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

SR 13

Good

Over: BRANCH

5 MI S JCT SR 13 & SR 2, Colbert, AL

Built 1953 Load: 61.4 t ADT: 12,650

CO. RT. 3

Good

Over: TATTILABA CREEK

4.24 MI. NW OF WINN, Clarke, AL

Built 1993 Load: 61.4 t ADT: 400

Yates Rd (CR 568)

Good

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.3 MI South of Tabor Rd, Etowah, AL

Built 2019 Load: 61.4 t ADT: 37

CR 165

Good

Over: Unnamed Stream

1.7 MI. W CO RT 236, Lawrence, AL

Built 2018 Load: 61.4 t ADT: 35

COUNTY ROAD 154

Good

Over: BUGHALL CREEK

SEC 36 T13 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1988 Load: 61.7 t ADT: 50

Cr 821

Good

Over: fixico Creek

NW of Broughton, Randolph, AL

Built 2016 Load: 61.7 t ADT: 53

CO RD.497

Good

Over: HENSON BR

3 MILES NE WED.RAUGHTON, Randolph, AL

Built 2005 Load: 61.8 t ADT: 17

COUNTY RD 57

Good

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Robin Road, Covington, AL

Built 1992 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 220

CO RT 127

Good

Over: MAY BRANCH

0.3MI E INT CO 20, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1995 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 60

SALEM ROAD

Good

Over: LYNCH CREEK

NEAR HARKINS CROSS ROADS, Clay, AL

Built 2005 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 68

US 84 MP 165.182

Good

Over: WHITEWATER CREEK

0.2 MI. N SR 87, Coffee, AL

Built 2019 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 2,240

US 84 MP 165.182

Good

Over: WHITEWATER CREEK

0.2 Mi. N SR 87, Coffee, AL

Built 2019 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 2,240

County Road 52

Good

Over: Buck Creek

CR 52 over Buck Creek, Shelby, AL

Built 2022 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 12,816

CO RD 32

Good

Over: Trib to Negro Creek

1.13 mi E to BBE, Baldwin, AL

Built 2016 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 6,964

Old Hwy US-431

Good

Over: Flint River (Relief 2)

_1.2MI E JCT US 231 HWY, Madison, AL

Built 2021 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 1,949

Old Hwy US-431

Good

Over: Flint River (Relief 1)

2.6 MI E JCT US HWY 431_, Madison, AL

Built 2021 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 1,949

Old Hwy US-431

Good

Over: Flint River (Relief 3)

_, Madison, AL

Built 2021 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 520

County Road 9

Good

Over: Barner Branch

0.1M S of CR 28, Baldwin, AL

Built 2020 Load: 61.9 t ADT: 2,453

CO RT NO 16

Good

Over: BRANCH SWEETWATER CREEK

1.1 MI E SWEETWATER, Marengo, AL

Built 1992 Load: 62.0 t ADT: 620

M-CLASS BLVD

Good

Over: NS RR Active US 11

US HWY 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2020 Load: 62.0 t ADT: 3,633

CITY STREET

Good

Over: CREEK

DEER RUN ROAD, Lee, AL

Built 1974 Load: 62.1 t ADT: 1,024

SR 10

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.4 MI. E. OF NANAFALIA, Marengo, AL

Built 1984 Load: 62.1 t ADT: 2,990

STEPHENS CHURCH RD

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

2.7 MI EAST AL 183, Perry, AL

Built 1985 Load: 62.1 t ADT: 60

Floyd Bradford Rd

Good

Over: Stinking Creek

1.8 miles NE US 78 Leeds, Jefferson, AL

Built 2020 Load: 62.1 t ADT: 3,159

CR 460

Good

Over: TROUBLESOME CREEK

3.8 MI W JCT SR 101, Lawrence, AL

Built 1929 Load: 62.3 t ADT: 4,130

CR76 MORNINGSTARRD

Good

Over: OTHO BRANCH

CR76 1 ME MORNING STAR CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1990 Load: 62.3 t ADT: 420

