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 NO 26

Good

Over: SHOAL CREEK

SEC 4 T19N R17E, Elmore, AL

Built 1985 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 100

CO 39

Good

Over: IGAHEE CREEK

15.5 MI S W PHENIX CITY, Russell, AL

Built 1960 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 750

CO. RD. 314

Good

Over: BIG NANCE CREEK

2 MI E JCT. SR 101, Lawrence, AL

Built 2000 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 580

TABOR CUT-OFF RD.

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

TABOR CUTOFF RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1999 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 75

AL. 158 EBL

Good

Over: CHICKASAW CREEK

0.50 MI E. US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 2006 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 13,067

AL 157

Good

Over: CATOMA LAKE

1.6 MIN NORTH JCT AL 69, Cullman, AL

Built 2013 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 6,646

BEACH EXPRESS

Good

Over: BLACKWATER RIVER

4.9 M. N. OF CR 32, Baldwin, AL

Built 2014 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 3,825

BEACH EXPRESS

Good

Over: BLACKWATER RIVER

4.9 M. N. OF CR 32, Baldwin, AL

Built 2014 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 3,732

Nick Davis RD

Good

Over: Swan Creek (MC)

.5 Mi. E. US 31, Limestone, AL

Built 2020 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 9,160

Nick Davis Road

Good

Over: Swan Creek (Relief)

.3 Mi. E. US 31, Limestone, AL

Built 2020 Load: 47.1 t ADT: 9,160

MT HESTER RD

Good

Over: BROWNS CREEK

MT HESTER S OF CEDAR LN, Colbert, AL

Built 1989 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 385

CR-50

Good

Over: I-22

2.3 MI W AL-44, Marion, AL

Built 1994 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 100

SR 2

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

1 M E JCT SR 2 & SR247, Colbert, AL

Built 2000 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 6,485

CO RD 39

Good

Over: ROACHE CREEK

1.2 MI EAST INT CO 33, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1999 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 275

CR. 47

Good

Over: TRIB. OF PIGEON CREEK

1.8 MI. E OF MT. PLEASANT, Butler, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 25

CR. 65

Good

Over: FOUR MILE MILL BRANCH

1.5 MI. E. MASHVILLE ??, Butler, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 224

LAKE RHEA RD.

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

LAKE RHEA RD., Etowah, AL

Built 2007 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 700

CO RD 1

Good

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER

VINEGAR BEND, Washington, AL

Built 2011 Load: 47.2 t ADT: 240

SR 79

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

3.5 MI N JCT US431 * SR79, Marshall, AL

Built 1936 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 4,147

JEFF RD

Good

Over: NICHOLS SPR. BRANCH

1.6 MI N US HWY 72W, Madison, AL

Built 1987 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 5,500

CR.34

Good

Over: TOMBIGBEE RIVER RELIEF

W OF AEC STEAM PLANT, Washington, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 415

WILLIE BROWN ROAD

Good

Over: COLWELL CREEK

1.3 Mi N of AL 14, Hale, AL

Built 2006 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 93

County Road 55

Good

Over: Muddy Prong Creek

1150 south US 280, Shelby, AL

Built 2016 Load: 47.3 t ADT: 2,356

SR 41

Good

Over: COBB BRANCH

1.9 MI S CO RD 55, Escambia, AL

Built 1945 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 3,063

COUNTY ROUTE 16

Good

Over: STURDERVANT CREEK

2.0 MI.S.W. SALEM CHURCH, Monroe, AL

Built 1971 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 125

HWY 1

Good

Over: COWPEN CREEK

SEC-17 T-4-N R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 1981 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 502

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: WATSON BRANCH

SEC-10 T-4-N R-24-E, Dale, AL

Built 1983 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 200

6TH STREET

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

6TH STREET * TOWN CREEK, Etowah, AL

Built 1983 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 5,828

AL-18

Good

Over: Browns Mill Creek

2.2 MI W Fayette Co Line, Lamar, AL

Built 1984 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 1,592

AL 39

Good

Over: TOMBIGBEE RIVER

GAINESVILLE, Sumter, AL

Built 1992 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 1,179

COUNTY ROAD 16

Good

Over: TRIB. TO WHITSITT CREEK

1.3 MI. E. OF WHITSITT, Hale, AL

Built 1994 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 100

US 31 NBL

Good

Over: ALA RR

2.2 MI N US 29, Escambia, AL

Built 2009 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 3,567

SR 65

Good

Over: LARKIN FORK

0.3 MI S. JCT SR146 *SR65, Jackson, AL

Built 2002 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 489

BLACK CREEK PKWY

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

BLACK CREEK PARKWAY, Etowah, AL

Built 2011 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 10,000

COUNTY ROAD 44

Good

Over: LITTLE DRY CREEK

0.8 MILES W OF DAYTON, Marengo, AL

Built 2003 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 460

WEST CR. 36

Good

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

SEC-15 T-6N R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 771

CR 15

Good

Over: JUDY CREEK

S-6 T-6-N R25-E, Dale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 1,041

COUNTY ROAD 339

Good

Over: SPLUNGE CREEK

?????????????????????????, Winston, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 25

JIM BROOKS ROAD

Good

Over: CLAY BANK CREEK

SEC.26 T-6 R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 2003 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 36

BELL ROAD

Good

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

SEC.8 T6N.R23, Dale, AL

Built 2003 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 6

COUNTY ROAD 818

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

Cr 818 West logan-East, Cullman, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 200

CR. 36

Good

Over: CLAY BANK CREEK

SEC 15 T-6N R-23-E, Dale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 771

EASTERN BYPASS

Good

Over: BIG COVE CREEK

.2 MILE EAST OF 431, Madison, AL

Built 2003 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 11,800

BRIDGEFORTH ROAD

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

SEC14 T4S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 2004 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 267

8TH STREET SE???

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.2 MILE SE GAULT AVE.???, DeKalb, AL

Built 2003 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 10

Titus Road

Good

Over: WEOKA CREEK

SEC 32 T20N R18E, Elmore, AL

Built 2009 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 1,333

DAVENPORT DR

Good

Over: STREAM

0.2 MI N OF W. SOUTH BLVD, Montgomery, AL

Built 2005 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 1,000

US 80

Good

Over: FRENCH CREEK

2.1 MI EAST OF DEMOPOLIS, Marengo, AL

Built 2001 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 4,650

DUNCANVILLE SCHOOL

Good

Over: TADPOLE CREEK

0.45 WEST OF HWY 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2008 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 540

STONE CREEK PL

Good

Over: UT TO SPRING CREEK

STONE CREEK SUBDIVISION, Shelby, AL

Built 2006 Load: 47.4 t ADT: 200

Showing 14,051-14,100 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.