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

COUNTY ROAD 2

Good

Over: YELLOW CREEK TRIB.

2.0 MI. S. OF ARCLOA, Hale, AL

Built 1900 Load: 70.4 t ADT: 100

SR-85 MP 14.355

Good

Over: BRACKINS MILL CK.

1.8 MI.N JCT.SR-167, Dale, AL

Built 1994 Load: 70.4 t ADT: 2,130

CO. RD. 19

Good

Over: PINEYWOOD CREEK

2 MI NW MORRISON X ROADS, Randolph, AL

Built 1994 Load: 70.4 t ADT: 250

RIVERTON ROSE TR

Good

Over: HURD BRANCH

RRT N OF OCOCHAPPO VLG, Colbert, AL

Built 1939 Load: 70.5 t ADT: 360

AL-17

Good

Over: Mud Creek Relief

4.9 MI N OF MILLPORT, Lamar, AL

Built 1929 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 1,330

GOVERNORS WEST

Good

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN R.R.

0.3 MI WEST SR 255, Madison, AL

Built 1990 Load: 70.7 t ADT: 9,000

CO. HWY. 17

Good

Over: KING CREEK

0.9 MI. SO.CR 22, Shelby, AL

Built 1988 Load: 70.9 t ADT: 1,545

CO. 160

Good

Over: ROCKY BRANCH

2 MI SW FIVE POINTS, Chambers, AL

Built 1992 Load: 70.9 t ADT: 172

CO RD 79

Good

Over: BEADLESCOMB BRANCH

3.2KM S BILLINGSLEY, Autauga, AL

Built 1995 Load: 70.9 t ADT: 75

SR 47

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.9 MI. W. OF MONROEVILLE, Monroe, AL

Built 1935 Load: 71.0 t ADT: 2,680

CO RT 105

Good

Over: HALLS CREEK

1 MILE WEST OF NEW HOPE, Coffee, AL

Built 1994 Load: 71.0 t ADT: 255

CO. RD. 4

Good

Over: MUD CREEK

1.0MI NW LEVENS CHURCH, Randolph, AL

Built 1971 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 250

BROOKS CHURCH RD

Good

Over: W BRIAR FORK CREEK

0.4 MI N JCT CO RD 109, Madison, AL

Built 1984 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 110

COUNTY ROAD 324

Good

Over: WILEY BRANCH

0.2 MI SW JCT CR 434, Lawrence, AL

Built 2003 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 96

LAKE AVE

Good

Over: Forest Lake Branch

FOREST LAKE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2011 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 985

Industrial Park Dr

Good

Over: UT Five Runs Creek

0.36 miles E of US 29, Covington, AL

Built 2010 Load: 71.1 t ADT: 1,464

CO RD 1271

Good

Over: CREEK

0.25MI N LEE CO LINE, Chambers, AL

Built 1960 Load: 71.2 t ADT: 300

HOLLINGSHEAD RD

Good

Over: CREEK

2 MI N WEST OF CO 12, Lowndes, AL

Built 1993 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 60

AL 14

Good

Over: BEAVER CREEK

6.6 MI.W. OF AUTAUGAVILLE, Autauga, AL

Built 2018 Load: 71.3 t ADT: 2,970

AL-74

Good

Over: Buttahatchee Creek

2 MI W JCT AL 233, Marion, AL

Built 1957 Load: 71.4 t ADT: 1,057

US 72 SR 2

Good

Over: BRANCH

1 MI E JCT US72 * SR 255, Madison, AL

Built 1990 Load: 71.4 t ADT: 44,024

US 43

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.4 MI. S. OF THOMASVILLE, Clarke, AL

Built 1939 Load: 71.4 t ADT: 8,520

CO. RD. 41

Good

Over: LICK CREEK

1.4 MI S. JCT SR24, Franklin, AL

Built 1999 Load: 71.5 t ADT: 168

DUNCAN LOOP ROAD

Good

Over: HARDIN CREEK

1.3 MI EAST OF STEWART, Hale, AL

Built 2020 Load: 71.5 t ADT: 72

CO.RD. 11

Good

Over: BOGUELOOSA CREEK

1.2 MI S INT RT 144* 142, Choctaw, AL

Built 1985 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 700

COUNTY ROAD 16

Good

Over: LITTLE PRARIE CREEK TRIB

1.3 MI. E. OF CEDARVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1994 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 150

