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

CLEMENTS ROAD

Good

Over: WILLOW SWAMP CREEK

2.0 MI. S. BUTTERMILK RD., Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 800

CLEMENTS ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB.TO COTTONDALE CK.

1.5MI.S. OF BUTTERMILK RD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 500

JIM JONES ROAD

Good

Over: TRIB. TO COTTONDALE CK.

.6MI FM INT/W BUTTERMILK, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 28.7 t ADT: 500

LOCK ACCESS ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE PAINT ROCK CREEK

0.3 MI SOUTH US 431, Marshall, AL

Built 1939 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 191

COUNTY HIGHWAY106

Good

Over: BIG SPRING BRANCH

760 FT E JCT 79, Marshall, AL

Built 1968 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 320

WINCHESTER RD

Good

Over: RUBE BRANCH

NEAR JCT CO RD 1276, Madison, AL

Built 1965 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 4,950

COUNTY RT 57

Good

Over: LUBBUB CREEK

1 MI. EAST OF CO RT #3, Pickens, AL

Built 1970 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 215

CO RD 91

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

1.0 MI N SR 24 CO 91 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1977 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 128

SR 87 MP 28.277

Good

Over: BUCKS MILL CREEK

4.1 MI.N.SR 134, Coffee, AL

Built 1986 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 960

GLENBROOK ROAD

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.25 MI W AL 75 PINSON, Jefferson, AL

Built 1990 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 2,003

ST CLAIR /HWY157

Good

Over: KELLY CREEK

1 0 MI W LOGAN MARTIN DAM, St. Clair, AL

Built 1990 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 600

BIBB CO 13

Good

Over: SCHULTZ CREEK

NEAR W BLOCKTON WW CO 13, Bibb, AL

Built 1995 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 44

KNIGHT AVENUE

Good

Over: BIRMINGHAM SOU RR

KNIGHT AVE * BIRM SOU RR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 1,200

SR 65

Good

Over: BRANCH

3.1MI N JCT U S 72 * SR65, Jackson, AL

Built 1998 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 1,549

CR7 HUMPBACK RD.

Good

Over: BR. OF CHESTNUT CREEK

CR7 1 MI NW MAPLE SPR.CH., Chilton, AL

Built 2000 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 1,200

Gunnells Road

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

1.5 MILES N OF ST-14, Elmore, AL

Built 2000 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 150

CO RD 29

Good

Over: NONE

1.53 MI S OF HALE CO LINE, Perry, AL

Built 1970 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 641

_RIVER CREST DRIVE

Good

Over: _LOGAN MARTIN LAKE

PIER 59 MARINA, St. Clair, AL

Built 2016 Load: 28.8 t ADT: 227

CO 002

Good

Over: BRANCH CULVERT

0.6 MI N CO RT 008, Talladega, AL

Built 1949 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 1,310

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1008 CREEK

0.2 MI NE MISS LINE, Sumter, AL

Built 1955 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 297

HICKORY GROVE RD

Good

Over: COWARTS CREEK

AL 53 TO CO RD 81, Houston, AL

Built 1971 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 340

HICKORY GROVE RD

Good

Over: COWARTS CREEK

AL 53 TO CO RD 81, Houston, AL

Built 1971 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 365

CR. 45

Good

Over: PERSIMMON CREEK

1.1 MI.SE GREENVILLE C.L., Butler, AL

Built 1975 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 2,483

CO RD #28

Good

Over: LITTLE SCARHAM CREEK

2.0 MI E AL #75 T8SR6E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1983 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 88

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: CROW CREEK

1 MI W JCT US 72 * SR 117, Jackson, AL

Built 1988 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 14,086

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: CROW CREEK

1 MI W JCT US 72 * SR 117, Jackson, AL

Built 1992 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 14,086

LAKE CYRUS PKWY

Good

Over: SHADES CREEK

LAKE CYRUS PKWY/ AL150, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 800

US 82

Good

Over: SIPSEY RIVER RELIEF #1

0.9 MI. W SIPSEY RIVER, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 12,687

US 82

Good

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

4.9 MI. E TUSC CO. LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 28.9 t ADT: 12,687

BOWEN RD

Good

Over: DRAKE CREEK

0.8 MI E ALA NO 9, Clay, AL

Built 1963 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 104

SR 85 MP 22.292

Good

Over: WIREGRASS CENTRAL R.R.

FORT RUCKER GATE, Dale, AL

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 11,910

US 84

Good

Over: ALABAMA RIVER REL.

1.5 MI. W. OF CLABORNE, Monroe, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,316

SR 10

Good

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

SWEETWATER, Marengo, AL

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,990

SR 17

Good

Over: CROSBYS CREEK

MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 1986 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,900

SR 10 MP 188.546

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

.6 MI.E.BARBOUR #5, Barbour, AL

Built 1987 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,760

0LD MADISON PIKE

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RR*SHERWOOD CRK

JCT.OLD MADISON PK*SOU.RR, Madison, AL

Built 1990 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 11,100

COUNTY HWY 1014

Good

Over: BEECH CREEK

17013 FT S JCT 69, Marshall, AL

Built 1993 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,360

POST OAK ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

POST OAK, Calhoun, AL

Built 1993 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,712

CNTY. ROAD #9

Good

Over: MCCALLS BRANCH

2.7 MI. N INT 10 * 187, Choctaw, AL

Built 1953 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 620

SR 117

Good

Over: LITTLE RIVER

1 MI N AL/GA ST LINE, DeKalb, AL

Built 2006 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 4,504

RUE ROAD

Good

Over: CARROLL CREEK

.7 MI. FROM INT. ALA 171, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2005 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 750

US 80

Good

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RIVER

1.98 MI EAST OF BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 2009 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,690

US 80

Good

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RIVER

1.98 MI E OF BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 2007 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 5,030

POWDER PLANT ROAD

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

POWDER PL RD / VALLEY CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 5,500

Roebuck IND. PKWY

Good

Over: Creek

0.1 Mi. From US 11, Jefferson, AL

Built 2016 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 300

CR 45

Good

Over: LITTLE RIVER

3.5 mi E URIAH, Monroe, AL

Built 2020 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 20

S 11TH ST

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

S 11TH ST * BLACK CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1940 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 8,256

CO RD 20

Good

Over: AUTAUGA CREEK

CO.RD.20, Autauga, AL

Built 1961 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 338

MERIWETHER TRAIL

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

.2 MI E LAPINE FLASHER, Montgomery, AL

Built 1994 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 600

AL - 4 (US 78)

Good

Over: MORRIS AVE * R.R.

24TH ST. VIADUCT, Jefferson, AL

Built 1995 Load: 29.1 t ADT: 8,620

Showing 10,601-10,650 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.