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 33

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI WEST OF CO RD 37, Lowndes, AL

Built 1958 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 460

ALFORD RD CO.RD 10

Good

Over: BARKER MILL CREEK

5 MILES S.E.OF HACODA, Geneva, AL

Built 1961 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 250

CO RD 20

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

0.3 MI N. US 11, Greene, AL

Built 1968 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 630

CO RD 8

Good

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

WILSON MILL TO STATE PARK, Houston, AL

Built 1968 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 300

CO RT 127

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.49 MILES SOUTH OF JAVA, Coffee, AL

Built 1972 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 150

CO RT 71A

Good

Over: PINEY CREEK

1.4 MI E JCT I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1978 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 200

SR 69

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.9 MI. S. OF GALLION, Marengo, AL

Built 1987 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 860

BROOKE AVE

Good

Over: WILLS CK

BROOKE AVE*WILLS CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1988 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 6,123

CR-41

Good

Over: Ditch Branch

0.23 Miles NE of CR-29, Coosa, AL

Built 1992 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 747

AL 60

Good

Over: BIG BRUSH CREEK

1.3 MI E JCT S.R. #14, Hale, AL

Built 1993 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 1,970

COUNTY RT NO 27

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

DICKINSON AL, Clarke, AL

Built 1998 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 950

RENFROE RD.

Good

Over: NS RR & STREAM

1.1MI W AL 275, Talladega, AL

Built 1999 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 3,000

US 84 MP 135.972

Good

Over: FIVE RUN CREEK

4.2 MI. E. JCT US 29, Covington, AL

Built 2005 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 4,615

US 84 MP 135.972

Good

Over: FIVE RUN CREEK

4.2 MI E. JCT. US 29, Covington, AL

Built 2005 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 4,615

CO RT 81

Good

Over: LINDSEY CREEK

0.0 MI S INT CO RT 154, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 506

TUPELO ROAD

Good

Over: TARRANT SPRINGS BRANCH

SUN VALLEY AND TUPELO RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2012 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 250

BAILEY CREEK CIR.

Good

Over: BAILEY CREEK

.10 MI. EAST BAILEY COVE, Madison, AL

Built 2014 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 540

I-65 17TH ST RAMP

Good

Over: 15th St. & 16th St.

I-65 17TH STREET RAMP, Jefferson, AL

Built 2018 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 2,018

Dead Hollow Road

Good

Over: Tanyard Branch

0.1 MI. West JCT AL 25, Shelby, AL

Built 2016 Load: 33.1 t ADT: 150

SR 35

Good

Over: STREAM

3.5 MI N JCT CO RD 119, Jackson, AL

Built 1934 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 1,534

COUNTY ROAD 2201

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

SEC 11 T9N R19E, Pike, AL

Built 1952 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 250

LOWER DUBLIN ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

1.2 MI SE DUNBAR SCHOOL, Montgomery, AL

Built 1976 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 250

SR 9

Good

Over: CHULAFINNEE CREEK

0.5 MI N OF JCT US 431, Cleburne, AL

Built 1983 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 2,368

US 82

Good

Over: AL 5 (-)

JCT SR 5 * SR 6, Bibb, AL

Built 1985 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 2,610

CO RT 482

Good

Over: LITTLE SCARHAM CREEK

1.1 MI NE OF PAINTET8SR5E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1986 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 189

CO RT NO 45

Good

Over: BAPTIZING CREEK

2.45 MI N AL 25, Marengo, AL

Built 1989 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 400

I-22

Good

Over: CR-45

5.6 MI East of US-43, Marion, AL

Built 1991 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 12,261

CO. RD. 49

Good

Over: SKUNK BAYOU

1.3 MI. W. OF CO. RD. 19, Baldwin, AL

Built 1994 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 478

I-22

Good

Over: Mill Creek

I-22 & Mill Creek, Walker, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 14,713

COUNTY ROAD 50

Good

Over: SECOND CREEK

1 MI. EAST ALA 101, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 270

SR 71

Good

Over: BRYANT CREEK

2 MI. N JCT. 71 * 40, Jackson, AL

Built 2004 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 2,356

SR 21

Good

Over: TALLADEGA CREEK

CITY OF TALLADEGA, Talladega, AL

Built 2004 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 5,496

Jimmy Faulkner Dr.

Good

Over: SIBLEY CREEK

2.2 MI.N. OF AL. HWY.31, Baldwin, AL

Built 2005 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 392

HOLINGSWORTH ROAD

Good

Over: LUXAPALLILA CREEK

5.5 MILES NW OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 2004 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 115

BOBO ROAD

Good

Over: LUXAPALLILA CREEK

1.5 MI NW OF BOBO, Fayette, AL

Built 2004 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD 142

Good

Over: PAINT ROCK RIVER

0.1 MILE JUT SR 65, Jackson, AL

Built 2007 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 93

SOUTH PARK AVENUE

Good

Over: FOLKES BRANCH

DOTHAN, Houston, AL

Built 2007 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 9,030

CO RD 37

Good

Over: BROTHERICK BRANCH

1.50 MI W CO 63, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.2 t ADT: 256

AL 5

Good

Over: AFFONEE CREEK

0.3 MI N JCT SR 25, Bibb, AL

Built 1942 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 4,669

CO RT 643

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

2.5 MILE S.W.OF BATTENS X, Coffee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 413

AL-118

Good

Over: Luxapalilla Creek

2 MI W JCT SR 253, Marion, AL

Built 1964 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 6,441

Avant Road

Good

Over: CHANNAHATCHEE CREEK

SEC 35 T20N R20E, Elmore, AL

Built 1978 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 40

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: FLINT RIVER

JCT FLINT RIVER * US 72, Madison, AL

Built 1994 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 11,959

CO RD 47

Good

Over: WATERHOLE HOLLOW

0.9 MI. N. OF I-65, Baldwin, AL

Built 1996 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 1,600

CO RT 135

Good

Over: MASTERSON CREEK

2.65MI W JCT CO RT 236, Lawrence, AL

Built 1993 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 170

SR 130 MP 8.899

Good

Over: PEA RIVER

1.1MI E PIKE CO 83, Pike, AL

Built 1999 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 680

I-22

Good

Over: Little New River

2.85 Miles East OF AL-129, Marion, AL

Built 2001 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 12,834

I-22

Good

Over: Little New River

2.85 Miles East of AL-129, Marion, AL

Built 2001 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 12,834

SR 17

Good

Over: TUCKABUM CREEK REL.

2.8 MILES S OF JACHIN, Choctaw, AL

Built 2000 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 1,160

SR 17

Good

Over: TUCKABUM CREEK REL.

2.6 MILES S OF JACHIN, Choctaw, AL

Built 2000 Load: 33.3 t ADT: 1,160

Showing 11,451-11,500 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.