLINE LAKE

TIMBERLINE SUBDIVISION, Shelby, AL

Built 2004 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 500

N. ALSTON STREET

Good

Over: BRANCH OF WOLF CREEK

155 S. OF W. SECTION AV, Baldwin, AL

Built 2006 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 210

CR 52

Good

Over: WALKING TRAIL

0.7 MI WEST AL 261, Shelby, AL

Built 2009 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 8,500

EASTERN VALLEY RD

Good

Over: COOLEY CREEK

2.7 MI NE OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2010 Load: 25.7 t ADT: 800

CO.RD 29

Good

Over: NOLAND CREEK

WADSWORTH FARM, Autauga, AL

Built 1958 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 581

COUNTY ROAD 8

Good

Over: LITTLE JUDY CREEK

.7 MI WEST OF CO 23, Barbour, AL

Built 1973 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 150

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: PAINT ROCK RIVER

4.2 MI E JCT US72 * SR65, Jackson, AL

Built 1978 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 2,961

AVE "B"

Good

Over: NS RAILROAD

OPELIKA, Lee, AL

Built 1982 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 6,406

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: PAINT ROCK RIVER

4.2 MI E JCT US72 * SR65, Jackson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 8,961

WYNGATE DR

Good

Over: LAKE

300 FT N OF OLD MARSH WAY, Montgomery, AL

Built 1997 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 150

RED MORRIS PKWY.

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.8 MI N. US 78, Calhoun, AL

Built 1997 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 1,000

CO RT 140

Good

Over: ESTILL FORK

?????????????????????????, Jackson, AL

Built 2013 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 7

Hoyle Bryars Rd.

Good

Over: Bushy Creek

_0.8 Miles W. of C.R. 61, Baldwin, AL

Built 2021 Load: 25.8 t ADT: 144

CO. HWY. 33

Good

Over: ROBERTS CREEK

SEC 10 T-7-N R-25-E, Dale, AL

Built 1951 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 410

CR-49

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

8.3 MI. N. CROSSVILLE, Lamar, AL

Built 1952 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 430

CHEROKEE #41

Good

Over: CULSTIGH CREEK

4.0 MI NE JCT SR 35, Cherokee, AL

Built 1952 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 505

F.A.S.17

Good

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

2.7MI NW AL 25 MRVLRD, Bibb, AL

Built 1953 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 135

CO HWY 91

Good

Over: GULLY BRANCH

7 MI S OF SLOCOMB, Geneva, AL

Built 1956 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 135

COUNTY ROAD 3

Good

Over: CREEK

SEC-3 T-7-N R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 1956 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 723

GARRETT RD

Good

Over: PINEY CREEK SLOUGH

SEC25 T4S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 1957 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 262

COTTON BELT ROAD

Good

Over: SUGAR CREEK RELIEF

SEC2T2SR6W, Limestone, AL

Built 1957 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 775

COUNTY RT 49

Good

Over: GOOSE CREEK BRANCH

0.9 MI EAST OF JCT US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1957 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 500

F.A.S.02

Good

Over: LITTLE MILL CREEK

2.2 MI N.E.AL.82 LAJCT, Bibb, AL

Built 1958 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 135

SWEET SPRINGS RD

Good

Over: BRANCH

SEC9 T1S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1960 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 640

CO. RT. 19

Good

Over: HAMMER CREEK

3.71 MI.S.JCT.CO19*CO.2, Clarke, AL

Built 1964 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 225

Showing 10,201-10,250 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.