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 RD 42

Good

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Brooklyn Road, Covington, AL

Built 1953 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,050

CO. RD. 82

Good

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Zion Hill Road, Covington, AL

Built 1954 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 80

CO RT 410

Good

Over: KIMMY CREEK

2.5 MILES NORTH OF INO, Coffee, AL

Built 1956 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 210

US 431

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.2 MI N PAINT ROCK RIVER, Madison, AL

Built 1957 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 9,519

SR 53

Good

Over: CREEK

8 MI N JCT US 72, Madison, AL

Built 1957 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 23,567

SR 176

Good

Over: DRY CREEK

7.8 MI N JCT SR 68, DeKalb, AL

Built 1957 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,510

RAMP I59 TO SR35

Good

Over: BRANCH

JCT I59 * SR35, DeKalb, AL

Built 1959 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,482

CO RT 110

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.3 MILES EAST OF ROETON, Coffee, AL

Built 1959 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 459

SR 157

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.7 M N JCT SR157 & SR101, Lawrence, AL

Built 1959 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,670

LOCK 17 ROAD

Good

Over: PRUDES CREEK

11.9 MI N OF JCT ALA 216, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1959 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 600

I59

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.3 MI N JCT I59*CORT 140, DeKalb, AL

Built 1960 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 13,487

CR23 MIDWAY-ELMORE

Good

Over: MT CREEK

CR23 2MI. EAST OF MIDWAY, Chilton, AL

Built 1960 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 350

COUNTY ROAD 3339

Good

Over: INDIAN CREEK

SEC 27 T8N R21E, Pike, AL

Built 1960 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 300

CO RT 214

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

0.9 MI E JCT SR 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1960 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,301

COUNTY ROUTE 1

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

4 MI. S.E. ELISKA, Monroe, AL

Built 1961 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 235

CO. RD. 58

Good

Over: BRANCH

RAUGHTON CULVERT), Randolph, AL

Built 1961 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 315

I 59

Good

Over: BRANCH

1 . 5 MI N ST CLAIRCO LN, Etowah, AL

Built 1962 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,472

I59

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.5 MI NO ST CLAIR CO LN, Etowah, AL

Built 1962 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,472

I 59

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 . 5 MI N ST CLAIR CO LN, Etowah, AL

Built 1962 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,472

F.A.S.15

Good

Over: MCCULLEY CREEK

4.5MI SE TUSC CO LICO.24, Bibb, AL

Built 1962 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 520

COUNTY RD 30

Good

Over: NO NAME CREEK

1/4 MI E OF FLEETA SCHOOL, Covington, AL

Built 1962 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 300

CR38 MATTIE COBB R

Good

Over: MAHAN CREEK

CR38 .6 M NE CNTR HILL CH, Chilton, AL

Built 1963 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROAD 3328

Good

Over: WEST CLEARWATER CREEK

SEC 34 T8N R22E, Pike, AL

Built 1963 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 250

CO. 44

Good

Over: BRANCH

2 MI. S.W. SIKES, Chambers, AL

Built 1963 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 59

PARKER ROAD

Good

Over: SHOAL CREEK

1.0 MI S SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1963 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,275

SID BUSH RD

Good

Over: LINDSEY CREEK

1.1 MI SE OF COUNTY 53, Barbour, AL

Built 1964 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 85

SR 79

Good

Over: STREAM

3 MI S JCT SR146 * SR79, Jackson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 866

I85 SBL

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.46 MI. N AL.186, Macon, AL

Built 1965 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 15,690

Lee Road 148

Good

Over: LITTLE UCHEE CREEK

2.0 MI E JCT S 169, Lee, AL

Built 1965 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 636

CO RT 78

Good

Over: BUCK CREEK

5 MI. S. SKINNERTON, Conecuh, AL

Built 1965 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 75

SR 167 MP 38.091

Good

Over: CARDWELL CREEK

3.7 MI.N.SR.51, Coffee, AL

Built 1965 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 4,830

CO. RT. 1476

Good

Over: LAKE CATOMA

CR 1476, Cullman, AL

Built 1966 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 165

COUNTY ROAD 7

Good

Over: ELBOW CREEK

HICKORY GROVE RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1966 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 87

ST CLAIR CO 26

Good

Over: LITTLE TROUT CREEK

1.5 MI NW FAIRVIEW CHURCH, St. Clair, AL

Built 1966 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 500

CO RD 62

Good

Over: PINCHONY CREEK

2 MI EAST OF US 31, Lowndes, AL

Built 1967 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 260

CO RD 62

Good

Over: PINCHONY CREEK

1 MI EAST OF US 31, Lowndes, AL

Built 1967 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 250

CO RT 449

Good

Over: PHILLIPS MILL CREEK

3.4 MI W OF GOODMAN, Coffee, AL

Built 1967 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 58

CO RT 412

Good

Over: HAYS CREEK

2.9 MILES N OF BROOKLYN, Coffee, AL

Built 1967 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 125

CO RD 31

Good

Over: SEYOUYAH CREEK

0.1 MI S INT RT 241 * 231, Choctaw, AL

Built 1967 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 375

CO RT 422

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.8 MI W.OF BASIN, Coffee, AL

Built 1968 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 110

CO RT 420

Good

Over: LITTLE HAYS CREEK

1.1 MILE SW OF BASIN, Coffee, AL

Built 1968 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 125

SR 79

Good

Over: STREAM

3.6 MI N JCT US72 * SR79, Jackson, AL

Built 1968 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,211

AL-86

Good

Over: Stream

0.2 MI W JCT US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1968 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,500

SR 67

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.6 MI N JCT SR 67 & I 65, Morgan, AL

Built 1935 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 26,340

HWY #8

Good

Over: LONG BRANCH

4.5 MI SW OF COFFEE SPRI, Geneva, AL

Built 1969 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 125

SR 21

Good

Over: ROILEY CREEK

PETERMAN, Monroe, AL

Built 1969 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,080

CO RT 331

Good

Over: BRANCH

8.82 MILES NORTH OFELBA, Coffee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 125

AL 147 / AL 267

Good

Over: BRANCH

2.4 MI N JCT SR 14, Lee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 17,090

COUNTY ROAD

Good

Over: BRANCH

1.5 MI.S.AL.47 BONE HILL, Monroe, AL

Built 1971 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 100

US 231 MP 173.305

Good

Over: KNIGHTS MILL CREEK

1.8 MI. E. OF TROY, Pike, AL

Built 1971 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 18,360

Showing 15,401-15,450 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.