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

SHILOH ROAD

Good

Over: BRANCH

1 MI N OF CO RD 1, Monroe, AL

Built 2000 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROAD 1492

Good

Over: EIGHTMILE CREEK

CR 1492, Cullman, AL

Built 2008 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 200

MARTIN ROAD

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

6 MI W OF RIDEOUT RD, Madison, AL

Built 2013 Load: 59.9 t ADT: 7,800

POPLAR RIDGE RD

Good

Over: OWL CREEK

1.0 MILE NO FAS RT 01, Madison, AL

Built 1984 Load: 60.0 t ADT: 400

Glasgow Road

Good

Over: Abandoned RR

_Lee Chapel, Jefferson, AL

Built 2021 Load: 60.0 t ADT: 255

CO. RT. 22

Good

Over: JAMES CREEK

1.0 MI.E GROVE HILL, Clarke, AL

Built 1961 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 300

SR 36

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

2 MI W JCT SR 36 & SR 53, Morgan, AL

Built 1970 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 5,800

HINES ST.

Good

Over: TOWN CREEK

JCT. HINES ST.*TOWN CREEK, Limestone, AL

Built 1990 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 1,517

SOUTH RAILROAD ST

Good

Over: HOLLAND CREEK

SOUTH RR STREET, Russell, AL

Built 1994 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 2,905

CO. RD. 55

Good

Over: BRANCH OF POLECAT CREEK

1.2 MI. S. OF S. R. 104, Baldwin, AL

Built 1994 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 1,022

PARK ROAD

Good

Over: BRANCH

.4 MI. EAST CATH. CAV. RD, Marshall, AL

Built 1998 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 150

28TH AVE

Good

Over: 28TH AVE DRAINAGE

1 MI W 29TH AVE, Baldwin, AL

Built 1999 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 663

Lee Road 206

Good

Over: UT of Little Uchee Creek

0.1 mi s Jct Lee Road 240, Lee, AL

Built 2016 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 1,114

CO 65

Good

Over: Branch

.8 mi S INT Co 63, Lauderdale, AL

Built 2023 Load: 60.1 t ADT: 804

CO.83

Good

Over: KELLEM HILL CREEK

1.5MI.S.E.LAFAYETTE, Chambers, AL

Built 1962 Load: 60.2 t ADT: 880

SR 259

Good

Over: BLACKMAN CREEK

10.7 N JCT. SR 9, Coosa, AL

Built 1984 Load: 60.2 t ADT: 1,661

CR # 188

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.98 MI E CR 29, Dallas, AL

Built 1993 Load: 60.2 t ADT: 100

Jenkins Cemetery

Good

Over: North River

2 Miles West of Pea Ridge, Fayette, AL

Built 2018 Load: 60.2 t ADT: 85

CO RT 7

Good

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

1 MI SW LENOX, Conecuh, AL

Built 1992 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 840

DICKY SPRINGS ROAD

Good

Over: SHADES CREEK

1 MI. SW OF GREENWOOD, Jefferson, AL

Built 2014 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 1,350

AL-171

Good

Over: Buttahatchee River

2 MI S JCT AL-17, Marion, AL

Built 2017 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 3,891

SR 5

Good

Over: CUB CREEK

.5 mi. n. of Sunny South, Wilcox, AL

Built 2022 Load: 60.3 t ADT: 5,640

COUNTY ROAD 7

Good

Over: LAKE THAT LEADS TO BR

0.5 MI S CALHOUN COUNTY, Talladega, AL

Built 1960 Load: 60.4 t ADT: 1,290

CO.1064

Good

Over: LITTLE CREEK

1.4MI.S.W.MARCOOT, Chambers, AL

Built 2002 Load: 60.4 t ADT: 35

BLACK CREEK PKWY

Good

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

BLACK CREEK PARKWAY, Etowah, AL

Built 2011 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 10,500

SUBDIVISION ROAD

Good

Over: CSX RAILROAD

0.2 MILE FROM CR 11, Shelby, AL

Built 2006 Load: 60.6 t ADT: 653

COVERD BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: LOCUST FORK RIVER

1.6KM EAST OF NECTAR, Blount, AL

Built 1999 Load: 60.7 t ADT: 489

COUNTY ROAD 24

Good

Over: TRIBUTARY OF FACTORY CK

4.9 MI NE AL HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 2004 Load: 60.7 t ADT: 135

US 431

Good

Over: Black Creek

@ Emma Sampson School, Etowah, AL

Built 2017 Load: 60.7 t ADT: 11,046

SR-17 (US-45)

