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

Witherington Dr.

Good

Over: Branch

City of Troy, Pike, AL

Built 2017 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 250

South Dozier Trail

Good

Over: Branch

City of Troy, Pike, AL

Built 2017 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 150

Trojan Parkway

Good

Over: Branch

City of Troy, Pike, AL

Built 2017 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 200

Trojan Parkway

Good

Over: Branch

City of Troy, Pike, AL

Built 2017 Load: 49.0 t ADT: 200

OLD US RD

Good

Over: HOWARD BRANCH

FLA LINE TO ALA 53, Houston, AL

Built 1972 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 350

PROVITT RD.

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

PROVITT RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1987 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 90

PROVITT RD.

Good

Over: DRY CREEK RELIEF

PROVITT RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1987 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 90

SR 10 MP 200.389

Good

Over: W FK CHOCTAWHATCHEE RIV

IN BLUE SPRINGS, Barbour, AL

Built 2000 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 1,110

AL 14

Good

Over: UT SAND CREEK

1.6 MI W OF MARION, Perry, AL

Built 1999 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 2,520

JOE MALLISHAM PKWY

Good

Over: TATER HILL TRIBUTARY

1.8 MI N BLACK WARR RV, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2002 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 1,250

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: FACTORY CK

4.8 MI NE AL HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 2004 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 135

SR 182

Good

Over: LITTLE LAGOON PASS

2.9 MI W SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 2015 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 8,009

Mt. Pleasant Rd

Good

Over: BELLE CREEK

6 mi. se of fayette, Fayette, AL

Built 2015 Load: 49.1 t ADT: 38

SR 27 MP 35.859

Good

Over: BRANCH RELIEF

2.8 MI. N COFFEE CO 156, Coffee, AL

Built 1929 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 2,620

AL-86

Good

Over: Branch

2.0 MI W Carrollton, Pickens, AL

Built 1948 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 1,909

SR 35

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

1 MI N TENN RIVER, Jackson, AL

Built 1988 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 20,021

US 231; SR 53

Good

Over: GOLF ROAD

US 231 OVER GOLF ROAD, Madison, AL

Built 1993 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 48,892

OLD MADISON PIKE

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK RELIEF

1 mile north I-565, Madison, AL

Built 2014 Load: 49.2 t ADT: 14,000

COUNTY DIRTROAD

Good

Over: YELLOW RIVER

EAST OF CO RD 45, Covington, AL

Built 2001 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 110

WALKER LANE

Good

Over: FLINT RIVER

1.0 W CO RD 267, Madison, AL

Built 2007 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 907

SR 24

Good

Over: Cedar Creek

2.2 M E JCT SR24 & SR187, Franklin, AL

Built 2012 Load: 49.3 t ADT: 5,530

AL-118

Good

Over: Branch

0.8 MI W Marion Co Line, Lamar, AL

Built 1939 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 2,320

US 82 MP 225.315

Good

Over: COWIKEE CREEK

0.3 MI. W. BARBOUR CO. 79, Barbour, AL

Built 1979 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 1,690

WEST 2ND ST

Good

Over: WEST 1ST ST DRAINAGE

0.1 MI S CLUBHOUSE DR, Baldwin, AL

Built 1990 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 733

SR 22

Good

Over: GREASY CREEK

2.8 MI E OF DAVISTON, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1993 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 927

CO RD 94

Good

Over: SOUTHERN AND LN RR

2 MI EAST OF MT CARMEL, Jackson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 90

CO RT 321

Good

Over: PANTHER CREEK

1.5 MILES EAST OF NEWBIA, Coffee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 270

I-22

Good

Over: Clifty Branch

I-22 @ Clifty Branch, Walker, AL

Built 2004 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 14,713

SR 2

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

1.7 M W JCT SR 2 & SR247, Colbert, AL

Built 2004 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 5,200

SMITH LAKE DAME RD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

.5 MI NORTH 69 HWY, Walker, AL

Built 2002 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 531

Caddell Circle

Good

Over: Big Cove Creek

?Caddell Circle, Etowah, AL

Built 2018 Load: 49.4 t

FARROW ROAD

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

0.10 MI EAST SLAUGHTER RD, Madison, AL

Built 2004 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 9,520

COUNTY ROAD 53

Good

Over: TRIB. OF POPLAR CREEK

1.3 MI NORTH OF AL 28, Marengo, AL

Built 2005 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 258

Lee Road 240

Good

Over: HOSPILIKA CREEK

1 MI E JCT LEE ROAD 239, Lee, AL

Built 2006 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 6,053

CR 33

Good

Over: SANDY BRANCH

8.9 MI NE US 43, Marengo, AL

Built 2009 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 160

COMM DRIVE (SR181)

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

3.2 MI N OF SR 104, Baldwin, AL

Built 2022 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 50

CR-21

Good

Over: SATILPA CREEK (RELIEF)

1.38 Mi SE JCT CR21&SR154, Clarke, AL

Built 1963 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 160

SR 51

Good

Over: CHEWACLA CREEK

1 mi South AL 169, Lee, AL

Built 2022 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 5,720

Ballplay Rd (CR19)

Good

Over: BALLPLAY CREEK Trib

_, Calhoun, AL

Built 2021 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 1,220

Baldwin CR 65

Good

Over: Turkey Branch

0.2 MI. N. of Co. Rd. 12, Baldwin, AL

Built 2021 Load: 49.4 t ADT: 1,726

COUNTY ROAD 6643

Good

Over: BRIDGE CREEK

SEC. 22 T10N R23E, Pike, AL

Built 1963 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 275

SR 17

Good

Over: FOUR MILE BRANCH

8.8 MI. N. OF CHATOM, Washington, AL

Built 1988 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 1,800

PAYNE RD 31 EAST

Good

Over: CREEK

1 MI EAST OF US 31, Lowndes, AL

Built 1991 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 50

Pratt Ave

Good

Over: Pinhook Creek

0.5 mile east 231, Madison, AL

Built 2019 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 17,797

CR 15

Good

Over: BASSETT CREEK

.45 mi sth of Ind Rd Int, Clarke, AL

Built 2015 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 3,100

Cox Gap Rd CR-224

Good

Over: Short Creek

0.4 MI N OF OAK, Etowah, AL

Built 2017 Load: 49.5 t ADT: 650

CO RD 30

Good

Over: NASH CREEK

ETHELSVILLE, Pickens, AL

Built 1929 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 4,690

COUNTY ROUTE 23

Good

Over: ESCAMBIA CREEK

2 MI.E. FRISCO CITY, Monroe, AL

Built 1982 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 1,280

SR 53 MP 4.286

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.3 MI. N. FLA. LINE, Houston, AL

Built 1985 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 1,820

COUNTY RT 1

Good

Over: LOVETTS CREEK

1.5 MI.N.ROCKY HILL, Monroe, AL

Built 1986 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 375

Showing 14,251-14,300 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.