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

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Good

Over: ZURICH ROAD

LAKESHORE OVER ZURICH DR, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 5,000

I-22

Good

Over: New River

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

Built 2004 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 13,401

SR 2

Good

Over: FIRST CREEK

3.9 M E JCT SR 2 & SR101, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2007 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 6,425

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Good

Over: ZURICH ROAD

LAKESHORE DR * ZURICH RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2001 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 5,000

MCKAY ROAD

Good

Over: MAD INDIAN CREEK

7 MILES N. OF LINEVILLE, Clay, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 180

CO. RD. NO.1

Good

Over: CREEPING SWAMP CREEK

5.5 MI SOUTH CHATOM-CR1, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 385

CO. RD. 1

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER

CR 1/CARPENTER XING, Washington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 385

COUNTY RD 264

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

.35 MI W. JCT. ST. 119, Shelby, AL

Built 2016 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 8,714

Jackson Trail Road

Good

Over: Locust Fk Warrior River

0.25mi S Warrior Valley, Etowah, AL

Built 2017 Load: 43.9 t ADT: 137

SNWDN-CHAMBERS RD.

Good

Over: BLACKS SLOUGH

3 MILES EAST OF CO.61, Montgomery, AL

Built 1981 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 400

SR 69

Good

Over: NORTH DOUBLE CREEK

2.9 MI. N. OF NANAFALIA, Marengo, AL

Built 1993 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 1,220

US231;US431;SR1

Good

Over: PINHOOK CREEK

3 MI N JCT US231*US431, Madison, AL

Built 2004 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 9,013

CO 36

Good

Over: TURNER CREEK

BETWEEN US 431 AND CR 13, Cleburne, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 840

MAYO ROAD

Good

Over: BRISTOW CREEK

300 FT WEST OF HWY 179, Etowah, AL

Built 2014 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 297

COUNTY ROAD 13

Good

Over: COWPEN CREEK

0.3 MI. S. OF CO. RD. 44, Baldwin, AL

Built 2007 Load: 44.0 t ADT: 553

AL 205

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 MI SO BOAZ, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,859

CO RD 235 OFF CR36

Good

Over: SOUTH SPUR BEAVER DAM CK

S-16 T-6-N R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 1989 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 23

AL 77

Good

Over: TALLADEGA CREEK

WALDO, Talladega, AL

Built 2003 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 3,177

AL-18

Good

Over: Wilson Creek

4.8M E of Miss State Line, Lamar, AL

Built 2005 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 2,518

CO RT 8

Good

Over: CYPRESS CREEK RELIEF 2

1.2 MI W OF INT AL 157, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2005 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 900

BALCH ROAD

Good

Over: KNOX CREEEK

0.6 MI. N OF JCT US 72 W, Madison, AL

Built 1939 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 4,070

County Road 6650

Good

Over: Buckhorn Creek

Sec 34 T10N R23E, Pike, AL

Built 2020 Load: 44.1 t

MARTIN ROAD WB

Good

Over: HUNTSVILLE SPRING BRANCH

0.2 MI E GATE 1, Madison, AL

Built 2007 Load: 44.1 t ADT: 14,800

AL-171

Good

Over: Savage Creek

1.3 MI N Brotherton Cem, Fayette, AL

Built 1952 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 2,041

I-10 EB

Good

Over: HIGHLAND BRANCH

3.4 MI W US 90, Mobile, AL

Built 1964 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 30,490

CO. HWY. 49

Good

Over: YELLOWLEAF CREEK

0.7 MI. NORTH CR 109, Shelby, AL

Built 1985 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 700

BUTLER MILL ROAD

Good

Over: PINTLALA CREEK

5.3 MI N HICKORY GROVE RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 136

LONG ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

6.0 MI N HIWAY 94, Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 62

CR. 60

Good

Over: THREE RUN CREEK

0.8 MI. W. BETHEL CHURCH, Butler, AL

Built 1991 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 164

CO RT 156

Good

Over: STEEPHEAD CREEK

5.2MI N ENTERPRISE, Coffee, AL

Built 1996 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 775

CO HWY 266

Good

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

0.1MI W JCT CO 17, Shelby, AL

Built 1997 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 705

#22/RAY BASS RD.

Good

Over: LUBBUB CREEK

.8 MILES EAST STATE AL.17, Pickens, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 400

COUNTY ROAD 70

Good

Over: LIGHTWOOD KNOT CREEK

1MI EAST OF 331, Covington, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 870

CR # 306

Good

Over: BLUE GRITH SWAMP

2.0 MI S SR 14, Dallas, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 50

CR # 294

Good

Over: TRIB TO VALLEY CREEK

1.17 MI N CR 221, Dallas, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 80

LAWRENCE COVE RD

Good

Over: MUD CREEK RELIEF

0.6 MI WEST CR 292, Morgan, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 220

LAWRENCE COVE RD

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

0.5 MI WEST CR 292, Morgan, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 220

SR 54 MP. 11.312

Good

Over: BRANCH

.3 MI. E. GENEVA CO. 10, Geneva, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 950

CR 23 W.TOLAR RD.

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

1.75M. WEST OF CR 15, Perry, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 100

SR38/US280

Good

Over: AL.9

3 MI. WEST OF ALEX CITY, Coosa, AL

Built 1999 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 5,661

CO. HWY. 340

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

0.25 MI E JCT ST 31, Shelby, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 1,200

WATSON BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: OMUSSE CREEK

CIRCLE TO CO RD 55, Houston, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 603

BLUFF SPRINGS RD

Good

Over: WEBB CREEK

US 84 TO CO RD 26, Houston, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 138

OMUSSEE RD

Good

Over: CRAWFORD CREEK

COWARTS TO 431 NORTH, Houston, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 400

CO RD 8

Good

Over: ROCKY CREEK

55 TO 95, Houston, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 350

CR. 22

Good

Over: STALLINGS CREEK

2.0 MI. SE LIBERTY, Butler, AL

Built 2000 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 406

CO RT 308

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

2 MI WEST OF WILKINSTOWN, Coffee, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 125

CO RT 308

Good

Over: BIG CREEK RELIEF

2 MI WEST OF WILKINSTOWN, Coffee, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 125

COUNTY ROAD 34

Good

Over: PEA RIVER

SEC 6 T12 R25, Bullock, AL

Built 2001 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 140

CR. 16

Good

Over: ROCKY CREEK RELIEF

B/W GEORGIANA * AVANT, Butler, AL

Built 2002 Load: 44.2 t ADT: 260

Showing 13,451-13,500 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.