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

_Limerick Lane

Good

Over: Drainage

40 South of Fionn Loop, Baldwin, AL

Built 2000 Load: 33.5 t ADT: 205

COUNTY ROAD 3314

Good

Over: TRIB TO WHITEWATER CREEK

SEC 14 T8N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 1966 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 75

I-59

Good

Over: AT*N.RR (ABANDON)

.3MI.S. OF S.R.17, Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 21,968

CO RT 71A

Good

Over: PINEY CREEK RELIEF

1.1 MI E JCT I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1978 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 200

US 43

Good

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

THOMASVILLE, Clarke, AL

Built 1981 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 4,275

AL-17

Good

Over: Yellow Creek Relief

7.1 MI N OF MILLPORT, Lamar, AL

Built 1929 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,191

CO 32

Good

Over: ADAMS BRANCH

2 4 S W HUGLEY, Russell, AL

Built 1985 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 400

US 29

Good

Over: MANTEL CREEK

1.2 MI N SR 41, Escambia, AL

Built 1986 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 2,690

RED BANK ROAD

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK

1.75 MI E SR 31, Morgan, AL

Built 1991 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 330

CR-74

Good

Over: I-22

4.9 MI E US-43, Marion, AL

Built 1992 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 100

CO RD 57

Good

Over: BREAKFAST CREEK

INT 57 AND 85, Autauga, AL

Built 1996 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 725

JOE MALLISHAM PKWY

Good

Over: TATER HILL CREEK

0.53 MI N BLACK WARR RV, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,250

SR 64

Good

Over: SECOND CREEK

2 MI E JCT SR64 & SR101, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 2,720

COUNTY ROAD 1045

Good

Over: BRANCH OF FLINT CREEK

1.0 MI EAST SR 31, Morgan, AL

Built 2003 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 791

COUNTY ROAD 341

Good

Over: BENSON CREEK

CR341 3MI N SARDIS CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1971 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 100

AL1 US231 US431

Good

Over: MAX LUTHER DRIVE

MAX LUTHER DR * MEM. PKWY, Madison, AL

Built 2012 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 38,748

Bradford Rd (CR47)

Good

Over: Beaver Creek

_, Pickens, AL

Built 2018 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 150

Ciounty Road 24

Good

Over: Turkey Branch

87 feet W of US 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 2017 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 1,340

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Good

Over: COUNTY ROAD

0.8 MILES SOUTH OF U.S. R, Colbert, AL

Built 1981 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 720

CO. RT. 48

Good

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

1.97 MI.E OF BASHI, Clarke, AL

Built 1955 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 750

THACH ROAD

Good

Over: PINEY CR

SEC28 T1S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1958 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 880

COUNTY ROAD 3328

Good

Over: CLEARWATER CREEK

SECT 35 T8N R22E, Pike, AL

Built 1963 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 275

COUNTY RT #76

Good

Over: MOCCASIN BRANCH

1.2 MI E OF JCT # 159, Pickens, AL

Built 1964 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 200

CR # 86

Good

Over: TRIB TO BEECH CK SWAMP

0.34 MI E CR 81, Dallas, AL

Built 1970 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 150

CO RT 477

Good

Over: HOLLEY MILL CREEK

3.6 MI W OF FAIRVIEW, Coffee, AL

Built 1974 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 97

COUNTY ROAD 7724

Good

Over: NAPPY HEAD BRANCH

SEC 12 T10N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1986 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 40

BIVENS-BROOKSIDE R

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

0.4 MI N CHERRY AVENUE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1987 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 2,800

BIBB-GARRETT RD

Good

Over: PINEY CR

SEC31 T4S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1988 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 300

RAY AVE

Good

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.3 MI S OF HORTON RD, DeKalb, AL

Built 1990 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 250

AL - 76

Good

Over: LOGAN BRANCH

AL 76 * LOGAN BRANCH, Shelby, AL

Built 1992 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 3,170

AL 60

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

0.5 MI E OF AKRON, Hale, AL

Built 1993 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 2,212

CO. RD. 52

Good

Over: SILVER CREEK

0.8 MI. E. OF CO. RD. 55, Baldwin, AL

Built 1993 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 956

AL-74

Good

Over: Rock Creek

2 MI. E of Addison, Winston, AL

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 3,700

CO. RT. 19

Good

Over: BASSETT CREEK

WALKER SPRINGS, Clarke, AL

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 450

I-22

Good

Over: Calumet Road

M.P. 61.9 on I-22, Walker, AL

Built 1995 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 18,526

CO RD 193

Good

Over: SOUTH FORK CREEK

T-8-S R-7-E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1995 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 119

US 29 MP 71.628

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

S CITY LIMITS BRANTLEY, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1996 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 2,560

CO RT 10

Good

Over: RABBIT CREEK

2.51MI NE JCT 43/CO 10, Clarke, AL

Built 1996 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 450

CO RT 139

Good

Over: LITTLE CYPRESS CK

1.2MI N INT CO 11, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1994 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 12

SR21

Good

Over: KELLY CREEK

CITY OF TALLADEGA, Talladega, AL

Built 2007 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 5,607

CO. RT. 747

Good

Over: BRINDLEY CREEK

Cr 747 North, Cullman, AL

Built 1999 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 700

COUNTY ROAD #225

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

0.4 MI. E. OF CO RT #63, Pickens, AL

Built 2002 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 32

COUNTY ROAD 974

Good

Over: WHETSTONE CREEK

Cr 974, Cullman, AL

Built 2004 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 60

COUNTY ROAD 59

Good

Over: PATSALIGA CREEK M.C.

Oakey Streak Rd, Covington, AL

Built 2006 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 63

US 278

Good

Over: BLACK WARRIOR RELIEF

0.1E OF BLK WARRIOR RIVER, Etowah, AL

Built 2008 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 4,951

COUNTY ROAD 59

Good

Over: PATSALIGA CREEK

PETREY HIGHWAY, Crenshaw, AL

Built 2006 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 950

US 80

Good

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RIV. RELIEF

1.7 MI EAST BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 2009 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 1,690

US 80

Good

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RIV REL

1.7 MI. E BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 2007 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 5,030

US 80

Good

Over: LITTLE FOURTY CREEK

5.2 MI E JCT AL 17, Sumter, AL

Built 2010 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 4,752

SR74 / US278

Good

Over: GLADE BRANCH

3 MI E JCT SR9, Calhoun, AL

Built 2013 Load: 33.7 t ADT: 4,299

Showing 11,551-11,600 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.