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 RT.03

Good

Over: DOBEY CREEK

1.73 MI.NW OF WINN, Clarke, AL

Built 1961 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 400

SR 20

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK RELIEF

8.2 M E JCT SR 20 & SR157, Colbert, AL

Built 1934 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 7,420

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

E CITY LIMITS SCOTTSBORO, Jackson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 6,886

I - 459 SOUTH

Good

Over: RELIEF

.1 MI. SO. SHADES CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1982 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 26,365

CRAIGMONT DR

Good

Over: BRANCH

CRAIGMONT * LAUDERDALE, Madison, AL

Built 1983 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 460

CO. 1100

Good

Over: CATY CREEK

1MI. NORTH HAPPYLAND, Chambers, AL

Built 1986 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 110

ROADWAY

Good

Over: CO RT 1107 MILL CREEK

0.2 MI E AL HWY 28, Sumter, AL

Built 1948 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 614

CO HW 1005A

Good

Over: LITTLE PAINT CREEK

330 FT S JCT 1005, Marshall, AL

Built 1990 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 30

US 72; SR 2

Good

Over: SEQUATCHIE VALLEY RR

0.2 MI S TENN ST LINE, Jackson, AL

Built 1995 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 6,513

I-22

Good

Over: Tuscaloosa Road

M.P. 60.9 on I-22, Walker, AL

Built 1995 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 18,526

I-22

Good

Over: Tuscaloosa Road

M.P. 60.9 on I-22, Walker, AL

Built 1995 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 18,526

CO RT 203

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK

0.7MI S JCT CO RT 87, Lawrence, AL

Built 1995 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 730

COUNTY ROAD 45

Good

Over: SPEARS CREEK

1 MI S.E. OF BELLWOOD????, Geneva, AL

Built 1998 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 450

GAILLARD DR RELIEF

Good

Over: THREE MILE CREEK

0.15 MILES N OF MUSEUM DR, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 906

COUNTY RD 68

Good

Over: I-10 EBL

5.3 MI E OF SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 2014 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 6,774

SR 67

Good

Over: SOUTHERN RR

1 MI S JCT SR 67 & SR 20, Morgan, AL

Built 2012 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 14,820

AL - 3 (US 31)

Good

Over: I - 65

AL - 3 / I - 65 CALERA, Shelby, AL

Built 2020 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 20,566

Old Hwy US-431

Good

Over: Flint River (MC)

_, Madison, AL

Built 2021 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 1,000

Levert Rd (CR49)

Good

Over: Potato Patch Creek

Co Rd. 49, Perry, AL

Built 2018 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 66

Doc McDuffie Rd

Good

Over: Wolf Creek

0.8 Mi. SE of C.R. 26, Baldwin, AL

Built 2021 Load: 38.2 t ADT: 118

CHESTNUT ST

Good

Over: NOWLIN BRANCH

CHESTNUT ST * NOWLIN BR, Etowah, AL

Built 1948 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 1,170

CO RT 338

Good

Over: REEDY CREEK

3.5 MI SOUTH OF NEWBY, Coffee, AL

Built 1973 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 45

TOWNSEND SE

Good

Over: FAGAN CREEK

TOWNSEND * FAGAN CREEK, Madison, AL

Built 1974 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 750

MEDICAL PARK DR

Good

Over: PINE BARREN WATERSHED

600 S PINEHILL DRIVE, Escambia, AL

Built 1988 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 532

I-65

Good

Over: YELLOW LEAF CREEK (+)

1.9 MI N JCT SR 145, Chilton, AL

Built 1989 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 43,848

MARY DANIEL RD.

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

MARY DANIEL RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1992 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 30

BLACK ROCK RD.

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

BLACKROCK RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1992 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 80

Ripley Cut-Off Rd

Good

Over: I-22

Over I-22, Walker, AL

Built 1996 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 831

SR 227

Good

Over: SHORT CREEK

6 MI S JCT US431 * SR227, Marshall, AL

Built 2000 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 2,249

SR 17

Good

Over: LITTLE BASSETT'S CRE

2.3 MILES N OF TIBBIE, Washington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 1,640

CO.RD. 42

Good

Over: I-65

.9 MI NORTH OF US 31, Montgomery, AL

Built 2003 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 18,160

COUNTY ROAD 19

Good

Over: TRIB OF BARTON CREEK

0.75 MI. N. OF AL 28, Marengo, AL

Built 2004 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 1,055

COUNTY ROAD 13

Good

Over: RODDICK CREEK

2 MI. S. CO. RD 4, Russell, AL

Built 2004 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 225

ARGYLE ROAD

Good

Over: BISHOP MANOR CREEK

.19 MI. S. THREE MILE RD., Mobile, AL

Built 2005 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 2,210

LENDON MAIN

Good

Over: UN NAMED DITCH

2.5 MILE EAST U.S.231, Madison, AL

Built 2011 Load: 38.3 t ADT: 100

CO 203

Good

Over: HUDSON BRANCH

0.6 MI W CO 207, Talladega, AL

Built 1956 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 1,290

CO RD 71

Good

Over: UPPER BEAR CREEK

1.2 MI NW CO 71 CO 79 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1977 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 522

WINCHESTER RD

Good

Over: PINHOOK CREEK

2804 WINCHESTER RD, Madison, AL

Built 1978 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 14,500

COUNTY ROAD 3307

Good

Over: TRIB TO WALNUT CREEK

SEC 27 T9N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 1981 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 75

CR16 KINCHEON ROAD

Good

Over: SWIFT CREEK

CR16 .3 MI. W SHILOH CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1966 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 500

SR-173 MP 3.370

Good

Over: BLACKWOOD CREEK

1 m. n. henry co. 16, Henry, AL

Built 2018 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 680

CR 363 PALOMINO TR

Good

Over: UT TO BISHOP CREEK

0.1 MILE FROM CR 14, Shelby, AL

Built 2011 Load: 38.4 t ADT: 125

MAX LUTHER DR

Good

Over: BRANCH

602 MAX LUTHER DR, Madison, AL

Built 1961 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 5,700

CR # 7

Good

Over: TRIB TO SOAPSTONE CK

0.47 MI S CR 62, Dallas, AL

Built 1982 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 700

COUNTY ROAD 30

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

.05 MI. S. PETERMAN, Monroe, AL

Built 1983 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 350

CR-55

Good

Over: I-22

1.4 MI W AL-171, Marion, AL

Built 1988 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 450

COUNTY RT #223

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

0.2 MI EAST OF CO RT #63, Pickens, AL

Built 1989 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 100

CO. ROAD 58

Good

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO BRANCH

1 MI NE JENIFER, Talladega, AL

Built 1917 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 700

ROGER CREEK RD

Good

Over: CREEK

0.1 MI N CO RD 117, Greene, AL

Built 1991 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 75

I-22

Good

Over: Off-Ramp WB Lanes

5.6 Miles E of US-43, Marion, AL

Built 1991 Load: 38.5 t ADT: 100

Showing 12,451-12,500 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.