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

US 29

Good

Over: 5TH CONECUH RIVER RELIEF

0.4 MI N CO RD 53, Escambia, AL

Built 1986 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 835

SR 41

Good

Over: GRAVEL CREEK

6.7 MI. N. OF HYBART, Wilcox, AL

Built 1986 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 1,340

I-22

Good

Over: I-22

Jasper Interchange, Walker, AL

Built 1996 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 16,665

BLUEWATER ROAD

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

1 MILE WEST AL HWY 69, Walker, AL

Built 2000 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROAD 572

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

0.5 MI WEST OF CO RD 65, Marengo, AL

Built 2001 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 84

CO 36

Good

Over: DYNNE CREEK

BETWEEN HWY 9 * CR 19, Cleburne, AL

Built 2005 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 367

COUNTY ROAD 16

Good

Over: TRIB TO WHITSITT CREEK

?????????????????????????, Hale, AL

Built 2006 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 306

CR 7

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

4 MI S JCT CR 460, Lawrence, AL

Built 2007 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 170

CR 34

Good

Over: PINE BARREN CREEK

2.7 MILES W BIGBEE, Washington, AL

Built 2008 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 1,277

WHITE OAK Cir.

Good

Over: STREAM

0.9 MI SW OF I65, Cullman, AL

Built 1990 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 1,000

25th St ramp I59N

Good

Over: I-20/59 EB/NB

.03 Mi W Carraway Bd, Jefferson, AL

Built 2018 Load: 32.9 t ADT: 119,947

SR 227

Good

Over: BRAY CREEK

.5MI S JCT SR 68, DeKalb, AL

Built 1946 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 1,309

COLEY CREEK RD

Good

Over: COLEY CREEK

1.8 MI N US 280, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1982 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 565

COUNTY ROUTE #17

Good

Over: NASH CREEK

0.5 MI N OF OLD SR82, Pickens, AL

Built 1984 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 100

CO RD 1246

Good

Over: DAVIS CREEK

2 MI W STROUD, Chambers, AL

Built 1995 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: POND CREEK

1.5 MI. EAST ST137, Covington, AL

Built 2001 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 286

SR 213

Good

Over: CHICKASAW CREEK

1.5 MI E JCT US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 4,211

COUNTY ROAD 61

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

2 MILES NORTH OF BLACK, Geneva, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 600

COUNTY ROAD 4

Good

Over: EIGHT MILE CREEK

4.5 MI S OF HACODA, Geneva, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 299

CR 57

Good

Over: HOLLY CREEK

1MI. SOUTH OF US#82, Pickens, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 150

ASHURST BAR RD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.2 M. E. OF CO RD IN 3*1, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 2001 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 480

COUNTY ROAD 83

Good

Over: BLUE SPRING BRANCH

.81 MI FROM CR 62, Shelby, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 750

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: PINEYWOODS CREEK

3 MI. EAST OF U.S.HWY. 31, Conecuh, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 375

COUNTY ROAD 54

Good

Over: PINEY WOODS CREEK

7 MI. NW OF ABBEVILLE, Henry, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 300

DAVID JONES SPUR

Good

Over: BRANCH NO NAME

2.0 MILE EAST OF CO 49, Barbour, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 55

OLD BATESVILLE RD

Good

Over: DOWDY CREEK

5 MI EAST OF COUNTY RD 79, Barbour, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 70

FARMER ROAD

Good

Over: BRANCH NO NAME

3.0 MILES NORTH OF CO 89, Barbour, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 30

FARMER ROAD

Good

Over: MIDDLE FORK TRIB.

1 MI NORTH CO RD 89, Barbour, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 65

COUNTY ROAD 15

Good

Over: BERRY CREEK

1 MILE EAST CORD 23, Winston, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 143

COUNTY ROAD 15

Good

Over: RIGHT FORK

1 MILE EAST JCT CORD32???, Winston, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 280

COUNTY ROAD 97

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

Old School Road, Covington, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 450

COUNTY ROAD 72

Good

Over: POND CREEK

1 1/4 MILE W HWY 84, Covington, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 124

COUNTY ROAD 208

Good

Over: TRUSSELS CREEK TRIBUTARY

1.3 MI S UNION, Greene, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 450

CO. RT. 57

Good

Over: DOUBLE CREEK

5.58 MI. N. JEFFERSON, Marengo, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 530

CO. RT. 57

Good

Over: DOUBLE CREEK

6.1 MI N. OF JEFFERSON, Marengo, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 530

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: NARROW GAP CREEK

.5MI W FOSHEE, Escambia, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 683

SANITARY DAIRY RD

Good

Over: COOPER CREEK

CO RD 33 TO US 84, Houston, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 808

GILLEY MILL RD

Good

Over: OMUSSEE CREEK

CO RD 57 TO CO RD 22, Houston, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 230

LUCY GRADE RD

Good

Over: WEBB CREEK

WILSON MILL TO STATE PARK, Houston, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 333

EDGAR SMITH RD

Good

Over: COWARTS CREEK

CO RD 20 TO CO RD 34, Houston, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 245

CO. RD. 69

Good

Over: POSEY CREEK

1.1 MI. S.W. SR.243 CO.69, Franklin, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 770

COUNTY RD 79

Good

Over: TIGHT EYE CREEK

4 Miles NE os Samson, Geneva, AL

Built 2017 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 7

BEACH EXPRESS SO.

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

1.2 MI. N. OF US 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 2000 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 4,416

BEACH EXPRESS NO.

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

1.2 MI. N. OF US 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 2000 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 4,416

CO RT 154

Good

Over: LINDSY CREEK

.01 MI W CO RT 81, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 62

Co. Rd. 42

Good

Over: Unnamed creek

0.1 mi. west CR 48, Chilton, AL

Built 2017 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 3,100

Trib. to Cowpen Cr

Good

Over: CR 44_

.17 M. E. of CR 13, Baldwin, AL

Built 2017 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 3,267

County Road 49

Good

Over: Camp Creek

.25 SOUTH OF CR55, Cleburne, AL

Built 2020 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 404

US90 SR10

Good

Over: Perdido River

Florida & Alabama Line, Baldwin, AL

Built 2013 Load: 33.0 t ADT: 6,594

IRON CITY CUTOFF

Good

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

IRON CITY CUTOFF, Calhoun, AL

Built 1935 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 537

Showing 11,401-11,450 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.