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

RISON

Good

Over: DALLAS CREEK

RISON * MINOR, Madison, AL

Built 1970 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,500

CARPENTER MILL RD

Good

Over: CARPENTERS MILL CREEK

0.7 MI NW OF COUNTY 33, Barbour, AL

Built 1981 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 200

I759W TO I59S RAMP

Good

Over: I 59 NBL *

RAMP B OVER I59, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 7,576

COUNTY ROUTE #185

Good

Over: KINCAIDE CREEK

1.9 MILE SO SR #82, Pickens, AL

Built 1984 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 45

CO. RT. 601

Good

Over: RAIL ROAD

CR 601, Cullman, AL

Built 1986 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 120

WALL TRIANA RD

Good

Over: E CHANNEL BRADFORD CRK

1.5 MI S SR20, Madison, AL

Built 1986 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 22,000

ROUND HILL RD

Good

Over: STREAM

0.50 MI.E.CO RT 27, Clarke, AL

Built 1990 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 100

AL-118

Good

Over: Mallard Creek

9 MI E JCT AL-253, Marion, AL

Built 1991 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,395

DIXON BRIDGE ROAD

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

SEC 28 T7N R24E, Dale, AL

Built 1995 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 40

BLAKE BOTTOM RD.

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

.1 MI. EAST OF JEFF RD., Madison, AL

Built 2014 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 10,802

HIGHPOINT BLVD

Good

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

0.9 MILES N. OF LOTT ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 2004 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 3,000

OLD PIEDMONT GADSD

Good

Over: BRANCH

OLD PIEDMONT GADSDEN HWY, Calhoun, AL

Built 2011 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 102

SHOAL CREEK-Bridge

Good

Over: SHOAL CREEK

SHOAL CREEK DISTRICT, Cleburne, AL

Built 1965 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 50

ROAD 540

Good

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Cleburne, AL

Built 2009 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 15

MALONE RD

Good

Over: BRANCH

SEC26 T3S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 1965 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 500

CO RD 43

Good

Over: OPOSSUM BRANCH

1.6 MI N INT RT 87 * 130, Choctaw, AL

Built 1967 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 450

SR 24

Good

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

9.6 MI E AL & MS ST LINE, Franklin, AL

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,255

BOBO DR

Good

Over: HELLS CREEK

3 MI E CROSSVILLE, Lamar, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 30

CR. 59

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 MI. NE OAKY STREAK CH., Butler, AL

Built 1991 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 220

COUNTY ROAD 40

Good

Over: SHOTBAG CREEK

Beulah Church Road, Covington, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROAD 14

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

2 MI E JCT CO RD 41, Winston, AL

Built 1998 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 400

CO. 282

Good

Over: STROUD CREEK

1 MI. N.E. FINLEY, Chambers, AL

Built 1952 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

RIPLEY CUTOFF ROAD

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

LOST CREEK, Walker, AL

Built 2012 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 640

RAGSDALE CREEK RD.

Good

Over: RAGSDALE CREEK

SEC 3 T1S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 2017 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 165

CO 034

Good

Over: BRANCH - COLBERT

0.3 MI W FT WILLIAM, Talladega, AL

Built 1949 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 1,610

COUNTY ROAD 4

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

6 MILES SOUTH OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1951 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 280

COUNTY 83

Good

Over: HAYSOP CREEK TRIBU

1.MI.S.CO.16.HAYSOPCH.RD., Bibb, AL

Built 1959 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 330

OOUNTY RD 399

Good

Over: EASTABOGA CREEK BRANCH

0.3 MI W CO 5, Talladega, AL

Built 1967 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 2,305

I10 EB TO US 98EWB

Good

Over: US 98

I10 @ US98-DAPHNE, Baldwin, AL

Built 1978 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 10,794

I 759

Good

Over: BROOK AVE * BIG WILLS CK

I 759 * BROOK AVE, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 10,214

WALL-TRIANA ROAD

Good

Over: I565; RAMP 54

2.2 MI E CO LINE RD., Madison, AL

Built 1988 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 21,489

S MOUNT PLEASENT

Good

Over: Branch

2 MI N HWY 84, Monroe, AL

Built 2009 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 20

SKINNERS MILL RD

Good

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

.01 MI E RENSON, Monroe, AL

Built 2018 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 125

Cow Ford Rd

Good

Over: Wallers Creek

2 Mi NW Eliska, Monroe, AL

Built 2019 Load: 26.1 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RT 75

Good

Over: CARSON BRANCH

5.6 MI NORTH US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1951 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 350

EAST ST

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

250FT N OF YARBROUGH ST, Montgomery, AL

Built 1954 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 250

AL 69

Good

Over: BIG SANDY CREEK

2.8 MI N HALE CO LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1970 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 15,840

WINDHAM

Good

Over: DALLAS CREEK

WINDHAM * HALSEY, Madison, AL

Built 1970 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 500

AL 175

Good

Over: OLD TOWN CREEK

1.3 MI S JCT SR 5, Perry, AL

Built 1971 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 281

SR 25

Good

Over: SANDY BRANCH

1.7 MI. N. OF THOMASTON, Marengo, AL

Built 1987 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 1,630

US 43

Good

Over: ROBERTS CREEK

2.1 MI.S. OF WAGGARVILLE, Washington, AL

Built 1989 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 4,260

SR 69

Good

Over: HORSE CREEK

5.1 MI.N. OF MORVIN, Marengo, AL

Built 1994 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 530

PORTER ROAD

Good

Over: DUNNS CREEK

0.7 MI. EAST OF AL159, Pickens, AL

Built 2006 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 60

County Road 212

Good

Over: Big Wills Creek

0.5 mi W CR51, DeKalb, AL

Built 2018 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 292

INMAN CREEK-Bridge

Good

Over: INMAN CREEK

BANKHEAD DISTRICT, Winston, AL

Built 1957 Load: 26.2 t ADT: 50

US 29 MP 63.897

Good

Over: WOLFPIT CREEK

0.1 MI. N. OF DOZIER, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1924 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,440

County Road 45

Good

Over: Woods Creek

1 MILE WEST INT. 57253, Marion, AL

Built 1900 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 150

CO. HWY. 11

Good

Over: COOPER BRANCH

0.1 MI. NO. CR 36 INT., Shelby, AL

Built 1957 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 7,378

COUNTY RT. 02

Good

Over: STREAM

1.43 MI.SE JCT.CO.2*CO.15, Clarke, AL

Built 1959 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 650

CO RD 181

Good

Over: CARPENTER CREEK

0.4 MI N LEWISTON, Greene, AL

Built 1960 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 400

Showing 10,251-10,300 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.