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

SPRINGS CREEK RD.

Good

Over: PINE SPRINGS CREEK

.2 MI E. PINE SPRINGS, Lamar, AL

Built 2019 Load: 46.4 t ADT: 43

CR-15

Good

Over: Weogufka Creek

1.22 Miles North of CR-29, Coosa, AL

Built 2019 Load: 46.4 t ADT: 69

Fairview Cove Road

Good

Over: Dry Creek

250 W of Bud Umphrey Rd, Etowah, AL

Built 2020 Load: 46.4 t ADT: 289

CO RD 20

Good

Over: TUBBS CREEK RELIEF

1.5 MI N NEW MT HEB, Greene, AL

Built 1982 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 482

CO RD 20

Good

Over: TUBBS CREEK

1.5 MI NW NEW MT HEBRON, Greene, AL

Built 1982 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 482

DELMONT DR.

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

N CITY LIMIT GADSDEN, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 400

CO RD 69

Good

Over: COBB CREEK TRIB

1.5 MI SW TISHABEE, Greene, AL

Built 1986 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 241

CO RD 69

Good

Over: COBB CREEK TRIB

1.1 MI SW TISHABEE, Greene, AL

Built 1986 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 226

COUNTY 6

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

1 MI S AL 82 AL 58 CO.6, Bibb, AL

Built 1988 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 52

SR 173 MP 8.099

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

1 MI.N.HENRY CO.7, Henry, AL

Built 1990 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 500

SR. 134 MP 66.942

Good

Over: SPIVEY MILL CK.

4.5 MI.E. OF HEADLAND, Henry, AL

Built 2002 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 1,350

COUNTY ROAD 7748

Good

Over: TRIB TO CONECUH RIVER

SEC11 T10N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 2004 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 57

I-59

Good

Over: NORFOLK & SO RR Active

OVER US11 AND NORFOLK, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2017 Load: 46.5 t ADT: 61,767

FAS 27 CO RD 137

Good

Over: TRIB. TO BIG WILLS CREEK

2.6 MI N JCT US 11 T6SR9E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1954 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 4,689

AL 68

Good

Over: CHATTOGA RIVER

AL 68 OVER CHATTOGA RIVER, Cherokee, AL

Built 1994 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 5,235

OLD SR 202

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN RR

4.1 MI E JCT US78, Calhoun, AL

Built 2005 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 16,440

Gillespie road

Good

Over: STREAM

?????????????????????????, Madison, AL

Built 2010 Load: 46.6 t ADT: 950

AL 97

Good

Over: STREAM

1.2 MI.S.OF AL 21, Lowndes, AL

Built 1940 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 960

CO. RT.48

Good

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

0.83 MI.W OF BASHI, Clarke, AL

Built 1955 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 700

CO. RT. 21

Good

Over: PACE CREEK

0.54 MI.E.JCT.AL.69*CO.21, Clarke, AL

Built 1968 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 250

SR 106 MP 27.329

Good

Over: BRANCH

.6 MI.E.BUTLER CO.LINE, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1956 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 700

CEDAR HILL RD

Good

Over: LITTLE LIMESTONE CREEK

SEC2 T1S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1985 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 550

SR 123 MP 7.886

Good

Over: PATES CREEK

1.5MI N GENEVA CORD46, Geneva, AL

Built 2001 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 2,400

CO RD 22

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK

SEC. 4 T9S R8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1999 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 137

I-22

Good

Over: Gulf Branch

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

Built 2004 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 13,401

COUNTY ROAD 61

Good

Over: LITTLE INDIAN CREEK

SEC16 T12N R24E, Bullock, AL

Built 2006 Load: 46.7 t ADT: 60

COUNTY ROAD 7

Good

Over: LITTLE JUDY CREEK

2.0 MI SE OF CO 15, Barbour, AL

Built 1973 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 60

CHERRY ROAD

Good

Over: RAINBOW CREEK

150 FT. N STEELE DR, Madison, AL

Built 1987 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 450

SR. 134 MP 8.363

Good

Over: PEA RIVER

3 MI. E. SR. 189, Coffee, AL

Built 2003 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 3,940

NATURES WAY

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

1 MILE WEST OF ZERDT RD, Madison, AL

Built 2007 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 125

CR 427 OPELIKA RD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

100 West of CR RD 296, Russell, AL

Built 2020 Load: 46.8 t ADT: 9,632

CO. RT. 03

Good

Over: STREAM

1.61 MI. NW OF WINN, Clarke, AL

Built 1961 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 450

KELLY SPRINGS RD

Good

Over: HAM CREEK

0.5 MI W JCT HWY 53, Madison, AL

Built 1992 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 780

COUNTY ROAD 59

Good

Over: ADAMS CREEK

1.7 MILES SOUTH OF 84, Covington, AL

Built 2001 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 610

SAND VALLEY RD

Good

Over: FISHER CREEK

1.0MILE NE HWY 431, Etowah, AL

Built 1999 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 150

ZIERDT RD

Good

Over: SWAN POND CREEK

1 MI. NE OF BEADLE LANE, Madison, AL

Built 2000 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 650

TREE TOP ROAD

Good

Over: COLWELL CREEK

.6 Miles West of CR 21, Hale, AL

Built 2006 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 14

CO RD 43

Good

Over: COSSEY CREEK

4.7 MI NORTH OF SR8/US80, Macon, AL

Built 2010 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 261

County Hwy 207

Good

Over: Choccolocco Creek

1.5 mi. S of JCT INTST 20, Talladega, AL

Built 2018 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 3,080

I-59

Good

Over: SR-6 (US-11) SKYLAND

EXIT 76, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2020 Load: 46.9 t ADT: 59,031

COUNTY ROAD 53

Good

Over: WEST FORK DRY CREEK

SEC-6 T-7-N R-26-E, Dale, AL

Built 1966 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 60

ANTIOCH RD

Good

Over: BRANCH OF JACKSON CREEK

1.0 MI. NW ANTIOCH CHURCH, Clarke, AL

Built 1987 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 100

CO. RD 122 .

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

R-23E T7N SEC. 36, Dale, AL

Built 1900 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 75

SR 134 MP 38.717

Good

Over: KELLY MILL CREEK

3.8 MI. E. OF DALEVILLE, Dale, AL

Built 1995 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 4,460

1 MI E ALA 9

Good

Over: NANCES CREEK

BABBLING BROOKE RD., Calhoun, AL

Built 1997 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 440

COUNTY DIRT RD

Good

Over: PATSALIGA CREEK

BARNES BRIDGE ROAD, Covington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 80

COUNTY ROAD 469

Good

Over: BRANCH

Cr 469, Cullman, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 240

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

3.8 MI EAST OF COUNTY LIN, Perry, AL

Built 2006 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 102

EAST MILL ROAD

Good

Over: MAD INDIAN CREEK

NEAR BARFIELD, Clay, AL

Built 2005 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 195

SR-12 MP 142.286

Good

Over: YELLOW RIVER

5.3 MI. WEST OF US 331., Covington, AL

Built 2013 Load: 47.0 t ADT: 3,405

Showing 14,001-14,050 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.