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

ST CLAIR CO HWY 6

Good

Over: LITTLE BLACK CREEK

1 0 MI SE SANIE CHU, St. Clair, AL

Built 1975 Load: 58.4 t ADT: 3,943

WALLAHATCHIE ROAD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE RELIEF

2.4 MI NE OF OLD PIKE RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1977 Load: 58.4 t ADT: 1,872

CO ROAD 16

Good

Over: JUSTICE MILL CREEK

2 MI SW OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1985 Load: 58.4 t ADT: 107

CO RD 34

Good

Over: BRIER CREEK EAST

2.42 KM E OF MILLRY, Washington, AL

Built 1995 Load: 58.4 t ADT: 1,276

CO RD 118

Good

Over: DYNNE CREEK

.5MI OFF CR 19, Cleburne, AL

Built 2016 Load: 58.4 t ADT: 169

18TH ST

Good

Over: TANYARD CREEK

18TH ST * AL 69, Walker, AL

Built 1970 Load: 58.5 t ADT: 800

CO. RD. 77

Good

Over: STREAM

235 FROM US84 MP 145.2, Covington, AL

Built 2003 Load: 58.5 t ADT: 150

AL - 67

Good

Over: MULBERRY FORK WARRIOR RI

BLOUNT/CULLMAN CO.LN., Blount, AL

Built 2014 Load: 58.5 t ADT: 1,960

Weeks Branch

Good

Over: Lyter Ln

0.1 miles south of CR 11, Baldwin, AL

Built 2022 Load: 58.5 t ADT: 50

CO RD 102

Good

Over: BEAR CREEK

1 MI N LIBERTY GR CHURCH, Randolph, AL

Built 1991 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 40

CO RD 11

Good

Over: MILL BRANCH

.3 MI N JCT CO 90, Franklin, AL

Built 1991 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 110

LEISURE ROAD

Good

Over: SIMMONS CREEK

1 MILE N.E. OF GENEVA, Geneva, AL

Built 1999 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 22

RIVERWOODS PARKWAY

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

RIVERWOODS SUBDIVISION, Shelby, AL

Built 2003 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 150

HEART OF HUNTSVILL

Good

Over: HUNTSVILLE SPRING BRANCH

0.5 MILE NORTH U.S. 431, Madison, AL

Built 2007 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 5,800

Hayes Cemetery RD

Good

Over: Neeley Creek

1 Mile East of Hayden, Blount, AL

Built 2023 Load: 58.6 t ADT: 126

COUNTY ROAD 30

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

0.3 MI. E. OF WEDGE WORTH, Hale, AL

Built 1958 Load: 58.7 t ADT: 225

CO RD 118

Good

Over: DYNNE CREEK

.5MI FROM CO RD 25, Cleburne, AL

Built 2017 Load: 58.8 t ADT: 172

SR 13 (US-43) NB

Good

Over: STEELE CREEK

1 MI S JCT I-65, Mobile, AL

Built 2019 Load: 58.8 t ADT: 6,637

COUNTY RT.30

Good

Over: BRANCH OF TURKEY CREEK

5.35 MI E. U.S. 43, Marengo, AL

Built 1993 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 190

ALLIANCE ROAD

Good

Over: COAL CREEK

1.5 MI SW AL 269, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 2,365

OLD SPRINGVILLE RD

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK TRIBUTARY

1.5 MI N CHALKVILLE JCT, Jefferson, AL

Built 2004 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 10,355

PRATT HIWAY

Good

Over: SECOND CREEK

1.0 MI S US 78, Jefferson, AL

Built 2003 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 1,700

SOUTH CHALKVILLE R

Good

Over: PINCHGUT CREEK

500 S US 11, Jefferson, AL

Built 2006 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 10,500

COUNTY ROAD 83

Good

Over: RODGERS CREEK

0.6 MI N CO RT 1176, Sumter, AL

Built 2006 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 250

County Road 24

Good

Over: Spring Creek

CR 24 over Spring Creek, Shelby, AL

Built 2022 Load: 58.9 t ADT: 2,320

CO. HWY. 280

Good

Over: LITTLE CREEK

0.2 MI E MT SIGNAL CHURCH, Shelby, AL

Built 1931 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY ROAD 31

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

QUAIL TOWER RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1990 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 154

