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

5 MI NE OHATCHEE

Good

Over: OHATCHEE CREEK

GOLDEN VALLEY RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 1946 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 317

COUNTY RT 63

Good

Over: BOX BRANCH

13.6 MI EAST OF SR #14, Pickens, AL

Built 1954 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 600

OAKWOOD AVE

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

3801 OAKWOOD AVE, Madison, AL

Built 1957 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 13,800

R16W (I565-PRATT)

Good

Over: CONNECTS TO RAMP 8

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

Built 1991 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 962

US 278

Good

Over: LITTLE COVE CREEK

2.5MILES EAST OF 431, Etowah, AL

Built 1998 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 7,349

SR 24

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RR

0.2 M W JCT SR 24 & SR 13, Franklin, AL

Built 1998 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 3,350

MORRIS-MAJESTIC RD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK TRIBUTARY

2.25 MI NW NEWCASTLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 4,173

BESSEMER-JOHNS RD

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

0.75MI NE MUD CRK RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1997 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 5,082

CR 47

Good

Over: UT TO MILL CREEK

.25 MI SOUTH AL 145, Shelby, AL

Built 2006 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 800

OLD MONROVIA RD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

1 MILE NORTH U.S. 72, Madison, AL

Built 2008 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 22,000

CR211

Good

Over: Trib Oakmulgee Cr.

.5m N Dallas Co Line, Perry, AL

Built 2017 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 55

Thach Rd

Good

Over: Fall Branch

_0.7 MI. S.E. AL.HWY.251, Limestone, AL

Built 2022 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 131

Hosmer RD

Good

Over: Rock castle creek

_1.0 mi N JCT #216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2017 Load: 37.5 t ADT: 90

SR 24

Good

Over: HARRIS BRANCH

3.9 MI E JCT SR 243, Franklin, AL

Built 1927 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 1,298

HWY 55W

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK

1.5 MI E SR 157, Morgan, AL

Built 1955 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 875

CO RT 719

Good

Over: WILSON MILL CREEK

4.08 MI S OF KEYTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 55

US 29 MP 102.035

Good

Over: US 231

JCT. US 231 IN TROY, Pike, AL

Built 1979 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 4,780

CO RD 90

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.6 MI W JCT CO 21, Franklin, AL

Built 1979 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 286

HORNE RD.

Good

Over: MCCARTER CREEK

HORNE RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1989 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 70

SIBLEYVILLE ROAD

Good

Over: HOGELAND CREEK

0.5 MILE NE COALDALE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1990 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 513

ROCK HOUSE ROAD

Good

Over: ROCKCASTLE CREEK

1.0 MI NE OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1991 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 500

I-565

Good

Over: N.S. R.R./INTERGRAPH WAY

2.8 MI E CO LINE ROAD, Madison, AL

Built 1988 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 36,415

I-565

Good

Over: N.S. R.R./INTERGRAPH WAY

2.8 MI E CO LINE RD, Madison, AL

Built 1988 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 36,415

R1 (565E-US231S)

Good

Over: PULASKI PIKE; HOLMES AVE

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

Built 1991 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 20,065

US 431

Good

Over: PAINT ROCK RIVER

INT PAINT ROCK RIVER, Marshall, AL

Built 1997 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 9,519

CO RD 11

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

4.8 KM N US 78, Marion, AL

Built 1996 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 205

SR 35

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

S CITY OF RAINSVILLE, DeKalb, AL

Built 1997 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 9,107

US 80 W.B.L.

Good

Over: TALLAWASSEE CREEK

2.4 MI. E. OF LOWNDESBORD, Lowndes, AL

Built 2015 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 10,700

US 11

Good

Over: BIG CANOE CREEK

3.5 MI. NO. AL 23, St. Clair, AL

Built 2005 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 3,070

AL-5

Good

Over: Mulberry Fork Warrior

Lynns Park, Walker, AL

Built 2004 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 9,550

US 43

Good

Over: CARROLLS CREEK

2.0 MI N JCT SR 171, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2003 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 15,885

COUNTY ROAD 55

Good

Over: WIDOWS CREEK

1 MILE SOUTH JCT SR 74??, Winston, AL

Built 2003 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE RIVER

4.5 MI NW HUXFORD, Escambia, AL

Built 2003 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 75

COUNTY ROAD 34

Good

Over: MAGBY CREEK

0.3 MI. EAST CR#75, Pickens, AL

Built 2003 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 269

US 80

Good

Over: PONKABIA CREEK

2.6 MI EAST OF BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 2009 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 1,690

US 80

Good

Over: PONKABIA CREEK

2.6 M.I. E OF BELLAMY, Sumter, AL

Built 2007 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 5,030

US 82

Good

Over: SIPSEY RIVER RELIEF #3

0.4 MI W SIPSEY RIVER, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2010 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 6,070

CO RD 25

Good

Over: BOYD CREEK

Cr 25, Cullman, AL

Built 2004 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 160

CO RD 1

Good

Over: WHITE HOLLOW BRANCH

0.3 S OF INT CO 40, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2009 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 73

Denton rd

Good

Over: Rock creek

Denton rd, Houston, AL

Built 2017 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 10,457

Co Rd 187

Good

Over: Bumpass Creek

0.2 Mi E Int Co Rd 3, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2016 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 254

11TH AVE RAMP I-65

Good

Over: I-65 I-20 I-59

I-20 59 65, Jefferson, AL

Built 2018 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 2,017

CR-31

Good

Over: Walker Branch

0.2 MI W PL HILL CHURCH, St. Clair, AL

Built 2022 Load: 37.6 t ADT: 920

CHEROKEE #99

Good

Over: BRANCH

1 MI N JCT CO RT 41, Cherokee, AL

Built 1957 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 415

BELLVIEW RD

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.5 MI S PEA RIDGE RD, DeKalb, AL

Built 1960 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 220

I 759

Good

Over: BLACK CK PARKWAY

I 759 * BLK CK PKWAY, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 10,214

I 759

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK PARKWAY

I 759 * BLK CK PKWAY, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 10,214

PORTER GREEN ROAD

Good

Over: RICE CREEK

50 W JCT SEALES RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 328

AL-74

Good

Over: I-22

JCT AL-74 AND AL-4, Marion, AL

Built 1988 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 2,170

CO RT 8

Good

Over: MIDDLE CYPRESS CREEK

0.8 MI E INT AL 157, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1988 Load: 37.7 t ADT: 330

Showing 12,301-12,350 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.