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 49

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK COWIKEE CREEK

11.4 MI NE OF AL 51, Barbour, AL

Built 1952 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 295

CO RT 473

Fair

Over: CRIPPLE CREEK

2.7 MILE SOUTHEAST KINSTO, Coffee, AL

Built 1957 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 200

CO RT 474

Fair

Over: PEA RIVER

2.3 MILE NE OF KINSTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1957 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 400

CO RT 427

Fair

Over: PAGES CREEK

ALBERTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 432

CO RT 427

Fair

Over: HAYS CREEK

1.2 MILE NORTH ALBERTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 432

CO RT 326

Fair

Over: BLUFF CREEK

1.7 MILE SOUTH BLUFFSPRIN, Coffee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 225

CO RT 105

Fair

Over: CLEARWATER CREEK

2.3 MILES SOUTHOF ROETON, Coffee, AL

Built 1959 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 464

GRANTS MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: CAHABA RIVER

AT GRANTS MILL, Jefferson, AL

Built 1960 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 7,105

RAMSEY RD

Fair

Over: FRANKLIN CREEK

0.3 MI N US 90, Mobile, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 2,809

CO RT 661

Fair

Over: TIGHT EYE CREEK

4.7 MILE SE OF FAIRVIEW, Coffee, AL

Built 1963 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 180

WOLF SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

WOLF SPRINGS@COUNTY LINE, Colbert, AL

Built 1963 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 268

CO RD 19

Fair

Over: POWELL BRANCH

1 MI SOUTH TOPTON, Washington, AL

Built 1964 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 200

CO RD 13

Fair

Over: CUBAHATCHEE CRK RLF

3.9 MI. SO. HWY80W/SR8, Macon, AL

Built 1966 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 300

CO. 244

Fair

Over: DAVIS CREEK

3.4 MI. N.W. FIVE POINTS, Chambers, AL

Built 1949 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 50

CO RT 57

Fair

Over: LAUREL CREEK

3.8 MI N AL 68, DeKalb, AL

Built 1970 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 371

I-10WB TO WATER ST

Fair

Over: I10-EB/WB/RAMP TO WB I10

WEST TUNNEL INTERCHANGE, Mobile, AL

Built 1972 Load: 20.6 t ADT: 3,918

SR 134 MP 37.479

Fair

Over: STREAM

2.5 MI. E. OF DALEVILLE, Dale, AL

Built 1943 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 4,460

CR # 37

Fair

Over: VALLEY CREEK

1.4 MI N US 80 W, Dallas, AL

Built 1949 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 2,200

CO RD 7

Fair

Over: PINE BARRON CREEK RELIEF

4.0 MILES E.ON RTE 7, Wilcox, AL

Built 1955 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 90

ST CLAIR CO 12

Fair

Over: BIG BLACK CREEK

0 5 MI SE WHITES CHAPEL, St. Clair, AL

Built 1955 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 6,660

BLOUNT CO NO 5

Fair

Over: JAMES CREEK

3 MI SW OF BLOUNT SPRINGS, Blount, AL

Built 1956 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 646

SR 22

Fair

Over: HAROLD CREEK

0.3 MI N COOSA CO LINE, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1940 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 3,673

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SMITH CREEK

2MI N DAMASCUS, Escambia, AL

Built 1960 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 290

I59

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.1 MI SO JCT AL 174, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 14,630

ELKWOOD SECTION R

Fair

Over: FOWLER CREEK

1 MI W JCT US HWY 231, Madison, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 850

ELKWOOD SECTION R

Fair

Over: WALKER CREEK

0.3 MI W US HWY 231 JCT, Madison, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 820

COUNTY HWY 1414

Fair

Over: SHORT CREEK

11916 FT NW JCT 1409, Marshall, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 4,000

CO. RT. 21

Fair

Over: SATILPA CREEK

1.79 MI.SE JCT CO21*AL154, Clarke, AL

Built 1963 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 300

SATURN LANE

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

100 FT W HWY 75, Jefferson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 1,270

US 43

Fair

Over: RIVER RD MN AV WARRIOR R

HUGH THOMAS, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1973 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 33,968

CO. RT 1763

Fair

Over: BRANCH

CR 1763, Cullman, AL

Built 1980 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 140

GILLEY RD.

Fair

Over: COOSA RIVER

@ COUNTYLINE, Etowah, AL

Built 1965 Load: 20.7 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY HIGHWAY101

Fair

Over: BRANCH

852 FT S JCT 69, Marshall, AL

Built 1954 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 2,360

SR 9

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.6 MI S JCT SR 9 *CO RT31, Cherokee, AL

Built 1949 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 2,880

GALLANT RD.

Fair

Over: BROWN CREEK

500 W OF IVALEE CUTOFF, Etowah, AL

Built 1952 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 1,832

GORGAS ROAD

Fair

Over: NORTH RIVER

8.5 MI N JCT US NO 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1954 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 300

#23/LEWISTON RD.

Fair

Over: HUGHES CREEK

2.5MI E OF SR 14, Pickens, AL

Built 1955 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 550

SR 28

Fair

Over: DOUBLE CREEK

5.9MI.W.OF JEFFERON, Marengo, AL

Built 1955 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 920

CO RD 24

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK RELIEF

3.1 MILES E.ON CO RD 24, Wilcox, AL

Built 1959 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 143

CO RD 56

Fair

Over: WAUXAMAKA CREEK

0.5 Miles E. HWY49S/CR27, Macon, AL

Built 1959 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 587

ROSE HILL ROAD

Fair

Over: BLACKWATER CREEK

1/2 MILE N HWY 5, Walker, AL

Built 1962 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 450

ALTON ROAD

Fair

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR

1.5 MI N US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 1,582

SR 10

Fair

Over: ALABAMA RIVER

6 MI W OF CAMDEN, Wilcox, AL

Built 1969 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 3,450

CO RT 610

Fair

Over: DOUBLE BRIDGES CREEK

2 MILES NW OF BATTENS XRD, Coffee, AL

Built 1968 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 375

CO RT 644

Fair

Over: TIGHT EYE CREEK

1.2 MI SE OF FAIRVIEW, Coffee, AL

Built 1972 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 103

AL 111

Fair

Over: PIGEON ROOST CREEK

4.7MI.N.OFAL.14, Elmore, AL

Built 1993 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 4,730

BALTZER RD

Fair

Over: CALLAWAY CREEK

3.1MILES N. OF ST 14, Elmore, AL

Built 1999 Load: 20.8 t ADT: 80

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch of Buttahatchee

4.6 MI N of Reform, Pickens, AL

Built 1941 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 1,618

AL - 174

Fair

Over: BRANCH

200 EAST US 411, St. Clair, AL

Built 1941 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 3,024

ABERDEEN RD

Fair

Over: WILSON CREEK

5.8 MI. N.W. VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 1951 Load: 20.9 t ADT: 510

Showing 1,151-1,200 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.