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 ROAD 13

Good

Over: HIGH LOG CREEK

6MI SW SEALE, Russell, AL

Built 1997 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 400

#20/SHILOH CHURCH

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

1.4 MILES WEST OF ST.159, Pickens, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 100

CO. RD. #9

Good

Over: YANTLEY CREEK

0.6 MI N INT RT 226 * 187, Choctaw, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 850

CO RT 8

Good

Over: LITTLE CYPRESS CREEK

1.6 MI W INT AL 17, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2000 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 822

COUNTY ROAD 15

Good

Over: BENSON CREEK

CR15 .5 M SE ISABELLA SCH, Chilton, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 940

SEC-8;T-5-N R-26-E

Good

Over: CO. HWY. 16

0000000000000000000000000, Dale, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 256

CO. RD. 16

Good

Over: MOONEY CREEK

.25 MI WEST INT. W/US 82, Bibb, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 290

NORRIS MILL ROAD

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK RELIEF

2.35MI NORTH OF OAK RIDGE, Morgan, AL

Built 2000 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 1,375

OLD SELMA ROAD

Good

Over: ANTIOCH BRANCH

2.5 MI.E. PINTLALA CREEK, Montgomery, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 4,280

DAN SNEAD ROAD

Good

Over: PEA CREEK TRIBUTARY

1.8 MI N OF AL 51, Barbour, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 30

COUNTY ROAD 11

Good

Over: BULLEN BRANCH

2.7 MI N. SR.24 CO.11 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 808

VILLULA ROAD

Good

Over: SILVER RUN CREEK

2 MI. S. SEALE, Russell, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD 12

Good

Over: FROG CREEK

0.6 MI. NW CR. #29, Cherokee, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD 83

Good

Over: CROOKED DICK CREEK

0.2 MI. NE AL. #9, Cherokee, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 205

CO RD 5

Good

Over: MURDER CREEK

CORD 5 OVER MURDER CREEK, Monroe, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 180

COUNTY ROAD 27

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

1.0 NI NE GOLDEN GROVE CH, St. Clair, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 1,448

COUNTY ROAD 20

Good

Over: OAKATUPPA CREEK RELIEF

2.7MI.W.INT.C.R. 20*C.R.9, Choctaw, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 400

SR 53

Good

Over: TN River Relief

3 MI N JCT SR 36 & SR 53, Morgan, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 10,175

COUNTY ROAD 22

Good

Over: COLD CREEK

BOOKERS MILL, Conecuh, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 487

COUNTY ROAD 186

Good

Over: ELAM CREEK

0.7 MI S JCT CR 87, Lawrence, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 130

CR # 179

Good

Over: TRIB TO BOGUE CHITTO CRK

2 MI S OF SR 80 W, Dallas, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 50

UPSHAW ROAD

Good

Over: HURTSBORO CREEK

1.0 MILE SW OF RUTHERFORD, Russell, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 61

POPLAR CREEK LP

Good

Over: MCAFEE CREEK

POPLAR CREEK LP @ CLR, Colbert, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 225

??????????????????

Good

Over: ELLIOTS CREEK

?????????????????????????, Hale, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 630

COUNTY ROAD 191

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

5.0 MI N SNODDY, Greene, AL

Built 2006 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 130

WALKER LANE

Good

Over: FLINT RIVER RELIEF

.5 MI. E OF ROY DAVIS RD., Madison, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 907

OREYONIA ROAD

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

3 MI. SOUTH OF STERLING, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 50

CR 6

Good

Over: ROBERTS CREEK

CORTELYOU, Washington, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 560

Steel Drive EBL

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR

.1 MILE EAST OF US 43, Mobile, AL

Built 2009 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 1,599

Steel Drive WBL

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR

.1 MI EAST OF US 43, Mobile, AL

Built 2009 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 1,793

Lee Road 379

Good

Over: WACOOCHEE CREEK

WACOOCHEE VALLEY, Lee, AL

Built 2012 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 3,674

Hunter creek road

Good

Over: TWO MILE CREEK

0.1 mi. w us 82 bypass, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2015 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 3,700

HIGHLAND ROAD

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

1.0 MI NW OF JCT AL. 171, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2014 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 8

CYPRESS CREEK RD

Good

Over: CREEK

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

Built 2015 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 20

HENDERSON CAMP RD

Good

Over: S FORK FRANKLIN CREEK

0.7 ML N Hugh Fort Rd, Mobile, AL

Built 2015 Load: 43.0 t ADT: 1,017

DANVILLE RD

Good

Over: DRY BRANCH

JCT DANVILLE RD*DRYBRANCH, Morgan, AL

Built 1976 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 10,782

US 82 MP 235.184

Good

Over: CRAZY CREEK

2.7 MI.E.BARBOUR 89, Barbour, AL

Built 1978 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 2,070

ROCKHOUSE ROAD

Good

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

1.7 MI NE OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1994 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 300

SR 50

Good

Over: WIND CREEK

0.5 MI E TALLAPOOSA RIV, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1995 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 1,337

COUNTY ROAD 37

Good

Over: LITTLE MULBERRY CREEK

0.5MI.S.OF BILLINGSLEY, Autauga, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 980

I-22

Good

Over: CR-61

10.6 MI E of US-43, Marion, AL

Built 1997 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 12,325

BEAR CREEK ROAD

Good

Over: TABPOLE CREEK

8.9 MI. FROM JCT OF US 69, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 500

Co Rt 35

Good

Over: Bridge Creek

1.1 MI E JCT US 31, Cullman, AL

Built 2020 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 5,400

CO. 289

Good

Over: OSELIGEE CREEK

2 MI. N. LANETT, Chambers, AL

Built 2010 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 1,930

DENTON RD

Good

Over: LITTLE CHOCTAWHATCHEE

DOTHAN, Houston, AL

Built 2009 Load: 43.1 t ADT: 13,813

ELDER RD

Good

Over: JAYBIRD CREEK

1.1 M E ALA 49, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1956 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 190

CHEROKEE #45

Good

Over: CREEK

0.5 MI N INT US #278, Cherokee, AL

Built 1965 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 475

COE RD.

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

2 MI E OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1988 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 50

SR 10

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1 MI. W. OF AWIN, Wilcox, AL

Built 1988 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 940

ST CLAIR/ HWY137

Good

Over: KELLY CREEK

AT CAMP WINNATASKA, St. Clair, AL

Built 1989 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 2,814

Showing 13,251-13,300 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.