CO. 1173

Good

Over: SNAPPER CREEK

2 MI. S.E. LIBERTY C. R., Chambers, AL

Built 2002 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 47

ALLSBORO RD

Good

Over: JOHNSON BRANCH

ALLSBORO JOHNSON BRANCH, Colbert, AL

Built 1992 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 400

CO RD NO 45

Good

Over: SANDY CREEK

FAS RT 11, Henry, AL

Built 1995 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 300

AL 61

Good

Over: WHITSITT CREEK

4.5 MI S GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 2002 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 2,070

CO.1058

Good

Over: MC COWIN CREEK

3 MI. S. W. TRAMELL C. R., Chambers, AL

Built 2002 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 11

APPLE GROVE ROAD

Good

Over: KENNEDY CREEK

2.0 MI SE SR67, Morgan, AL

Built 2004 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 186

MASTIN LAKE RD

Good

Over: TRIB TO PINHOOK CREEK

803 MASTIN LAKE ROAD, Madison, AL

Built 2004 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 6,700

County Road 92

Good

Over: First Creek

0.6 mi east of co 55, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2018 Load: 59.1 t ADT: 158

US 431

Good

Over: BRANCH

4 MI S FLINT RIVER, Madison, AL

Built 1957 Load: 59.2 t ADT: 17,851

GAINESVILLE ROAD

Good

Over: WOODS CREEK

1.6 MI NW OF JCT US NO 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1968 Load: 59.2 t ADT: 450

W 19TH AVE

Good

Over: W 1ST ST DRAINAGE

321 W OF SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1990 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 1,283

SR 21

Good

Over: TUSKEHADKY BRANCH

4.1MI S OF OXFORD, Talladega, AL

Built 2000 Load: 59.3 t ADT: 4,881

ROAD

Good

Over: STEVENSON CREEK

CO RD 4, Henry, AL

Built 1995 Load: 59.5 t ADT: 200

CR. 58

Good

Over: FOUR MILE BRANCH

1.2 MI. NW BOUCHER LAKE, Butler, AL

Built 1967 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 571

COPELAND ROAD

Good

Over: COPELAND BRANCH

SEC28 T2S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 2003 Load: 59.6 t ADT: 720

CO RT NO 16

Good

Over: BRANCH SWEETWATER CREEK

1.1 MI E SWEETWATER, Marengo, AL

Built 1992 Load: 59.8 t ADT: 620

S.R. 205

Good

Over: DRUM CREEK

2 MI N SR 75/205, Marshall, AL

Built 2019 Load: 59.8 t ADT: 3,460

BLAKE BOTTOM ROAD

Good

Over: S.R. 255

3 MILES NORTH OF U.S. 72, Madison, AL

Built 2019 Load: 59.8 t ADT: 5,293

SR77

Good

Over: BLUE EYE CREEK

1.6 MI N JCT US78, Talladega, AL

Built 2019 Load: 59.8 t ADT: 9,367

CO RD 191

Good

Over: CREEK

1.3 MI NE CLINTON, Greene, AL

Built 1966 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 320

COUNTY ROAD 154

Good

Over: KINGS DITCH

SEC 25 T13 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1986 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 30

COTTON RD.

Good

Over: BELL CREEK

7.0 MI SE OF FAYETTE, Fayette, AL

Built 1990 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 58

CO 35

Good

Over: LONG BRANCH

3.7MI E CRAWFORD, Russell, AL

Built 1996 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 200

Showing 14,851-14,900 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.