CO. RT. 316

Good

Over: FLAT CREEK

1.0 MI E JCT CR 434, Lawrence, AL

Built 2004 Load: 71.6 t ADT: 65

SR4/US78

Good

Over: BURTON CREEK

5.4 MI N JCT SR 46, Cleburne, AL

Built 1929 Load: 71.7 t ADT: 2,600

CO 33

Good

Over: SNAKE CREEK

5.7 MI N E UCHEE, Russell, AL

Built 1986 Load: 71.7 t ADT: 400

CHEROKEE #168

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.1 MI W CO #168, Cherokee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 71.8 t ADT: 120

Co Hwy 131

Good

Over: Little Hog Creek

4042 FT S JCT 1161, Marshall, AL

Built 2015 Load: 71.8 t ADT: 260

MITCHELL ROAD

Good

Over: COX CREEK

OFF HWY 139 NEAR COX CHAP, Bibb, AL

Built 2005 Load: 71.9 t ADT: 50

Lee Road 144

Good

Over: Little Uchee Creek

0.5 M NE JCT S169, Lee, AL

Built 2018 Load: 72.1 t ADT: 58

SR 202

Good

Over: CASTLEBERRY BRANCH

2.8 MI N OF I20, Calhoun, AL

Built 2001 Load: 72.4 t ADT: 17,836

COUNTY ROAD 2227

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

SEC. 18 T9N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 1962 Load: 72.5 t ADT: 200

COUNTY ROAD 32

Good

Over: SPARKS CREEK TRIB.

1.9 MI. E. OF DOMINICK, Hale, AL

Built 1982 Load: 72.5 t ADT: 100

CR. 45

Good

Over: RILEY CREEK

2.0 MI.SW MACEDONIACHURCH, Butler, AL

Built 1978 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 204

Lee Road 156

Good

Over: trib to halawakee creek

0.2 mi w jctLee Road 158, Lee, AL

Built 2016 Load: 72.6 t ADT: 115

CO RD 156

Good

Over: CREEK

3.4 MI E COTTON BR, Greene, AL

Built 1961 Load: 72.8 t ADT: 367

MCVAY ROAD

Good

Over: DODEY CREEK

WINN, Clarke, AL

Built 1957 Load: 72.8 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD 2

Good

Over: BIG PRARIE CREEK TRIB.

1.8 MI. N. OF PRARIEVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1994 Load: 72.8 t ADT: 200

HORTON GAP RD.

Good

Over: LITTLE SAND VALLEY CREEK

.2M SE OF SAND VALLEY RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1998 Load: 72.8 t ADT: 375

COUNTY ROAD 4

Good

Over: BIG BRUSH CREEK TRIB.

3.1 MI. S. OF DOMINICK, Hale, AL

Built 1978 Load: 72.9 t ADT: 125

CO. RD. 59

Good

Over: WEDOWEE CR.

1 MI.SO. ROCKY BRANCH, Randolph, AL

Built 2001 Load: 72.9 t ADT: 580

COUNTY ROAD 9

Good

Over: LITTLE PRAIRIE CRK(REL)

3.7 MI. N. OF PRARIE EDEN, Hale, AL

Built 1984 Load: 73.2 t ADT: 200

CO RT 105

Good

Over: CAMP BRANCH

1.4 MILE EAST OF NEW HOPE, Coffee, AL

Built 1959 Load: 73.4 t ADT: 464

CO. RD. 82

Good

Over: WOLF CREEK

1.4 MI E MORRISON X ROADS, Randolph, AL

Built 1993 Load: 73.4 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD 30

Good

Over: CLEAR CREEK

3 MI W JCT CORD 32???????, Winston, AL

Built 2006 Load: 73.4 t ADT: 400

_Haysland Road

Good

Over: _Draninage Ditch

.10 Mile North Hobbs Road, Madison, AL

Built 2018 Load: 73.4 t ADT: 14,580

AL 281

Good

Over: STREAM

3.0 MI S CLEB. CO. LINE, Clay, AL

Built 1988 Load: 73.5 t ADT: 113

Showing 15,201-15,250 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.