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

_Ogletree Rd

Good

Over: _Moores Mill Creek

_, Lee, AL

Built 2021 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,709

_ALBRIGHT RD

Good

Over: _CRIBBS MILL CREEK

_.2 Mi N. J. Harrison, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 2021 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 2,016

Bowden Road

Good

Over: LINDSEY CREEK

0.5 MI E of CR 53, Barbour, AL

Built 1966 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 100

Linholm Rd

Good

Over: Elam Creek

.87 miles west of CR 87, Baldwin, AL

Built 2023 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 50

LEITERMAN ROAD

Good

Over: PALMETTO CREEK

1.6 MILES EAST OF cr 95, Baldwin, AL

Built 2023 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 400

CR-35

Good

Over: BRANCH

0.8 MI N INT AL 156, Choctaw, AL

Built 2022 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 200

25th AVE East

Good

Over: Stream

_Jct of Jack Warner pkwy, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1985 Load: 88.9 t ADT: 4,250

Dry Branch

Good

Over: Linholm Road

_, Baldwin, AL

Built 2022 Load: 89.2 t ADT: 44

Dupree Hollow Rd

Good

Over: Double Branch

_T.1S. R.5W. SEC 31, Limestone, AL

Built 2022 Load: 89.4 t ADT: 121

_Deer Haven Road

Good

Over: _Canoe Creek

_0.8 MI N Cedar Mtn Rd, Jefferson, AL

Built 2022 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 106

GATE # 8 ROAD

Good

Over: CANAL/WATER RUN OFF

NEAR BLD 528, Calhoun, AL

Built 1978 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 540

NORTH PATROL RD

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

NEAR CSDP, Calhoun, AL

Built 2008 Load: 97.2 t ADT: 250

RUSH CREEK-Bridge

Poor

Over: RUSH CREEK

BANKHEAD DISTRICT, Winston, AL

Built 1946 ADT: 100

MILLER CREEK BRIDG

Poor

Over: MILLER CREEK

CONECUH DISTRICT, Escambia, AL

Built 1964 ADT: 100

726

Poor

Over: RAGLAND BRANCH

OAKMULGEE DISTRICT, Bibb, AL

Built 1965 ADT: 50

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

CO RD #861

Poor

Over: HIGHPINE CREEK

1 MI SOUTH PEAVY, Randolph, AL

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 80

OAKMAN PARRISH RD

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK

1 MILE W PARRISH, Walker, AL

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,000

CURRY CHAPEL ROAD

Poor

Over: COTACO CREEK

1.5 MI W SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY HWY 1175

Poor

Over: BIG SPRING CREEK

841 FT E JCT 79, Marshall, AL

Built 1925 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

JEFFERSON STREET

Poor

Over: BIG NANCE CREEK

1.9 MI. W. COURTLAND, Lawrence, AL

Built 1926 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,100

JEFFERSON STREET

Poor

Over: BIG NANCE CREEK RELIEF

1.8 MI. JCT. SR 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1926 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,100

OLD 431 HWY

Poor

Over: PAINT ROCK RIVER

1.4 MI S NEW HOPE, Madison, AL

Built 1927 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 672

FIRST AVENUE EAST

Poor

Over: YELLOW CK RELIEF

OLD HWY 18 EAST OF VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 947

FIRST AVENUE EAST

Poor

Over: YELLOW CREEK

OLD HWY 18 EAST OF VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 947

FIRST AVENUE EAST

Poor

Over: YELLOW CREEK RELIEF

OLD HWY 18 EAST OF VERNON, Lamar, AL

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 947

COUNTY ROUTE 73

Poor

Over: CALEBEE CREEK

SE1/4 S18 T16 R23, Macon, AL

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

MEANS RD.

Poor

Over: BLACK CREEK

MEANS RD., Etowah, AL

Built 1928 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 105

TRUCK TRAIL 17

Poor

Over: STYX RIVER

4.2 MI. E. OF AL. HWY. 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1929 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 37

ALABAMA AVENUE

Poor

Over: SOUTHERN RAILROAD

1 MI S JCT AL HWY 5, Winston, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 300

CO RT #68

Poor

Over: SOUTHRAIL RAILROAD

0.1 MI NORTH CO RT #28, Pickens, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

C0 94

Poor

Over: TERRAPIN CREEK

TERRAPIN CREEK * CR 94, Cleburne, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 65

CO. RD. NO 107

Poor

Over: PIGEON CREEK

7 MI. N RED LEVEL, Covington, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

CO. 174

Poor

Over: SNAPPER CREEK

2 MI. S. CHAMBERS CO.LAKE, Chambers, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 21

CO RD 667

Poor

Over: SOFKAHATCHEE CREEK

SEC.14 T 19N 218E, Elmore, AL

Built 1931 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 60

CITY STREET

Poor

Over: RAILROAD * BLACK CK

OLD US 31 * BLACK CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1931 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 1,250

CO RD 417

Poor

Over: COHOBADIAH CREEK

1 MI NORTH NEWELL, Randolph, AL

Built 1932 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

CO RT 189

Poor

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

0.5 MI W CO RT 51 T7SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1932 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY RT #96

Poor

Over: SOUTHRAIL RAILROAD

0.4 MILES SOUTH OF US 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1935 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 25

CO RD B22

Poor

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

1.2 MI N CO 16 CO B22 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1936 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 65

CO. 153

Poor

Over: COTTS CREEK

0.4 MI SE INT CO 59, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 25

CO 83

Poor

Over: BRUSH CREEK

7.8 MI N E UCHEE, Russell, AL

Built 1917 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 80

COGBIL ST

Poor

Over: LIL CAHABA RV

COGBIL ST * ASHVILLE RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1937 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 75

COUNTY HWY 1291

Poor

Over: BRANCH

3755 FT N JCT 1464, Marshall, AL

Built 1938 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

MARTIN CRK RD

Poor

Over: MARTIN CREEK

3.2 MI NE OF CO 89TO RUS, Barbour, AL

Built 1939 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

Showing 15,651-15,700 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.