Good

Over: Bennetts Creek

_, Mobile, AL

Built 2023 Load: 60.7 t ADT: 5,602

Innovation Parkway

Good

Over: Trib. To Wet Weather Cr.

0.1 Miles West Of SR 21, Escambia, AL

Built 2018 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 290

Beasley Rd

Good

Over: Schoolhouse creek

_, Baldwin, AL

Built 2022 Load: 60.8 t ADT: 1,000

COUNTY ROAD 2225

Good

Over: SMART BRANCH

SEC 1 T8N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1961 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 225

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Good

Over: RENO BRASHER CREEK

HIGHLAND LAKE, Blount, AL

Built 1989 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 362

US 278

Good

Over: CREEK

1.8 MI.E. BIG COVE CK, Etowah, AL

Built 1998 Load: 60.9 t ADT: 13,245

MINT SPRINGS RD

Good

Over: SWAMP BRANCH

3.0 MI W OF PLEVNA, Madison, AL

Built 1989 Load: 61.0 t ADT: 420

LOW GAP ROAD

Good

Over: HILL CREEK

1/4 MI.W.OF OLD GURLEY PK, Madison, AL

Built 2005 Load: 61.0 t ADT: 400

SR-18 (US-43)

Good

Over: Deadwater Creek

0.2 MI W of Bankston, Fayette, AL

Built 2021 Load: 61.0 t ADT: 1,700

SR 154

Good

Over: CREEK

14.7 MI. W.OF THOMASVILLE, Clarke, AL

Built 1963 Load: 61.1 t ADT: 290

SR 202

Good

Over: STREAM

7.9 MI E JCT US 78, Calhoun, AL

Built 1978 Load: 61.1 t ADT: 10,275

RIDGELANDFARMS RD

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

0.81 MI. E. OF HOBBIE RD., Montgomery, AL

Built 1991 Load: 61.1 t ADT: 1,000

SR74 / US278

Good

Over: NANCES CREEK

2.7 MI EAST JCT SR200, Calhoun, AL

Built 2012 Load: 61.1 t ADT: 4,229

FULLER STORE RD

Good

Over: POLK BRANCH

FULLER STORE RD, Colbert, AL

Built 2001 Load: 61.1 t ADT: 60

US 82

Good

Over: ICR RR

3.5 MI EAST OF PVILLE, Autauga, AL

Built 2022 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 17,962

_CR 59

Good

Over: _Cane Creek

2.45 mi north of woodland, Randolph, AL

Built 2015 Load: 61.2 t ADT: 425

COUNTY 3

Good

Over: AFFONEE CREEK

1.1 MI. E HARRISBURG CO 3, Bibb, AL

Built 1985 Load: 61.3 t ADT: 50

SHAW RD

Good

Over: SHAW BRANCH

SHAW RD S OF TIDWELL RD, Colbert, AL

Built 1992 Load: 61.3 t ADT: 223

0000002146102X0

Good

Over: BRANCH OF BASHI CREEK

5.2MI N CLARK CO LINE, Marengo, AL

Built 1996 Load: 61.3 t ADT: 399

SCHILLINGER ROAD N

Good

Over: RED CREEK

1.5 MI. N. OF U.S. HWY 98, Mobile, AL

Built 2020 Load: 61.3 t ADT: 14,157

AIR TERMINAL DRIVE

Good

Over: MILLER CREEK

0.5 ML S AIRPORT BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 2009 Load: 61.3 t ADT: 5,721

Showing 14,901-14,950 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.