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 RD 84

Good

Over: WEST FORK OF LOST CREEK

.7 MI E CO 33 CO 84 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1990 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 150

CO 4

Good

Over: HATCHECHUBBEE CREEK

2 MI W PITTSVIEW, Russell, AL

Built 1952 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 500

SMILIE ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

1.2 MI N PISGAH RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 75

CO HWY 10

Good

Over: KING CREEK

0.15 MI WEST CR 204, Shelby, AL

Built 1996 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,545

AL 68

Good

Over: CHATOOGA RIVER

3.7 MI E OF SR 35, Cherokee, AL

Built 2007 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 1,783

EASTERN VALLEY RD

Good

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

JCT MCCALLA ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2008 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 2,535

BIBBVILLE ROAD

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROA

0.5 MI S OF JCT/W AL 11, Bibb, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 470

EAKIN ROAD

Good

Over: EAKIN CREEK

WEST OF MOORES MILL RD.??, Madison, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 480

COUNTY ROAD 246

Good

Over: LITTLE SCARHAM CRK FORK

T8S R6E SEC. 16, DeKalb, AL

Built 2004 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 71

AL63

Good

Over: PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS

.5 MI N WINDERMERE RD, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 2011 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 4,220

CR 44

Good

Over: Dry Creek

1.2Mi. S Harmony Church, Jackson, AL

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 75

TOM BEV. L&D ACC.R

Good

Over: ALICEVILLE RR

23 M S.E. OF COLUMBUS MS, Pickens, AL

Built 1978 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 280

CR # 16

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK

2.1 MI W SR 22 N, Dallas, AL

Built 1976 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 500

DAY STREET RD

Good

Over: WEST END DRAINAGE DITCH

0.3 MI S OF DAY ST, Montgomery, AL

Built 1984 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 200

SR 178

Good

Over: BASSETTS CREEK

FULTON, Clarke, AL

Built 1987 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 2,260

SUNSET DRIVE

Good

Over: STREAM

DOTHAN, Houston, AL

Built 2005 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 590

ANTEBELLUM BLVD.

Good

Over: TRIB. TO BAY MINETTE CR.

.1 M. N. OF BROMLEY RD., Baldwin, AL

Built 2007 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 53

CO RT 104

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.7 MI W INT ST RT 101, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2010 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 254

New Home Road

Good

Over: Clear Creek

_2857 FT N JCT 1102, Marshall, AL

Built 2018 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 138

Falco Road

Good

Over: Blackwater Creek

Falco Road, Covington, AL

Built 1988 Load: 40.0 t ADT: 22

POWELL ROAD

Good

Over: MOORES BR

SEC2 T4S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1953 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 1,968

CO RD 17

Good

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

0.3 MI WEST SR49, Macon, AL

Built 1992 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 220

CR # 29

Good

Over: TRIBUTE TO CHANEY CK

2.5 MI N CR 3, Dallas, AL

Built 1967 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 200

CANOE CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

.1 MI JCT 411, Etowah, AL

Built 2006 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 600

SR 53

Good

Over: TENNESSEE RIVER

MORGAN-MADISON CO LINE, Morgan, AL

Built 2006 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 10,175

CO RD 177

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

CO 177 .0 MI S. CO 56 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 2004 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 359

US 80 W.B.L.

Good

Over: MUD CREEK RELIEF

2.3 MI WEST OF AL 5, Dallas, AL

Built 2014 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 2,165

CO. RD 89

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

0.3 MI N SR243 CO 89 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 2016 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 188

Watson Road

Good

Over: Unnamed Trib to Bodka Ck

Emelle, Sumter, AL

Built 1957 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 2,022

Ingram Road

Good

Over: Middle Creek

Sec9 T18N R17E, Elmore, AL

Built 2017 Load: 40.1 t ADT: 1,261

COUNTY ROAD 7708

Good

Over: PANTHER CREEK

SEC 15 T12N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 1958 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 250

LOUIE SHELLEY ROA

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK BRANCH

RC.BR.CULVT. ON PAVRD. 70, Henry, AL

Built 1960 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 90

AL-13

Good

Over: Bear Creek

.5M S JCT AL-172, Marion, AL

Built 1998 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 5,413

CO.RD.#4 MT. OLIVE

Good

Over: RICE CREEK

1 MI. EAST OF CO.RD. 45, Perry, AL

Built 2014 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 170

ELKWOOD SECTION RD

Good

Over: HUCKLEBERRY CREEK

HUCKLEBERRY CRK., Madison, AL

Built 2005 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 1,060

SR 99

Good

Over: ROUND ISLAND CREEK

3.6 M N JCT SR 99 & SR 3, Limestone, AL

Built 2006 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 7,960

COUNTY ROAD 503

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

CR503 1 M S OF VERBENA, Chilton, AL

Built 2007 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 250

OLD JASPER

Good

Over: BOONE CREEK

6.9 MI. N OF JCT US 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2007 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD #50

Good

Over: LITTLE PATSALIGA CREEK

HONORAVILLE RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 2013 Load: 40.2 t ADT: 795

FAS 12 / CO RT 20

Good

Over: SCARHAM CREEK

1.5 MI SE GERALDINE, DeKalb, AL

Built 1989 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 357

SR 22

Good

Over: MILLS FALL CREEK

0.5 MI E OF DAVISTON, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1993 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 869

Harris Road

Good

Over: MIDDLE CREEK

SEC 9 T18N R17E, Elmore, AL

Built 1994 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 40

CO RD 764

Good

Over: HARRIS CREEK

T-4-S R-9-E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1995 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 102

CO RD 65

Good

Over: TRIB. TO YELLOW CREEK

.6 MI E SR 176 T-9 R-8, DeKalb, AL

Built 1995 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 69

CO RD 87

Good

Over: BLUFF CREEK

2.8 MI N OF INT CO RD #14, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1999 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 55

COUNTY ROUTE #50

Good

Over: CORUM HOLLOW BRANCH

1.4 MI E S.R. #101, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2000 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 120

US 82

Good

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

4.9 MI. E. TUSCA.CO.LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2010 Load: 40.3 t ADT: 6,070

CO HWY 45

Good

Over: SCONYERS BRANCH

SEC-12 T-3-N R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 1959 Load: 40.4 t ADT: 600

AL-86

Good

Over: Stream

5.6 MI E Carrolton, Pickens, AL

Built 1961 Load: 40.4 t ADT: 2,988

STREETY RD 21TO 8

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI NORTH OF AL 21, Lowndes, AL

Built 1987 Load: 40.4 t ADT: 115

Showing 12,751-12,800 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.