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

US278;SR74

Good

Over: BRINDLEY CREEK

.7MI E JCT SR157*US278, Cullman, AL

Built 1997 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 5,648

COUNTY ROAD 1342

Good

Over: DRUM CREEK

1883 FT EAST JCT 1322, Marshall, AL

Built 2004 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 540

CO RT 641

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

3.5 MI SW ENTERPRISE, Coffee, AL

Built 2002 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD 8

Good

Over: ALA 59 ALA 84

SHOMO CREEK, Monroe, AL

Built 2006 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 412

CEDAR LAKE ROAD

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

1.6 MI WEST TUTWILER RD, Walker, AL

Built 2005 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 300

DOLIVE ST. EXT.

Good

Over: WHITEHOUSE CREEK

1.1. MI. E. OF U.S. 31, Baldwin, AL

Built 2003 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 111

SR 19

Good

Over: SR 24

JCT SR 19 & SR 24, Franklin, AL

Built 2010 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 1,630

COOPER ROAD

Good

Over: DUNN CREEK

4.3 MI N OF JCT CO RD 72, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2005 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 25

BRONCO CIRCLE

Good

Over: TRIB TO BROGLAN BRANCH

0.1 MILE NORTH SPARKMAN, Madison, AL

Built 1985 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 305

EAST COOK ROAD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

US84 TO COUNTYRD.75, Houston, AL

Built 2009 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 36

CLEMENTS ROAD

Good

Over: LYE BRANCH

7.9 MI SE OF JCT US #11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2007 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 40

SWINDLE ROAD

Good

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

0.3 MI S OF JCT CO # 66, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2007 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 350

SR235

Good

Over: FANNING BRANCH

8.3 MI E JCT US280, Talladega, AL

Built 2017 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 1,520

INDIAN CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: ROSSER CREEK

3.12MI E JCT WITH OLD 69, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2011 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 120

CO RT. 105

Good

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

0.7 MILES EAST OF GORDO, Pickens, AL

Built 2012 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 200

Bass Bridge Road

Good

Over: Bay Branch

Bass Bridge Road, Covington, AL

Built 2015 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 80

OYLER ROAD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

0.5 MLS S OF CO RD 36, Mobile, AL

Built 2013 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 279

Upper Lake_Drive

Good

Over: _Mosquito Branch

_5 mi N of Hwy11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2016 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 125

_HARLESS RD.

Good

Over: _GIN CREEK

_5.1 MI NW OF US HY 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2016 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 30

_SPANE DR.

Good

Over: _YELLOW CREEK

OFF WATERMELON RD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2016 Load: 42.5 t ADT: 10

ST CLAIR CO 12

Good

Over: KERR BRANCH

0 2 MI SE MOODYS X ROADS, St. Clair, AL

Built 1955 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 6,018

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: MAY CREEK

2.5MI E ROCK HILL, Escambia, AL

Built 1994 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 1,070

KNIGHTS BRIDGE R

Good

Over: WILSON CREEK

800 F S INT MARS HILL RD, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1977 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 975

SOCKWELL LN

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

SOCKWELL LN S HWY 20, Colbert, AL

Built 1984 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 730

CO RD 15

Good

Over: SINKING CREEK

1.4 MI S INT CO RD 14, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1998 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 202

CO 65

Good

Over: WALLACE CREEK

NORTH OF CR 49 INTER., Cleburne, AL

Built 2002 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 306

US 80 WBL

Good

Over: CHANEY CRK

5.7 MI E OF AL 5, Dallas, AL

Built 2009 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 1,945

SR 10

Good

Over: SPEAR CREEK

BUTLER, Choctaw, AL

Built 2010 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 4,350

VENABLE ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

1.08MI.N.CLOVERFIELDRD., Montgomery, AL

Built 1965 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 500

PILGRIM CH. RD.

Good

Over: BRYANS CREEK

FLA. LINE TO CO. RD. 8, Houston, AL

Built 2009 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 9

TIMBERLINE DRIVE

Good

Over: DIXIE RAILROAD

TIMBERLINE SUBDIVISION, Shelby, AL

Built 2007 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 350

REBEL ROAD

Good

Over: EAST FOWL RIVER

2.4 MILES SE CO 59, Mobile, AL

Built 2012 Load: 42.6 t ADT: 112

CO RD 33

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI WEST OF CO RD 37, Lowndes, AL

Built 1958 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 460

COUNTY SHOP RD

Good

Over: U.T. BARBOUR CREEK

1.9 MI EAST OF CO 55, Barbour, AL

Built 1960 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 265

51 STREET

Good

Over: US 82 SR 6

0.5 MI E JCT US 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1975 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 900

CR. 37

Good

Over: HAWKINS CREEK

3.1 MI.SO.JCT.U.S. HWY.31, Butler, AL

Built 1988 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 215

CO 51

Good

Over: HUNTER CREEK

2.6 MI E CO LINE CHURCH, Chambers, AL

Built 1994 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 30

ROAD

Good

Over: JACK CREEK

R.C.CULVT. ON CO RD. 104, Henry, AL

Built 2002 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 11

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Good

Over: LITTLE JUNIPER CREEK

.75 MI WEST OF BREWTON, Escambia, AL

Built 2003 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 2,650

CURTIS ROAD

Good

Over: SIZEMORE CREEK

1.5 MI SW MARTINVILLE, Escambia, AL

Built 2006 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 132

EWING DRIVE

Good

Over: FLETCHER CREEK

4.5MI W FREEMANVILLE, Escambia, AL

Built 2004 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 175

COUNTY ROAD 48

Good

Over: TURKEY BRANCH

CR48 1 M E COLLINS CHA CH, Chilton, AL

Built 2003 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 700

FAULK MILL ROAD

Good

Over: CLAYBANK CREEK

SEC 26 T6N R23E, Dale, AL

Built 2003 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 50

HOLLINGSWORTH ROAD

Good

Over: LUXAPALLILA CREEK RELIEF

5 MI NW OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 2003 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 66

SR 99

Good

Over: SWAN CREEK

0.1 M W JCT SR 99 & SR 3, Limestone, AL

Built 2009 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 11,120

49TH STREET

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

1.2 MI E OF I59, DeKalb, AL

Built 2009 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 220

COUNTY ROAD 49

Good

Over: BIG JUNIPER CREEK

APPLETON ROAD, Escambia, AL

Built 2006 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 2,796

PAUL LAMP ROAD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

ED TOLAR TO BRUNER POND, Houston, AL

Built 2006 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 130

CUTCHINS ROAD

Good

Over: SILVER RUN CREEK

JCT CO 18 * US431, Russell, AL

Built 2000 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 50

AL 605

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

.25 MI.S FLOWERS CHPL RD, Houston, AL

Built 2008 Load: 42.7 t ADT: 10,260

Showing 13,151-13,200 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.