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

CR 39

Good

Over: TOMS CREEK

0.54 MI. SO. CR 74, Shelby, AL

Built 2006 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 550

CHRISTOPHER DRIVE

Good

Over: TRIB TO INDIAN CREEK

0.25 MILE NORTH U.S. 72, Madison, AL

Built 1968 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 250

CITY STREET

Good

Over: C.S.X.T. R.R.

.5 MILES EAST OF HWY 31, Morgan, AL

Built 2009 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 928

GATE 3 ROAD

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

PELHAM RANGE ALA, Calhoun, AL

Built 2007 Load: 50.3 t ADT: 150

US 31

Good

Over: CANOE CREEK

0.7 MI S CO RD 5, Escambia, AL

Built 1998 Load: 50.4 t ADT: 6,184

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: TILLEY CREEK

Open Pond Road, Covington, AL

Built 1957 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 350

CR195 JIMMYELLISON

Good

Over: BLUE GUT

CR195 .8 MI S NEW HOPE CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1982 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 125

BIBB CO 14

Good

Over: LICKLOG CREEK

1 MI W UNION GRV CH, Bibb, AL

Built 1984 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 45

ROSE BLVD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

3.5 MI NORTH US 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2002 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 1,000

MINOR PARKWY SOUTH

Good

Over: BURLINGTON-NORTHERN RR

0.5 MILE NE OF DOCENA, Jefferson, AL

Built 2018 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 6,500

AL 35

Good

Over: KIRBY CREEK

2MILESNORTHOFDELAKBCOLINE, Jackson, AL

Built 2005 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 8,257

AL 74 / US 278

Good

Over: KUGLER CREEK

3.8 MI W OF I-65/AL74, Cullman, AL

Built 2011 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 7,881

GREEN DR

Good

Over: Dry Creek

0.7 MI FROM CHALKVILLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2013 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 1,000

Greenbrier Parkway

Good

Over: Unnamed Creek

_0.5 mile west of Hwy 20, Limestone, AL

Built 2019 Load: 50.5 t ADT: 6,000

SNOWVILLE-BRENT RD

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

.25 MI W US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 1996 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 1,905

US 90/98 EB

Good

Over: US 90/98 WB

0.3MI W SPANISH FORT HILL, Baldwin, AL

Built 2002 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 5,942

SR 213

Good

Over: NORTON CREEK

1.0 MI. W. OF JCT US 43, Mobile, AL

Built 2013 Load: 50.6 t ADT: 10,425

SR 62

Good

Over: BRANCH

200 West int AL227/AL62, Marshall, AL

Built 1978 Load: 50.7 t ADT: 248

AL-74

Good

Over: Barn Creek

1 Mile E JCT AL-253, Marion, AL

Built 2010 Load: 50.7 t ADT: 1,588

Lee Road 146

Good

Over: CHEWACLA CREEK

0.5 MI. E. JCT. S 051, Lee, AL

Built 1985 Load: 50.8 t ADT: 3,950

CO HWY 34

Good

Over: N FORK WOLF CREEK

3.4 MI W JCT ST 25, Shelby, AL

Built 1995 Load: 50.8 t ADT: 500

CR 434

Good

Over: W. FORK TANYARD BRANCH

0.4 MI WEST AL 25, Shelby, AL

Built 2007 Load: 50.8 t ADT: 100

AL-7 (US-11)

Good

Over: Gulf Creek

N of AL-53 (US-231), St. Clair, AL

Built 2017 Load: 50.8 t ADT: 2,310

Yarbrough Road

Good

Over: Branch

0.077 mi. S of Black Rd., Limestone, AL

Built 2023 Load: 50.8 t ADT: 815

CO. RD. 71

Good

Over: BLACKWATER RIVER

1.2 MI. E. OF CO. RD. 65, Baldwin, AL

Built 1996 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 944

I-22

Good

Over: Mulberry Fork Warrior

Barney Beach, Walker, AL

Built 2003 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 22,592

HAGOOD MOUNTAIN RD

Good

Over: FLAT CREEK

1/2 MI W GLENNWOOD ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2000 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 50

GRANTSMILL ROAD

Good

Over: LAKE PURDY

GRANTSMILL ROAD * AL119, Jefferson, AL

Built 2011 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 4,000

GREENBRIER Parkway

Good

Over: UNNAMED DITCH

2 MI N OF OLD HWY 20, Limestone, AL

Built 2020 Load: 50.9 t ADT: 6,000

SR 71

Good

Over: BRANCH

3.5 MI S JCT SR40 * SR71, Jackson, AL

Built 1948 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 1,984

LUM RD CO33-CO45

Good

Over: CREEK

3 MI WEST OF CO RD 33, Lowndes, AL

Built 1991 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 125

CO RT 370

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.46 MI NW DANLEYS X ROAD, Coffee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 73

WIMBERLY DR.

Good

Over: WIMBERLY DR./BRUSH CREEK

.4 KM. WEST OF SPRING AVE, Morgan, AL

Built 1998 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 764

CO. 1267

Good

Over: FINLEY CREEK

1 MI. S.W. DENSON, Chambers, AL

Built 2002 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 83

COATS BEND RD.

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

0.13 MI SW OF SATTERFIELD, Etowah, AL

Built 2007 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 840

CO RT 8

Good

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

1.4 MI W INT AL 157, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2005 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 900

_11TH AVE. RAMP

Good

Over: _15TH STREET NORTH

_11TH AVE, Jefferson, AL

Built 2017 Load: 51.0 t ADT: 2,017

CO RT 606

Good

Over: NEW HOME BRANCH

3 MILE EAST OF GOODMAN, Coffee, AL

Built 1956 Load: 51.1 t ADT: 1,058

AL-86

Good

Over: Taylor Creek

1.5 MI E Pickensville, Pickens, AL

Built 1999 Load: 51.1 t ADT: 1,165

OLD MOULTON ROAD

Good

Over: MUD TAVERN CREEK

2.0 MI NE COUNTY LINE, Morgan, AL

Built 2001 Load: 51.1 t ADT: 4,050

COUNTY ROAD 95

Good

Over: LEE BROOK

INT. OF CO. RD.95 AND 52, Shelby, AL

Built 2001 Load: 51.1 t ADT: 10,766

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY OF FACTORY CK

5.7 MI NE AL HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 2004 Load: 51.1 t ADT: 135

Headwater Lane

Good

Over: Tributary To Fly Creek

520' S of Sandy Ford, Baldwin, AL

Built 2015 Load: 51.1 t ADT: 51

CO. RD. 70

Good

Over: FIVE RUN CREEK

CR 70, Covington, AL

Built 1957 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 280

CO RT 35

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

2.86 MI.NE NETTLES-BORO, Clarke, AL

Built 1966 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 390

SR 17

Good

Over: MILES CREEK

0.2 MILES S OF CHATOM, Washington, AL

Built 2000 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 1,880

BLACK CREEK PKY

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

BLACK CREEK PARKWAY, Etowah, AL

Built 2011 Load: 51.2 t ADT: 10,500

AL-7

Good

Over: Trib. to Spencers Creek

2.4 MI S I-59, Greene, AL

Built 1937 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 1,210

CO RD 17

Good

Over: CREEK

3MI SOUTH OF US HWY80, Lowndes, AL

Built 1956 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 415

CHURCHILL RD

Good

Over: WIND CREEK

1 M N CO RD 071, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1962 Load: 51.3 t ADT: 240

Showing 14,351-14,400 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.