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

CO 28

Fair

Over: LITTLE UCHEE CREEK

7.9 MI W PHENIX CITY, Russell, AL

Built 1962 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 900

CO 28

Fair

Over: BUSH POND BRANCH

7.8 MI W PHENIX CITY, Russell, AL

Built 1962 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 900

CO 65

Fair

Over: UCHEE CREEK

4.2 MI N E UCHEE, Russell, AL

Built 1963 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 129

CO 4

Fair

Over: COWIKEE CREEK

.5 MI E RUTHERFORD, Russell, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 300

CO. RT. 946

Fair

Over: SMITH LAKE

CR 946, Cullman, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 240

COUNTY ROAD 19

Fair

Over: LITTLE JUDY CREEK

SEC-18 T-7-N R-25-E, Dale, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 111

CO RD 37

Fair

Over: SPLUNGE CREEK

1 MI W JCT CO RD 70, Winston, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 200

CO RT 42

Fair

Over: LUXAPALLILA CREEK RELIEF

10. MI NW OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 120

CO 207

Fair

Over: POORHOUSE BRANCH

5.1 MI S I20, Talladega, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 1,275

OLD PINEYWOODS RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLACKWATER

3/4 MILE N HWY 78, Walker, AL

Built 1965 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 350

CO RD 49

Fair

Over: SIPSEY RELIEF BRIDGE

0.6 S OF HUBBERTVILLE, Fayette, AL

Built 1967 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 121

POPLAR SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: BLACKWATER CREEK

2 1/2 MILE E.HWY 5, Walker, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 350

CO 85

Fair

Over: CYPRESS CREEK

0.8 MI E CO 5, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1973 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 170

WHIGHAM RD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

WEST OF MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 1992 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 150

BEECH CREEK-Bridge

Fair

Over: BEECH CREEK

BANKHEAD DISTRICT, Lawrence, AL

Built 1941 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 100

CHEAHA CREEK-Bridg

Fair

Over: CHEAHA CREEK

TALLADEGA DISTRICT, Clay, AL

Built 1941 Load: 21.4 t ADT: 15

US 11

Fair

Over: WHITE HALL CREEK

1.4 MI. N. OF YORK, Sumter, AL

Built 1925 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 2,930

RYLAND PIKE

Fair

Over: FLINT RIVER RELIEF

1.0 MI W MAYSVILLE, Madison, AL

Built 1948 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 1,500

FRIENDSHIP RD

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

Fship Rd /.5 MI E AL 21, Calhoun, AL

Built 1954 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 11,500

FRIENDSHIP RD

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK RELIEF

Fship Rd/.7 MI E AL 21, Calhoun, AL

Built 1954 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 11,500

FRIENDSHIP RD

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK RELIEF

Fship Rd/.9 MI E AL 21, Calhoun, AL

Built 1954 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 11,500

MCKEE RD

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

0.1 MI WEST CO RD 1336, Madison, AL

Built 1955 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 1,434

CO RT 479

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

.7 MILE WEST OF KINSTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1956 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 514

CO 12

Fair

Over: TALLADEGA CREEK

AT WEATHERS STATION, Clay, AL

Built 1960 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 120

I - 59

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3 . 8 MI S JCT US 231, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 26,711

PLEASANTFIELD RD

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

3 MILES S PARRISH, Walker, AL

Built 1962 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 625

AL 219

Fair

Over: CHILDERS CREEK

0.5 MI.N.OF US 80, Dallas, AL

Built 1962 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 1,050

CO RT 342

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

1.3 MILES WEST SHADYGROVE, Coffee, AL

Built 1963 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 200

WEST OXMOOR ROAD

Fair

Over: SHADES CREEK

OXMOOR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 15,830

COUNTY ROAD 79

Fair

Over: BARBOUR CREEK

9.5 MI S OF US 82, Barbour, AL

Built 1969 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 600

COUNTY RD. NO.47

Fair

Over: ABBIE CREEK

RCDG BRIDGE ON FAS RT 12, Henry, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 160

CO RD NO 8

Fair

Over: GUM BRANCH

1 MI WEST BURBANK, Washington, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 160

COUNTY ROAD 31

Fair

Over: STINKING CREEK

1.0 MI W OF CO 37, Barbour, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROAD 36

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK CREEK

2.2 MI S OF AL 131, Barbour, AL

Built 1968 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 696

I-85

Fair

Over: W JEFF DAVIS * I-65

I85 AND I65 INTERCHANGE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1973 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 2,211

CR 55

Fair

Over: MOSSY CAMP BRANCH

SEC-36 T-4-N R-24-E, Dale, AL

Built 1981 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 643

AL 215

Fair

Over: CRIBBS MILL CREEK

JCT JUG FACTORY RD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1952 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 20,557

I-165 NB TO I65 NB

Fair

Over: I-65 * GUM TREE BRANCH

I-165 * I-65 INTERCHANGE, Mobile, AL

Built 1993 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 12,231

BEN HAMILTON ROAD

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO BAKER CREEK

.3 MILES S. OF MARCH RD., Mobile, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.5 t ADT: 1,456

HURRICANE RD

Fair

Over: ELDER BRANCH

0.4 MI SO CO RD 469, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 420

FAS 18 CO RT 52

Fair

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.3MI W JCT CO RT51T8SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1956 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 1,049

CO. RD. 82

Fair

Over: PINEY WOOD CREEK

1MI E FOSTERS X RD, Randolph, AL

Built 1949 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 420

CODY RD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.8 MI. N.E. CO. RD. #49, Lamar, AL

Built 1954 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 130

MONROE RD

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

1.5 MI W US HWY 431, Madison, AL

Built 1958 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 1,724

S Coldcreek Road

Fair

Over: Wind Creek

0.6 M N CO RD 046, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1959 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 220

CHEROKEE #97

Fair

Over: CHATTOOGA R RELIEF BR

0.2 MI SE ALA #68, Cherokee, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 365

ST CLAIR/HWY 120

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLACK CREEK

0 5 MI S ACMAR P O, St. Clair, AL

Built 1964 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 400

JOHNSON CHAPEL RD

Fair

Over: NO BUSINESS CREEK

1 MI SE SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1900 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 270

WIRE ROAD

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

1 MILE N TOWNLEY, Walker, AL

Built 1966 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 450

ROSEWOOD RD.

Fair

Over: SANDY CREEK

4 MILES SE OF SAMSON, Geneva, AL

Built 1969 Load: 21.6 t ADT: 25

Showing 1,401-1,450 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.