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

CO RD 223

Good

Over: PEWTERFORK CREEK

Co Rd 223, Cullman, AL

Built 2012 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 540

Co RT 87

Good

Over: Bluff Creek

3.8 Mi N Int Co Rd 14, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2016 Load: 28.2 t ADT: 218

SR 35

Good

Over: STREAM

3.5MI N JCT SR 35 *CO 17, Jackson, AL

Built 1934 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 1,534

SR 3

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.2 MI S SR 3 & I 65, Morgan, AL

Built 1951 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 3,970

CO RD 17

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

1 MI SOUTH OF US 80, Lowndes, AL

Built 1956 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 415

CO RT 660

Good

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

3.01 MI SOUTH OF CENTRALC, Coffee, AL

Built 1974 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 30

CARL T. JONES DR

Good

Over: ALDRIDGE CREEK TRIB

.25 M N FOUR MILE POST, Madison, AL

Built 1988 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 29,900

CO RT 12

Good

Over: WADE CREEK

0.7 MI E JCT CO RD 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1990 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 260

WALES ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE PINEY CREEK

SEC1 T2S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 2003 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 240

COUNTY ROAD 1736

Good

Over: PAN CREEK

CO.RD.1736, Cullman, AL

Built 2004 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 200

Maxwell Loop

Good

Over: Duck Creek

1.8 mi W of AL 69, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2019 Load: 28.3 t ADT: 20

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1067 TEOC CREEK

1.8 MI W AL HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 1950 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 265

ST. DOMINIC PLACE

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

157 E. BURMA HILLS EAST, Mobile, AL

Built 1960 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 138

COUNTY ROUTE 1

Good

Over: BRANCH

3.5 MI. N. ELISKA, Monroe, AL

Built 1971 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 375

AL 17

Good

Over: I-59

2.3 MI. N. OF YORK, Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 1,734

CO RT 147

Good

Over: PEA RIVER

2.3 MI S OF NEW HOPE, Coffee, AL

Built 1984 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 225

CO. 54

Good

Over: ALLENS MILL CREEK

2 MI. S. W. UNION HILL, Chambers, AL

Built 1985 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 168

BOWERS LANE

Good

Over: MUDDY CREEK

0.5 MI S OLD MILITARY RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1991 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 24

CR 460

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

1.7 MI W JCT SR 101, Lawrence, AL

Built 1991 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 4,780

NEW GARDEN ROAD

Good

Over: MUDDY CREEK

SEC34 T1S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 2003 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 442

RT 2/BENEVOLA RD.

Good

Over: COW CREEK

1 MILE EAST OF AL 14??, Pickens, AL

Built 2003 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 550

SR 69

Good

Over: JACKSON CREEK

7.2 mi n of Jackson, Clarke, AL

Built 2015 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 1,060

SILVER CK. LANE

Good

Over: UT SPRING CK

SILVER CK SUBDIVISION, Shelby, AL

Built 2008 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 25

_Liberty Road

Good

Over: _Little Creek

_0.9 MI. South CR 439, Shelby, AL

Built 2018 Load: 28.4 t ADT: 25

CO.RD.9

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.4 MI. N. OF CO. RD. 28, Baldwin, AL

Built 1954 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 2,489

CO. HWY # 72

Good

Over: CAMPBELL MILL CREEK

1 MI E OF CHANCELLOR, Geneva, AL

Built 1960 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 252

CAMP COLEMAN ROAD

Good

Over: CAHABA RIVER TRIBUTARY

BEFORE JCT WINDSONG DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 240

CO RD 37

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI SOUTH OF US 80, Lowndes, AL

Built 1961 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 410

CO RT 327

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK

1.4 MI S JCT CO RT 87, Lawrence, AL

Built 1963 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 220

HORSE CRK BLVD

Good

Over: BRANCH (RELIEF)

0.35MI E AMORY AVE/CR30, Walker, AL

Built 1967 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 1,500

CO RD 6

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.3 MI E INT RT 231 * 241, Choctaw, AL

Built 1967 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 425

1ST ST SE

Good

Over: BRANCH

BETWEEN SANDERS * GODFREY, DeKalb, AL

Built 1969 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 540

OLD JASPER HWY

Good

Over: BLACK WARRIOR LOCUSTFORK

SAYRE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1972 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 631

CR 27

Good

Over: I-59

2.3 MI. N. OF MISS.ST.LN., Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 100

OHV 1

Good

Over: Dorsey Creek

_, Cullman, AL

Built 2023 Load: 28.5 t ADT: 300

SNAKE ROAD

Good

Over: COXEY CREEK

SEC16 T35 R6W, Limestone, AL

Built 1949 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 610

LIZTAME DR

Good

Over: BALDWIN SLOUGH

200FT W OF KINGSBURY DR, Montgomery, AL

Built 1978 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 125

CR313 OLD HWY 22

Good

Over: MARTIN CREEK

CR313 RIDERVILLE, Chilton, AL

Built 1983 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 500

CO 49

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

1 MI N OF RANBURNE, Cleburne, AL

Built 1998 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 700

US431 SR1

Good

Over: HONEYCOMB CREEK

3.9MI.NJCT.SR79*US431, Marshall, AL

Built 1998 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 8,819

SR. 134 MP 8.121

Good

Over: PEA RIVER RELIEF

3 MI.E.OF SR.189, Coffee, AL

Built 2003 Load: 28.6 t ADT: 3,940

SR 9

Good

Over: WILLIS BRANCH

5.3 MI N JCT US 78, Calhoun, AL

Built 1955 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 3,475

COUNTY ROAD 26

Good

Over: BOXES CREEK

3.0 MI E OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1957 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 1,130

SCONYERS RD

Good

Over: CAMPBELL CREEK

1.1 MI NE OF AL 10, Barbour, AL

Built 1960 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 155

SR 63

Good

Over: WHATLEYS MILL CREEK

9.1 MI N. ELMORE CO LINE, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1980 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 5,825

SR 9

Good

Over: CARR CREEK

0.5 MI S JCT US 431, Cleburne, AL

Built 1983 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 2,177

COUNTY DIRT RD

Good

Over: SHULTZ CREEK

5.4 MI. N AL. 5 ON CO. 9, Bibb, AL

Built 1985 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 140

SPARKMAN DR

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RR

JCT. SPKMAN DR*SOU.RR, Madison, AL

Built 1990 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 22,000

CO. 83

Good

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

1 MI. S. CUSSETA, Chambers, AL

Built 1952 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 1,150

TYLER LOOP ROAD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

JCT GRIST MILL ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 2,550

Showing 10,551-10,600 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.