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

BIG WILLS ROAD

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.5 MI E OF US 11, DeKalb, AL

Built 1994 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 390

COUNTY LINE RD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.0 MI NE SIKESVILLE, Clay, AL

Built 1992 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 98

SR 35

Good

Over: SAUTY CREEK

3 MI N JCT SR 75 * 35, DeKalb, AL

Built 1998 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 10,337

COUNTY ROAD 35

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROA

OLIN OVERPASS, Washington, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,150

CR # 182

Good

Over: BOGUE CHITTO CREEK

B/T CR 3 * AL 5, Dallas, AL

Built 2004 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 140

AL - 70

Good

Over: WAXAHATCHEE CREEK

AL 70 @ WAXAHATCHEE CK, Shelby, AL

Built 2007 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 5,420

I-65 SB

Good

Over: 5 MILE CK * ELLARD RD

FULTONDALE, Jefferson, AL

Built 2015 Load: 41.5 t

AL 157

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

3.9 mi NORTH JCT AL69/157, Cullman, AL

Built 2013 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 8,448

US 11 SR 7

Good

Over: I-59

JCT I59 * US 11, DeKalb, AL

Built 2006 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 11,359

LP ROAD???????????

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROA

2 MILES EAST OF US 43, Clarke, AL

Built 2007 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,250

RIVER ROAD

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

4 MILES SOUTH OF 78 HWY, Walker, AL

Built 2009 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 1,400

AL 106

Good

Over: PIGEON CREEK

1.4 MI. E.OF CO.RD.16, Butler, AL

Built 2014 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 990

3RD AVENUE

Good

Over: HALLS CREEK

3rd Ave No. & 12th st., Jefferson, AL

Built 2017 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 626

Pike Ackert RD

Good

Over: Unamed

_, Madison, AL

Built 2023 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 100

FLAT TOP ROAD

Good

Over: SKELTON CREEK

0.25 MILE SW OF PRACO, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 2,530

STRAUSS AVE

Good

Over: TOULMIN SPRINGS

0.1 MI S MAGEE ST, Mobile, AL

Built 1974 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 271

CO 10

Good

Over: GREENBRIER BRANCH

0.7 MI N SR 157, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 60

CO. RD. 113

Good

Over: MAD INDIAN CR

(SIFAT)N OF MALVAS FAS#05, Randolph, AL

Built 1987 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 255

SR 89

Good

Over: CREEK

1 MI. N. OF ACKERSVILLE, Wilcox, AL

Built 1994 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 290

T.J. EARLE RD.

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

3.0 MI. S. OF CO. RD. 84, Baldwin, AL

Built 1999 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 31

AL 61

Good

Over: BIG PRAIRIE CREEK

0.5 MI S NEWBERN, Hale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 1,720

Lee Road 279

Good

Over: WACOOCHEE CREEK

1.0 MI S POWLEDGE, Lee, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.6 t ADT: 492

C.R.36 SUNSHINE R

Good

Over: VAUGHN CREEK

2.0 MI N INT AL 10 * 170, Choctaw, AL

Built 1963 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 275

CO. HWY. 26

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

0.7 MI E ST 119, Shelby, AL

Built 1984 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,000

SUNRISE DRIVE

Good

Over: BEAVERS CREEK TRIBUTARY

1000 NW AL 79 (PINSON), Jefferson, AL

Built 1985 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 253

SALEM RD 33 TOCO4

Good

Over: CREEK

1 1/2 MI WEST OF CO33, Lowndes, AL

Built 1968 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 125

KIRKLAND RD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

2.0 MI SE OF BLUFF, Fayette, AL

Built 1990 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 40

CLEAR CREEK RD.

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

1.5 MI E OF DAVIS CHAP, Fayette, AL

Built 1990 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 53

GRANDBAY WILMER S

Good

Over: SIMMONS BRANCH

0.4 MI N W CO 11, Mobile, AL

Built 1990 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,405

AL - 25

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

STERRETT, Shelby, AL

Built 1995 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 1,080

US 72 SR 2

Good

Over: CSX R.R. CO.RD.54

2.5 MI EAST OF SR 117, Jackson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 6,965

US 72 SR 2

Good

Over: CXS R.R.* CO. RD. 54

2.5 MI EAST OF SR 117, Jackson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 6,951

Winchester Rd.

Good

Over: FLINT RIVER

3.5 MI NE JCT CO RD 139, Madison, AL

Built 2016 Load: 41.7 t

CO RD 33

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI WEST OF CO RD 37, Lowndes, AL

Built 1958 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 460

WESLEY CHAPEL RD.

Good

Over: GRANT CREEK

1.1 MI NW OF JCT US NO 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1994 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 500

TAPAWINGO ROAD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1/2 MI S AL 75 PINSON, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 2,512

AL - 119

Good

Over: LITTLE CAHABA RIVER

AL 119 * LITTLE CAHABA RI, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 6,200

US 72; AL 2

Good

Over: I565

U.S. 72 AND I565, Madison, AL

Built 2004 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 8,324

LAWRENCE COVE ROAD

Good

Over: WEST FORK OF COTACO CR

JCT CR 1165 * CR 1277, Morgan, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 260

HUTTO ROAD

Good

Over: CHICKASAW CREEK

1.0 MI EAST OF US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 2002 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 70

AL 53

Good

Over: UNNAMED TRIBUTARY

5.8 MILES S. OF US 431, Madison, AL

Built 2004 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 46,257

BUD UMPHREY

Good

Over: BRISTOW CREEK

North of Fairview Cove, Etowah, AL

Built 2015 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 128

AL 255

Good

Over: STREAM

.5 MI JCT SR 255 * SR53, Madison, AL

Built 2005 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 19,241

COUNTY ROAD 53

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

1.3 MI NORTH OF AL 28, Marengo, AL

Built 2005 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 258

CO RD 47

Good

Over: ROCKY BRANCH

75FT S JCT CO RD 22, Lawrence, AL

Built 1991 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 100

CO RT 45

Good

Over: STREAM

0.85 MI E JCT CO RT 46, Lawrence, AL

Built 1997 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 75

C.R.6

Good

Over: FEAGIN CREEK

2.1 MILE WEST OF BROOKLYN, Conecuh, AL

Built 2006 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 610

HEMP HILL ROAD

Good

Over: GRANTS CREEK

2.1 MI SE OF JCT US NO 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2009 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 75

TEAGUE RD.

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

TEAGUE RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 2017 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 26

Swanner Bridge Rd

Good

Over: Horse Creek

Swanner Bridge Rd, Crenshaw, AL

Built 2017 Load: 41.8 t ADT: 52

Showing 13,001-13,050 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.