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

LOWER DUBLIN RD.

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

2.4 MI SE DUNBAR SCHOOL, Montgomery, AL

Built 1990 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 250

BOYD SPRINGS RD.

Good

Over: PINTLALA CREEK

.7 MI E BUTLER MILL RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1990 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 80

US 45

Good

Over: DRINKING BRANCH

4.2 MI N CO RD 63, Mobile, AL

Built 1992 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 7,190

CO RT 209

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.2 MI NE VICTORIA, Coffee, AL

Built 1995 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 120

AL 14

Good

Over: Richey Lake Branch

2.0 MI W SUTTLE, Perry, AL

Built 1997 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 2,190

I-22

Good

Over: Blackwell Rd

2.7 Miles W Jasper Int, Walker, AL

Built 2000 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 20,698

CO RT 228

Good

Over: HURRICANE BRANCH

5 MI NE ELBA, Coffee, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 95

COUNTY ROAD 89

Good

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Co Rd 89, Covington, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 210

I-22

Good

Over: New River

1.3 MI. E of AL-233, Marion, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 13,401

I-22

Good

Over: CR-20

Cordova Exit, Walker, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 24,138

IRON MAN ROAD

Good

Over: NO BUSINESS CREEK

1.5 MI WEST SR36, Morgan, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 2,480

Ingal Rd CR-A

Good

Over: I-22

2.4 MI.East CR-1, Walker, AL

Built 2002 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 200

CR. 28

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY TO ROCKY CREEK

E. L*N RR. IN BOLLING, Butler, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 224

NEW CANAAN CH.RD.

Good

Over: BLUBBER CREEK

1.7 MI. NORTH JCT AL17, Pickens, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 30

NOBLE ROAD

Good

Over: GRAVE YARD CREEK

0.7 MILE NORTH OF AL 14, Elmore, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 257

CO RD 30

Good

Over: ST FLORIAN BRANCH

0.1 MI E INT CO 323, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2009 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 42

SR 158

Good

Over: Rodgers Rd

Int SR 158 and Rodgers Rd, Mobile, AL

Built 2020 Load: 43.2 t

Cunningham Dr.

Good

Over: Pepperell Creek

Opelika, Lee, AL

Built 2018 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 1,650

_Old Hwy 20

Good

Over: _Norfolk Southern RR

1 mi E Greenbrier Pkwy, Limestone, AL

Built 2020 Load: 43.2 t ADT: 4,659

CO. RT. 48

Good

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

3.78 MI.W OF BASHI, Clarke, AL

Built 1955 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 700

E.BURDESHAW AVE.

Good

Over: STREAM

DOTHAN, Houston, AL

Built 1978 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 1,810

WALLER RD

Good

Over: HAYNES CREEK

.2 MI NORTH OF ALA 263, Lowndes, AL

Built 1984 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 310

SNAKE BRANCH RD

Good

Over: HELLS CREEK

3 MI. N.W. CODY, Lamar, AL

Built 1990 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 40

CO RD 72

Good

Over: TAYLOR CREEK RELIEF

1.3 MI N BRAGSVILLE, Greene, AL

Built 1993 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 305

CO RD 82

Good

Over: BRIDGE CREEK

S BRIDGE CR LAKE, Autauga, AL

Built 1997 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 310

SAND VALLEY RD.

Good

Over: FISHER CREEK

0.3 MILES SO COX CHAPEL, Etowah, AL

Built 1998 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 480

I-22

Good

Over: CR-30

I-22 & CR-30, Walker, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 13,401

HOLLIDAY ROAD

Good

Over: WILSON CREEK

2.1 MILES EAST OF BEDFORD, Lamar, AL

Built 2000 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 45

COUNTY ROAD 1123

Good

Over: BOYDS MILL CREEK

SEC31 T11N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 55

US 90

Good

Over: FOWL RIVER

2.7 MI E CO RD 39, Mobile, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 8,895

COUNTY ROAD 6645

Good

Over: CONNORS CREEK

SEC 30 T10N R24E, Pike, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 13

SR 28

Good

Over: CHICKASAW BOGUE CREEK

EAST OF THOMASTON, Marengo, AL

Built 2012 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 1,010

CO RD 27

Good

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

1.1 MI. WEST OF SR199, Macon, AL

Built 1965 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 40

FRIEND ROAD

Good

Over: POPLAR CREEK

SEC 26 T3S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 275

I20

Good

Over: BARRY STREET

.5 MI W JCT SR21, Calhoun, AL

Built 2012 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 21,558

HEMPHILL ROAD

Good

Over: OUTLET FROM BIG LAKE

3 MI. SE OF OLD LOCK 9 RD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2012 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 10

NORTHSIDE DRIVE

Good

Over: STREAM

ENTERPRISE, Coffee, AL

Built 2013 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 1,160

CR 1834

Good

Over: TIBB CREEK

cr 1834, Cullman, AL

Built 2022 Load: 43.3 t ADT: 100

GREENBRIER ROAD

Good

Over: I 565

4 MI E JCT I 65 & I 565, Limestone, AL

Built 1987 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 781

US 29 MP 119.148

Good

Over: BUCKHORN CREEK

2.5 MI. N. OF SR 130, Pike, AL

Built 1987 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,230

TURNER HILL RD.

Good

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

TURNER HILL RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1988 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 60

LOUIS PREISTER RD.

Good

Over: GALBRAITH MILL CREEK

.9 MI S FOURSPOTS ROAD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 48

MERIWETHER TRAIL

Good

Over: SULLIVAN SLOUGH

.2 MI N US 94, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 315

MERIWETHER TRAIL

Good

Over: CREEK

2.5 MI N US 94, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 315

MERIWETHER TRAIL

Good

Over: CROOKED CREEK

2.1 MI E US 231, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 200

OLD SELMA ROAD

Good

Over: STONES SLOUGH

2.1 MI E OF MONTG LOWNDES, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,000

CO RD 128

Good

Over: COBBS BRANCH

1.6 MI E MT HEBRON, Greene, AL

Built 1993 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 210

COUNTY ROAD 42

Good

Over: BUTTAHATCHEE RIVER

1.5 MILES EAST OF ST 171, Marion, AL

Built 2004 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,751

SR 28

Good

Over: CHICKASAW BOGUE CRK REL

EAST OF THOMASTON, Marengo, AL

Built 2012 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 1,010

COUNTY ROAD 53

Good

Over: DOUBLE CREEK

SEC 30 T11N R24E, Bullock, AL

Built 2005 Load: 43.4 t ADT: 50

Showing 13,301-13,350 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.