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

BAXTER RD 2

Good

Over: BRANCH NO NAME

0.2 MI E OF COUNTY 43, Barbour, AL

Built 1999 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 20

US 72 AL 02

Good

Over: STREAM

6.8 MILES EAST AL117*US72, Jackson, AL

Built 1994 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,766

BLACK ROAD

Good

Over: GILL CREEK

1.0 MI S HWY 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1985 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 510

JOHNS ROAD

Good

Over: VALLEY CREEK TRIBUTARY

100 WEST VALLEY CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 4,935

SR 69

Good

Over: WHIRL CREEK

2.6 MI N OF LINDEN, Marengo, AL

Built 2020 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,860

CO. RD. 90

Good

Over: CANEY BRANCH

2.5 MI W JCT CO 21, Franklin, AL

Built 1999 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 286

CO. RD. 1605

Good

Over: STREAM

0.75MI. E JCT SR157*US278, Cullman, AL

Built 1997 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,988

CO. RD 45

Good

Over: CREEK

0.8 MI. N OF AL 21, Lowndes, AL

Built 1977 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 190

AL-269

Good

Over: Baker Creek

AL-269 @ Baker Creek, Walker, AL

Built 2017 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,195

CO 35

Good

Over: ALEWINE CREEK

APROX. 1MI N OF HYW 78, Cleburne, AL

Built 2001 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 360

AL 0025

Good

Over: TURKEY CREEK

TURKEYTOWN, Etowah, AL

Built 2012 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,524

EAGLE POINT CIRCLE

Good

Over: IVY BRANCH

400 SO. EAGLE CREST DR., Shelby, AL

Built 1998 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 600

TOWNSEND FORD RD

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

1.5 MI N. OF NEW CUT RD, Limestone, AL

Built 2002 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 250

SR 35

Good

Over: STRINGER CREEK

1 MILE S JCT SR71 * SR35, Jackson, AL

Built 1999 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,842

KICKER RD.

Good

Over: CREEK

1.0 MI S OF 15TH ST, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2000 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,615

COUNTY ROAD 57

Good

Over: TERVIN MILL CREEK

Tervin Mill Road, Covington, AL

Built 2002 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 300

Church Road

Good

Over: Jaybird Creek

0.6 MI N INT AL HWY 49 N, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 2002 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 180

US 84 MP575.001

Good

Over: DOUBLE BRANCH CREEK

1.2MI. E. SR 122, Coffee, AL

Built 2012 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 6,720

CO. RD.9

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

0.57 MI W. CO.23 CO.9 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 2001 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 131

SR 24

Good

Over: LITTLE MUD CREEK

4.6 M W JCT SR24 & SR101, Lawrence, AL

Built 1999 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 4,520

TRIB OF WATTS CRK

Good

Over: OLD KIRKPATRICK RD

1.9 MILES SOUTH OF OLD 78, Walker, AL

Built 2003 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 110

COUNTY ROAD 19

Good

Over: TRIB OF BARTON CREEK

1.75 MI NORTH OF AL. 28, Marengo, AL

Built 2004 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,055

COUNTY ROAD 19

Good

Over: TRIB OF BARTON CREEK

2.25 MI NORTH OF AL 28, Marengo, AL

Built 2004 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,055

COUNTY ROAD 78

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

JR. PEAK ROAD????????????, Winston, AL

Built 2004 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 18

US 98

Good

Over: SCARBO TRIBUTARY

?????????????????????????, Mobile, AL

Built 2007 Load: 88.9 t

AL 0025

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.25 MI N.HOOK LAKE RD, Etowah, AL

Built 2012 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 7,524

HOLMES ROAD

Good

Over: EAST FORK OF FLINT CK

JUNCTION CR 158 * CR 155, Morgan, AL

Built 2004 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 325

CO 13

Good

Over: SNAKE CREEK

BETWEEN HWY 9 * HWY 431, Cleburne, AL

Built 2003 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 900

COUNTY ROAD 1045

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

1.5 MI NORTH CULLMAN CO., Morgan, AL

Built 2004 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 326

CR-89

Good

Over: Harold Creek

0.51 MI N CR-65, Coosa, AL

Built 2003 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 171

COUNTY ROAD 145

Good

Over: TRIB TO OAKMULGEE CREEK

0.2 MI NORTH CR 64, Perry, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 15

CHEROKEE #89

Good

Over: SPRING BRANCH

0.9 MI NE INT CHEROKEE 87, Cherokee, AL

Built 2003 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 75

US 98

Good

Over: LITTLE STICKNEY DRAINAGE

0.10 MI E OF LOUISELLE ST, Mobile, AL

Built 2004 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 22,792

COUNTY ROAD 4

Good

Over: RODGERS CREEK

0.4 MI E CO RT 1161, Sumter, AL

Built 1958 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 195

WALKER ROAD

Good

Over: WESOBULGA CREEK

CRAGFORD, Clay, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROAD 577

Good

Over: SOUTH SAUTY CREEK

T-6-S R-7-E SEC. 12, DeKalb, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 237

EAGLE CREST DRIVE

Good

Over: CAHABA VALLEY CREEK

200 FROM AL 119, Shelby, AL

Built 1989 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,000

CO RD 26

Good

Over: SANDY POINT CREEK

5 MI SW BERRY, Fayette, AL

Built 1955 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 730

COUNTY ROAD 191

Good

Over: TRIB TO TAYLOR CREEK

3.6 MI N SNODDY, Greene, AL

Built 2006 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 130

COUNTY ROAD 87

Good

Over: LITTLE SHOALS CREEK

1.2 MI NE JCT CR 203, Lawrence, AL

Built 2007 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 1,233

SHANGHAI ROAD

Good

Over: DANNER CREEK

1.3 MI WEST AL 51, Barbour, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 30

HALCOMB RD

Good

Over: SANDY BRANCH

0.1?MI. WEST OF HY. 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2006 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 40

POND BETHEL CH RD

Good

Over: CEDAR CREEK

0.5 MI NORTH CO RD 75, Barbour, AL

Built 2006 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 30

BOND ROAD

Good

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

1 MILE NORTH CO RD 25, Barbour, AL

Built 2006 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 25

MCCALL ROAD

Good

Over: STINKING CREEK

0.2 MI NORTH AL HWY 239??, Barbour, AL

Built 2006 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 25

ERIE CREEK

Good

Over: PENDLEY CREEK ROAD

2.6 MILES NORTH HWY 18, Walker, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 120

TAYLOR ROAD

Good

Over: CREEK

2 MILE SOUTH U.S. 431, Madison, AL

Built 2009 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 5,500

SR202

Good

Over: CREEK

.92 MI N OF I20, Calhoun, AL

Built 2001 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 11,788

COUNTY ROAD 131

Good

Over: SANDY FORD CREEK

T4S R9E SEC. 19, DeKalb, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 58

ROCK CREEK BLVD

Good

Over: ROCK CREEK

2.5 MILE NORTH U.S.72, Limestone, AL

Built 2005 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 400

Showing 15,551-15,600 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.