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 10

Good

Over: RELIEF

10.1 MI. E. OF BUTLER, Choctaw, AL

Built 1989 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 2,220

MORROW ROAD

Good

Over: PINCHGUT CREEK

500 N US 11 TRUSSVILLE, Jefferson, AL

Built 2000 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 1,252

CR 16

Good

Over: LAFARGE QUARRY RD

0.4 MI FROM CR 23, Shelby, AL

Built 2009 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 1,120

County Road 21

Good

Over: Luxapallila Tributary

Housh Chapel/CR-21 jct, Fayette, AL

Built 2017 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 109

Otto Webb RD

Good

Over: Big Prairie CRK

_, Perry, AL

Built 2023 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 50

CO.RD.95 MP 13.949

Good

Over: SMITH BRANCH

4.5 MI.N. US 84, Houston, AL

Built 1948 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 420

CO RD 33

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

US 84 TO CO RD 4, Houston, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 415

YELLOW CREEK RD

Good

Over: REEDY CREEK

2.8 MI. N. ALA. 18, Lamar, AL

Built 1952 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 120

COUNTY ROAD 49

Good

Over: BRANCH NO NAME

7.4 MI NE OF AL51, Barbour, AL

Built 1952 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 335

CO. RT. 44

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

1 MI W TALLAHATTA SPRING, Clarke, AL

Built 1957 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 375

CO. HWY 1

Good

Over: EIGHT MILE CREEK

3 MILES SOUTH OF HACODA, Geneva, AL

Built 1962 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 100

CO.RD.39

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

COUNTY LINE COMMUNITY, Autauga, AL

Built 1963 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 366

SR 52 MP 15.196

Good

Over: PEA RIVER RELIEF

.6 MI. E. SR.153, Geneva, AL

Built 1979 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 3,430

CO RD 400

Good

Over: MOORES CREEK

2.0 MILES WEST ELBA, Coffee, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 160

CO RT 48 /BASINGER

Good

Over: WOOLBANK CREEK

3.8 MI NORTH OF SR #86, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 50

DAVIS RD 263-185

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

5 MI WEST OF AL 185, Lowndes, AL

Built 1987 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 135

CO RD 114

Good

Over: E. PRONG CREEK

3.1 MILES W.ON ROAD 114, Wilcox, AL

Built 1988 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RT. 07

Good

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

7.25 MI. N CLARK CO. LINE, Marengo, AL

Built 1998 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 810

CO.RD. 471

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

HILL ARCH PIPE OFF CR56, Randolph, AL

Built 1997 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 100

CO RT 442

Good

Over: STANLEY MILL CREEK

.8 MI N PERRY STORE, Coffee, AL

Built 1998 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 98

MITCHELLVILLE RD

Good

Over: ACHER CREEK

MITCHELLVILLE RD., Calhoun, AL

Built 2002 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 406

Gillespie Road

Good

Over: STREAM

?????????????????????????, Madison, AL

Built 2010 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 950

GLADES PKWY

Good

Over: UT TO BUXAHATCHEE CREEK

GLADES PKWY AND WHIPPORWI, Shelby, AL

Built 2006 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 40

Lee Road 174

Good

Over: HALAWAKEE CREEK

0.2 MI S. CHAMBERS CO., Lee, AL

Built 2011 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 785

CR 1563

Good

Over: Long Branch

CR 1563, Cullman, AL

Built 2016 Load: 27.9 t ADT: 4

COUNTY ROAD 5523

Good

Over: WILSON POND BRANCH

SEC 10 T9N R22E, Pike, AL

Built 1962 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 175

HELTON DRIVE

Good

Over: COX CREEK

6// F N INT COX CREEK PKY, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1986 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 7,510

STOVAL ROAD

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK COWIKEE CREEK

0.5 MI NE OF CO RD 89, Barbour, AL

Built 2005 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 60

OLD MADISON PIKE

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.5 MILE EAST SLAUGHTER R, Madison, AL

Built 2015 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 14,000

EASTCHASE PKWY

Good

Over: POND

1.7 MI E OF TAYLOR RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 2001 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 1,000

Doss Road

Good

Over: Bavar Creek

Doss Rd, Cullman, AL

Built 2021 Load: 28.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY HIGHWAY121

Good

Over: BRANCH

4253 FT S JCT 1240, Marshall, AL

Built 1951 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 250

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1176 STREAM

2.5 MI E ALA HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 1950 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 265

FANNIN MILL ROAD

Good

Over: WEAVER MILL CREEK

.3 MI. WEST OF KENT RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1994 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 250

COUNTY HIGHWAY134

Good

Over: BIG SLAB CREEK

3332 FT NE JCT 1352, Marshall, AL

Built 1960 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 399

CO RT 93

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

0.5 E OF DAVIS CHAPEL, Fayette, AL

Built 1968 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 115

US 43

Good

Over: RELIEF

.1MI. N OF DEMOPOLIS, Marengo, AL

Built 1988 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 4,640

AL 28

Good

Over: MCCAINVILLE CREEK

4.8 MI. E. OF BOYD, Sumter, AL

Built 1993 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,214

CO RD 34

Good

Over: RED CREEK

0.6MI W SIX FORK RD, Washington, AL

Built 1959 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 400

CO RD 377

Good

Over: COOPER BRANCH

.2M N JCT CO RD 11, Shelby, AL

Built 1997 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 10

DERBY DRIVE

Good

Over: ALTON ROAD

DERBY DR * ALTON RD @I459, Jefferson, AL

Built 1993 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 2,000

CHAPEL LANE

Good

Over: PATTON CREEK

0.4 MILES FROM GALLERIA, Jefferson, AL

Built 2013 Load: 28.1 t ADT: 1,000

RT #2/BENEVOLA RD.

Good

Over: STERING LAKE BRANCH

3.2 MI EAST OF ST RT 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1948 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 600

COUNTY RT 19

Good

Over: BRANCH OF DOUBLE CREEK

06.65 MI N AL 28, Marengo, AL

Built 1960 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 500

I 759 RAMP TO 411

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CK

I 759 * BIG WILLS CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1985 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 1,629

BAY BR TO I-165 SB

Good

Over: BAY BRIDGE RD

I-165 @ BAY BRIDGE RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1993 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 2,670

CO RD 63

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

0.9 MI S JCT US 43, Franklin, AL

Built 1994 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 302

SR 52 MP 58.126

Good

Over: PINHOOK CREEK

.5 MI.E.HOUSTON 59, Houston, AL

Built 2000 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 9,150

COUNTY ROAD 11

Good

Over: BULLEN BRANCH

3 MI N. SR.43 CO.11 JCT., Franklin, AL

Built 2003 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 808

CO RD 117

Good

Over: ROGERS CREEK

1.0 MI W CLINTON, Greene, AL

Built 2005 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 530

Showing 10,501-10,550 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.