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 RT.NO 12

Good

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

1 3 MI E CO RT 51, Marengo, AL

Built 1992 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 400

I-22

Good

Over: AL-118

Carbon Hill Interchange, Walker, AL

Built 2001 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 787

HALEY BOTTOMS ROAD

Good

Over: UNNAMED TRIB OF LOST CRK

1 MILE SOUTH OF KANSAS, Walker, AL

Built 1998 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD 1043

Good

Over: BLEVENS CREEK

CR 1043 sardis, Cullman, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 400

CO RD 109

Good

Over: SFORK PAGE SPRING BRANCH

.4 MI S JCT CO RD 55, Shelby, AL

Built 2001 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 189

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: BALLPLAY CREEK

0.4 MI E ETOWAH CO LINE, Cherokee, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 275

AL 216

Good

Over: DAVIS CREEK

ABERNANT, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2013 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 3,044

COMMERCE CIRCLE

Good

Over: COALES BRANCH

@ JCT W/ COMMERCE DRIVE, Shelby, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.4 t ADT: 800

CO RD 30

Good

Over: BELL BRANCH

STAFFORD, Pickens, AL

Built 1929 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 4,690

CO RD 208

Good

Over: PINEYWOOD CREEK

1.5MI EAST FOLSOM SCHOOL, Randolph, AL

Built 1992 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

1.0 MI.S.AL.47 BONE HILL, Monroe, AL

Built 1971 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 225

SR 87 MP 34.975

Good

Over: STREAM

1.3 MI.N.SR 189, Coffee, AL

Built 1973 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 3,310

AL 69

Good

Over: BIG PRAIRIE CREEK

2.3 MI N JCT US 80, Hale, AL

Built 1985 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 2,525

COUNTY ROAD 154

Good

Over: BUGHALL CREEK

SEC 25 T13 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1986 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 30

SR 131 MP 11.960

Good

Over: GIN CREEK

0.2 MI N. BARBOUR CO.67, Barbour, AL

Built 1992 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 1,130

Airport Road

Good

Over: COOSADA CREEK

.5 MI. S OF AL ST. HWY 14, Elmore, AL

Built 2002 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 1,200

FRANKFORT RD

Good

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

FRANKFORT RD LITTLE BEAR, Colbert, AL

Built 2015 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 1,924

STADIUM TRACE PKWY

Good

Over: CSX RR

_Stadium Trace / CSX RR, Shelby, AL

Built 2017 Load: 39.5 t ADT: 1,000

CO RT 243

Good

Over: MILLIGAN BRANCH

0.1 MI N JCT CO RT 236, Lawrence, AL

Built 1998 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 40

COUNTY ROAD 34

Good

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

SEC 33 T13 R25, Bullock, AL

Built 1955 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 300

CO RD 75

Good

Over: TOLAR BRANCH

CO RD 33 TO CO RD 81, Houston, AL

Built 1967 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 515

RIPLEY RD

Good

Over: DRY CR

SEC29 T3S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 1969 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 560

TANGLEWOOD DR

Good

Over: BRANCH

TANGLEWOOD DR @ VESTAVIA, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 1,550

RURAL ROAD

Good

Over: STREAM

0.20 MI. E US 43, Clarke, AL

Built 1962 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 150

BURWELL RD

Good

Over: HAM CREEK

0.25 MI WEST HWY 53, Madison, AL

Built 1982 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 420

ROAD NO 25

Good

Over: POOR CREEK

RC BR CULVT ON CAPPS RD., Henry, AL

Built 1984 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 25

US 80

Good

Over: A.G.R.

0.8 MI. E. OF DEMOPOLIS, Marengo, AL

Built 1984 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 4,650

SR 36

Good

Over: BRANCH

1 MI W JCT SR 36 & SR 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1984 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 3,460

ROAD

Good

Over: PETERMAN CREEK

BR.CULV. CO. RD. 113, Henry, AL

Built 1985 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 20

CR21 EZRA MOORE RD

Good

Over: ELAM CREEK

CR21 1MSW PLEASANTGROVECH, Chilton, AL

Built 1985 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 300

WALL TRIANA RD

Good

Over: W CHANNEL BRADFORD CRK

1.6 MI S SR20, Madison, AL

Built 1986 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 22,000

CR7 GRADY FRIDAYRD

Good

Over: SOUTH PRONG CREEK

CR7 .75 M SW BETHEL CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1987 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 200

COUNTY LINE RD

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

CLR POPLAR CREEK NORTH, Colbert, AL

Built 1987 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 1,260

OLD PIKE ROAD

Good

Over: MARKS SLOUGH

10.6 MI N US 82, Montgomery, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 320

LAWSON ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE RELIEF

3.5 MI E OF OLD PIKE RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 180

LAWSON ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE RELIEF

3.5 MI.E.OF OLD PIKE RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 180

CANTY ROAD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK RELIEF

1.2 MI E OF US 231 -N, Montgomery, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 85

CANTY ROAD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK RELIEF

1.1 MI. EAST OF US 231, Montgomery, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 75

OLD PIKE ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE CATOMA CREEK

2.1 MI N OF BULLOCKCOLINE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1988 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 110

MUD TAVERN ROAD

Good

Over: MUD TAVERN CREEK

3.0 MI E LAWRENCE CO LINE, Morgan, AL

Built 1990 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 80

VANDIVER HOLLOW RD

Good

Over: JAMES CREEK

VANDIVER HOLLOW E OF 43, Colbert, AL

Built 1994 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 550

CO 62

Good

Over: LONG BRANCH

4.5KM E CRAWFORD, Russell, AL

Built 1995 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 100

CO. RD. 15

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

.7 MI. SOUTH CO. RD. 90, Franklin, AL

Built 1998 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 146

SR 5

Good

Over: CHILATCHEE CREEK

0.5 MI. N. OF ALBERTA, Wilcox, AL

Built 2002 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 2,460

COUNTY ROUTE #6

Good

Over: BURCHAM CREEK

0.8 MI W INT S R 20, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2000 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 155

US 84 MP 136.923

Good

Over: FIVE RUN BRANCH

5.2 MI. E. US 29, Covington, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 4,150

COUNTY ROAD 99

Good

Over: PETERSON BRANCH

1.6 MI.S.OF US.98, Baldwin, AL

Built 2003 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 1,472

AL - 53 (US 231)

Good

Over: CALVERT PRONG

US 231 @ CALVERT PRONG, Blount, AL

Built 2006 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 6,460

MCCULLARS LANE

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

MCCULLARS LN., Calhoun, AL

Built 2002 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD 39

Good

Over: MILLS CREEK

1.2 MI N CHEROKEE #32, Cherokee, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.6 t ADT: 70

Showing 12,651-12,700 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.