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

COUNTY ROAD 7

Fair

Over: LINE CREEK

SEC 19 T14 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 400

US 84 MP 164.915

Fair

Over: PEA RIVER

CITY OF ELBA, Coffee, AL

Built 1930 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 8,390

SCYRENE-CHANCE RD

Fair

Over: SILVER CREEK

2.0 MI. EAST CO. RT. 35, Clarke, AL

Built 1960 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 60

COUNTY 3

Fair

Over: CAHABA RIVER

2.2MI E HARRISBURG CO.3, Bibb, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 66

Fair

Over: RELIEF PATSALIGA

SHADY GROVE RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1964 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 653

SR 2

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4.6 M W JCT SR 2 & SR 3, Limestone, AL

Built 1934 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 14,840

SR 99

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.7 M W JCT SR 99 & SR 3, Limestone, AL

Built 1965 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 10,640

CO RD 13

Fair

Over: CUBAHATCHEE CREEK

4.0 MI SO. HWY 80W/SR8, Macon, AL

Built 1966 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 300

CAROL ST

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

0.4 MI N OLD SHELL ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 1968 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 107

RAMP

Fair

Over: I 20 * I 459 *

I 20/ I459 INTERCHANGE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1984 Load: 20.2 t ADT: 7,000

COUNTY ROAD 59

Fair

Over: BLUE CREEK

LAPINE HWY., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1949 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 600

ROADWAY

Fair

Over: CO RT 1202 KINTERBISH CR

3.8 MI SE MISS STATE LINE, Sumter, AL

Built 1954 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 125

CR 53

Fair

Over: LITTLE COON CREEK(MC)

1.1 MI E JCT CR 35, Jackson, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 142

I-65

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.9 MI N JCT US 84, Conecuh, AL

Built 1959 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 27,591

COUNTY ROAD 103

Fair

Over: COWIKEE CREEK

SEC 12 T14 R25, Bullock, AL

Built 1964 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 250

Tram Road

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

2.0 MI W OF CO.RD.23, Elmore, AL

Built 1961 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 392

COUNTY ROAD 68

Fair

Over: LITTLE PATSALIGA CREEK

NEW EBENEZER RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 766

Frye Road

Fair

Over: Beaver Creek Relief

2 MILES NW OF GUIN, Marion, AL

Built 1919 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 305

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: HOLLY MILL CREEK

1 MI. W. SPRINGHILLCHURCH, Monroe, AL

Built 1967 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 65

FEDERAL ROAD

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE RELIEF

2.1 MI. E OF LOWNDES CO., Montgomery, AL

Built 1968 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 425

SNWDN-CHAMBERS RD.

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE RELIEF

2.8 MILE EAST CO RD61, Montgomery, AL

Built 1983 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 400

I - 65 SOUTH

Fair

Over: SARDIS RD

I65 * SARDIS RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 25,220

I - 65 NORTH

Fair

Over: SARDIS ROAD

I 65 * SARDIS ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 25,220

9TH AVENUE

Fair

Over: Northwood Lake Branch

0.2 MI N US#82 BYPASS, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1989 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 1,825

UNION HILL RD.

Fair

Over: PINE LOG BR.

3 MI SW OF SLOCOMB, Geneva, AL

Built 1946 Load: 20.3 t ADT: 47

AVE F

Fair

Over: VILLAGE CREEK

AVENUE F ENS * VILLAGE CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1913 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 8,000

2ND AVE. NORTH

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2ND AVE. * 6TH ST., Jefferson, AL

Built 1920 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 2,500

PRATT HWY

Fair

Over: BRANCH

PRATT HWY * MORGAN STR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1925 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 2,500

SIPSEY ROAD

Fair

Over: MULBERRY FORK WARRIOR RV

2 MILE E SIPSEY, Walker, AL

Built 1963 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 2,000

COUNTY HWY 1139

Fair

Over: CREEK

4879 FT S JCT 1073, Marshall, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 150

SR 105 MP 5.224

Fair

Over: JUDAH CREEK

.2 MI.S.DALE CO 54, Dale, AL

Built 1945 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 1,850

COUNTY ROAD 49

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK COWIKEECREEK

6.3 MI NE OF US 82, Barbour, AL

Built 1948 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 270

CO RT 184

Fair

Over: ELAM CREEK

0.6 MI S JCT CO RT 87, Lawrence, AL

Built 1953 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 275

BLUFF VALLEY RD

Fair

Over: ENITACHOPCO CREEK

5.8 MI E ALA NO 9, Clay, AL

Built 1963 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 233

SR 20

Fair

Over: BIG NANCE CREEK

2 M W JCT SR 20 & SR 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1984 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 5,010

HORTON MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: JONES CREEK

2 MI E OF HORTONS MILL, Blount, AL

Built 1956 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 174

GARDNERS GIN RD

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

3.5 MI S JCT BHM HWY CR61, Walker, AL

Built 1991 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 3,000

R11W(WASHST-I565)

Fair

Over: CHURCH STREET

2.3 MI E JCT I565 * SR 53, Madison, AL

Built 1991 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 5,284

JP HOWARD DIRT RD

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO SIMMONS CK.

2MI SE CENTERVILLE, Conecuh, AL

Built 1994 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 50

WILLIE-PARNELL RD

Fair

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

EAST OF FAIRHOPE CHURCH, Washington, AL

Built 2008 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 10

Flat Creek Rd.

Fair

Over: North River

1.2 miles SE of Berry, Fayette, AL

Built 1970 Load: 20.4 t ADT: 10

ROMULUS ROAD

Fair

Over: NUBBIN CREEK

14.0 MI NE GREEN CO LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1952 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 1,500

CO RD 54

Fair

Over: SMITH BRANCH

AL 52 TO CO RD 48, Houston, AL

Built 1953 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 655

AL-253

Fair

Over: Buttahatchee River

0.4 MI S JCT US 278, Marion, AL

Built 1955 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 245

ROAD

Fair

Over: GIVENS BRANCH

BR. CULVT. ON CO. RD. 15, Henry, AL

Built 1963 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 350

J.P. HOWARD RD.

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO SIMMONS CK.

3MI SE CENTERVILLE, Conecuh, AL

Built 1994 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 40

U.S 31 SBL

Fair

Over: ALABAMA RIVER

0.6 MI. S. OF ELMORE CO L, Montgomery, AL

Built 2001 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 10,450

13TH STREET

Fair

Over: VALLEY CREEK

13TH ST. OVER VALLEY CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1955 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 3,000

LOCKWOOD RD

Fair

Over: BILBO CREEK

2.8 MI. W. HWY 17/TIBBIE, Washington, AL

Built 2008 Load: 20.5 t ADT: 10

FAS 24 CR 27

Fair

Over: SOUTH SAUTY CREEK

2.9 MI W JCT SR 75, DeKalb, AL

Built 1949 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 1,281

Showing 1,101-1,150 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.