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

UPPER COLUMBUS RD.

Good

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

9.8 MI. NW JCT. US NO. 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2000 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 750

ALEX/WELL RD

Good

Over: TRIB TO TALLASSEEHATCHEE

ALEX/WELL RD CULVERT, Calhoun, AL

Built 2012 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 211

_BRIARWOOD DR

Good

Over: _ALDRIDGE CREEK

1 MILE EAST WHITESBURG, Madison, AL

Built 2017 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 400

MARTIN ROAD

Good

Over: HUNTSVILLE SPRING BRANCH

200 YARDS E GATE 1, Madison, AL

Built 2002 Load: 30.5 t ADT: 14,800

UPPER COLUMBUS RD.

Good

Over: Lake Lurleen Creek

2.5 MI NW OF JCT US NO 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1951 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 400

COUNTY RT 75

Good

Over: RELIEF OF MAGBY CREEK

3.4 MI NORTH OF US HWY 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1959 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 280

CO RD 53

Good

Over: JENNY WATSON CREEK

3.5 MI SE HWY 14, Greene, AL

Built 1960 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 472

MARLIN SPRINGS RD

Good

Over: TARRANT SPRING BRANCH

500 W CARSON ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 3,868

SMILIE FERRY RD.

Good

Over: CREEK RELIEF

1.4 MI. N. OF MERIWETHER, Montgomery, AL

Built 1982 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 115

SMILIE FERRY RD.

Good

Over: TUCKERS SLOUGH

1.3 N OF MERIWETHER TRAIL, Montgomery, AL

Built 1982 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 115

US 43

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN

DEMOPOLIS, Marengo, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 3,740

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

3.4 MI E FLINT RIVER, Madison, AL

Built 1986 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 10,490

ROYWEBB RD.

Good

Over: TALLASSEEHATCHEE CREEK

ROY WEBB RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 1939 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 1,910

I-565

Good

Over: BRADFORD CREEK

1.7 MI E COUNTY LINE ROAD, Madison, AL

Built 1988 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 65,092

US 98

Good

Over: OAK POND BRANCH EAST

3.6 MI E SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1988 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 13,203

US231; US431; SR1

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN

0.6 MI N JCT US231 *US431, Madison, AL

Built 1991 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 127,353

CO RD 1344

Good

Over: LITTLE SLAB CREEK

679 FT W JCT 1348, Marshall, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 150

CO. RD. 62

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.7 MI. W. OF CO. RD. 83, Baldwin, AL

Built 2009 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 485

BEACH EXPRESS

Good

Over: DAVIS BRANCH

0.4 M. N. OF US 90, Baldwin, AL

Built 2012 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 3,732

BALCH RD.

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

1 MI E LIMESTONE CO. LINE, Madison, AL

Built 2009 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 3,500

JONES BLUFF PARK

Good

Over: IVY CREEK

HENRY L&D NEAR SELMA AL, Autauga, AL

Built 1987 Load: 30.6 t ADT: 10

COUNTY ROAD 7707

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

SEC 29 T12N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 1996 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 300

AL-253

Good

Over: Camp Creek

5 MI N JCT AL-118, Marion, AL

Built 1991 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 222

SR 3

Good

Over: Tennessee River Relief

1 M N JCT SR 3 & SR 20, Limestone, AL

Built 1997 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 25,465

SR 3

Good

Over: Tennessee River Relief

1 M N JCT SR 3 & SR 20, Limestone, AL

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 25,465

SR 17

Good

Over: LITTLE BASSETTS CREEK

2.5 MI N OF TIBBIE, Washington, AL

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 1,640

KEENES MILL ROAD

Good

Over: BEE BRANCH

1.9 MI E JCT AL 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1995 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 750

COUNTY ROAD 181

Good

Over: PIPPEN CREEK

4.3 MI N AL 14, Greene, AL

Built 2005 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 204

CR 67

Good

Over: BOLES CREEK

2 MILES SOUTH OF 102, Fayette, AL

Built 1966 Load: 30.7 t ADT: 262

COUNTY ROAD 203

Good

Over: TALLADEGA CREEK BRANCH

1.5 MI W INTER CO 203, Talladega, AL

Built 1955 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 3,710

BAXTER STATION RD

Good

Over: SIKES CREEK

0.4 MI W OF COUNTY 21, Barbour, AL

Built 1960 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 145

CAMPBELL FIELD RD

Good

Over: UT CONECUH RIVER

SEC 12 T10N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1960 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 900

HWY46 T Peacock Rd

Good

Over: SANDY BRANCH

4 MI NE OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1963 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 120

CO RD 25

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

1.0 MI S RODENTOWN T9SR6E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1966 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 223

UNIVERSITY DRIVE

Good

Over: BRANCH

UNIV DR E OF MEMORIAL PKY, Madison, AL

Built 1972 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 20,200

CO RT 221

Good

Over: BIG SHOAL CREEK

0.6 MI S JCT CO RT 87, Lawrence, AL

Built 1974 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 90

CO RT 1518

Good

Over: DUCK CREEK

CR 1518, Cullman, AL

Built 1983 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 160

5TH STREET

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

5TH ST * TOWN CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,612

CO. 195

Good

Over: OSANIPPA CREEK

1. 5 MI. S. W. MC GINTY, Chambers, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,024

US 84 MP 163.748

Good

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

0.3 MI. N. SR 189, Coffee, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 2,075

SR 27 MP 54.370

Good

Over: W. CHOCTAWHATCHEE RELIEF

0.3 MI.E. DALE #18, Dale, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,280

SR 53

Good

Over: TN RIVER RELIEF

3 MI N JCT SR 36 & SR 53, Morgan, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 10,175

SR 53

Good

Over: TN RIVER RELIEF

3.3 M N JCT SR 36 & SR 53, Morgan, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 10,175

CO RD 55

Good

Over: BOGGY CREEK

COTTONWOOD TO HENRY CO, Houston, AL

Built 1986 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,220

SR 25

Good

Over: DRY CREEK REL.

3.9 MI. N. OF THOMASTON, Marengo, AL

Built 1987 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,110

CITY STREET

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

WEST LAFAYETTE ST., Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1988 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 575

SR 21

Good

Over: ROBINSON CREEK REL.

3.2 MI. S. OF BEATRICE, Monroe, AL

Built 1988 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,940

AL 25

Good

Over: BIG PRAIRIE CREEK REL

1.1 MI N LANEVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1988 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,600

AL 25

Good

Over: BIG PRAIRIE CREEK RELIEF

1.5 MI N LANEVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1988 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,600

CHEROKEE #11

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

0.3 MI N JCT SR 68, Cherokee, AL

Built 1989 Load: 30.8 t ADT: 1,420

Showing 10,851-10,900 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.