CO. 1377

Good

Over: TRIB. TO OSNIPPA CREEK

0.2 MI. N. LEE CO. LINE, Chambers, AL

Built 2002 Load: 62.3 t ADT: 83

COUNTY ROAD 42

Good

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

1MI W OF AL 139 ON CTY 42, Bibb, AL

Built 1984 Load: 62.4 t ADT: 400

COUNTY ROAD 83

Good

Over: GOOSE POND CREEK

CR83 2MNW OF CLANTON, Chilton, AL

Built 1969 Load: 62.4 t ADT: 319

Mill Rd._

Good

Over: Bradford Creek_

1.5 Mi. W. Sullivan St._, Madison, AL

Built 2017 Load: 62.4 t ADT: 2,500

AL-44

Good

Over: Branch

1 MI W JCT SR 129, Marion, AL

Built 1949 Load: 62.5 t ADT: 742

CR 136

Good

Over: FINNEY BRANCH

277 FT WEST OF CR 134 INT, Lawrence, AL

Built 2016 Load: 62.5 t ADT: 186

CO. 32

Good

Over: FINLEY CREEK

3 MI. S.W. LAFAYETTE, Chambers, AL

Built 1960 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 260

COUNTY RD 127

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

4.0 MI NE OF BERRY, Fayette, AL

Built 1983 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 93

SR 59

Good

Over: SHOMO CREEK REL.

2.3 MI. N. OF CHRYSLER, Monroe, AL

Built 1988 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 420

CR # 239

Good

Over: MOORE BRANCH

0.73 MI W SR 22, Dallas, AL

Built 1992 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 400

NATURAL BRIDGE RD

Good

Over: SHOAL CREEK

1.0 MI EAST CO RD 179, Morgan, AL

Built 2005 Load: 62.6 t ADT: 487

SR-6 (US-231)

Good

Over: JENKINS CREEK

1.9mi W.of Meriwether rd, Montgomery, AL

Built 2020 Load: 62.7 t ADT: 11,830

OLD HWY 20

Good

Over: LIMESTONE CRK SLOUGH

_SEC10 T4S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 2020 Load: 62.7 t ADT: 2,230

AL 14

Good

Over: CSX

In town of Elmore, Elmore, AL

Built 2017 Load: 62.8 t ADT: 21,370

Tuscaloosa Avenue

Good

Over: Black Creek

Tuscaloosa Ave/Blk Crk, Etowah, AL

Built 2016 Load: 62.8 t

CR 18

Good

Over: TALLAPOOSA RIVER

CR 18 Tallapoosa River, Cleburne, AL

Built 2021 Load: 62.8 t ADT: 246

SR 13 (US-43) SB

Good

Over: STEELE CREEK

1 MI S JCT I-65, Mobile, AL

Built 2021 Load: 62.9 t ADT: 6,216

CO RD 26

Good

Over: COWARTS CREEK

ASHFORD TO US 84, Houston, AL

Built 1988 Load: 63.0 t ADT: 655

SR 2

Good

Over: ASHE BOULEVARD

0.8 M N Jct SR2 & SR184, Colbert, AL

Built 2022 Load: 63.0 t ADT: 18,856

COUNTY ROAD 19

Good

Over: COLWELL CREEK TRIB.

1.3 MI. N. OF GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 1984 Load: 63.1 t ADT: 400

US 82

Good

Over: UT SANDY CREEK

BIBB, Bibb, AL

Built 2021 Load: 63.1 t ADT: 2,690

20 TH STREET

Good

Over: TANYHARD CREEK

20 TH STREET * 8TH AVE, Walker, AL

Built 1985 Load: 63.2 t ADT: 8,000

CO RT 214

Good

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

0.5 MI E JCT CO RT 305, Lawrence, AL

Built 1955 Load: 63.2 t ADT: 480

SR 10

Good

Over: HODGENS CREEK REL.

2.6 MI. W. OF SWEETWATER, Marengo, AL

Built 1984 Load: 63.3 t ADT: 2,990

Showing 14,951-15,000 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.