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

CO.RT.573

Poor

Over: BRANCH AT POPLAR CRK

0.70 MI. S.E. CO.RT.53, Marengo, AL

Built 1960 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

CO RT NO 38

Poor

Over: SAND CREEK

1.3 MI SW MCKINLEY, Marengo, AL

Built 1961 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 125

FAIRWAY RD

Poor

Over: WILLS CREEK

0.5 MI E OF US 11, DeKalb, AL

Built 1961 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 55

AL -5

Poor

Over: US-78

US 78 * AL 5, Walker, AL

Built 1962 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10,932

SPRINGFIELD AVE

Poor

Over: WILLOW CREEK

0.8 MI N US 11 CITYHALL, Greene, AL

Built 1962 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 16

CO. 55

Poor

Over: CHATAHOSPEE CREEK

0.5 MI. S. TILLER C.R., Chambers, AL

Built 1920 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 95

DOYLE SANDERS RD

Poor

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.8 MI W OF COUNTY 17, Barbour, AL

Built 1963 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 35

MCGREGOR AVE

Poor

Over: ESLAVA CREEK

0.3 MI N AIRPORT BLVD., Mobile, AL

Built 1964 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 19,384

OLD COLUMBUS RD

Poor

Over: LONG BRANCH

.5 MI NO OF AL-8/US80, Macon, AL

Built 1965 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 52

CO. 46

Poor

Over: COUNTY LINE CREEK

2 MI. W. BLACKMAN, Chambers, AL

Built 1967 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

CO 50

Poor

Over: MUSCADINE CREEK

.5 FROM CR49 * CR35 INT., Cleburne, AL

Built 1967 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 93

DEE NIX RD.

Poor

Over: LOCUST FORK WARRIOR R

0.24 MI NW OF MOODY CHPL, Etowah, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 119

CO RD 12

Poor

Over: MC CALLS CREEK

1.1 MILES N.ON RTE. 12, Wilcox, AL

Built 1971 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 180

JOHNNY B JOHNSONR

Poor

Over: BLACK CREEK

0.5 MI N INT RT40 *RT41, Choctaw, AL

Built 1971 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 90

CO RT 145

Poor

Over: BOXES COVE CREEK

1.8MI NW JCT SR 79, Jackson, AL

Built 1971 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 52

CO. 2

Poor

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

2 MI. N. NEW HARMONY, Chambers, AL

Built 1972 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

BROWNS BRIDGE RD

Poor

Over: LOST CREEK

2 MILES W PARRISH, Walker, AL

Built 1974 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 210

COCHRAN AVE.

Poor

Over: TURKEY CREEK

Cochran Avenue, Marshall, AL

Built 1974 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 700

MOORE ROAD

Poor

Over: WHIPPOORWILL CREEK

2 MI SW OF SNEAD, Blount, AL

Built 1958 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 184

CR 213

Poor

Over: TURKEY CREEK

1.5 MILES W.ON ROAD 213, Wilcox, AL

Built 1975 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 40

CO RD 210

Poor

Over: BREASTWORK CREEK

0.4 MI EAST OF CO RD 7, Wilcox, AL

Built 1976 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY RT #181

Poor

Over: KINCAIDE CREEK

2.7 MI. E. CO. RT. #75, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD

Poor

Over: BURTON CREEK

500 FT N HWY 78, Walker, AL

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

JONES ST

Poor

Over: LIL CAHABA RV

JONES ST * LIL CAHABA RV, St. Clair, AL

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 10

CO.RD. 253

Poor

Over: CREEK

0.4 MILES S.ON ROAD 253, Wilcox, AL

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 25

CO.RD. 253

Poor

Over: CREEK

0.5 MILES S.ON ROAD 253, Wilcox, AL

Built 1978 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

ROADWAY

Poor

Over: CO RT 1104 CREEK

0.4 MI W ALA HWY 28, Sumter, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 55

MLK BLVD

Poor

Over: TWO MILE CREEK

0.8 MI W US 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1979 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 8,250

COUNTY RT #131

Poor

Over: BEAVER CREEK

0.7 MI E OF ST RT 17, Pickens, AL

Built 1979 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

ZACK LN.

Poor

Over: BRANCH

2 MI.EAST REPTON, Conecuh, AL

Built 1946 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 85

CO.RD. 209

Poor

Over: PINE BARREN CREEK

1.9 MILES E.ON ROAD, Wilcox, AL

Built 1965 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

COUNTY ROUTE 13

Poor

Over: BUGHALL CREEK

SW1/4 S33 T15 R22, Macon, AL

Built 1981 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 80

CO RD B29

Poor

Over: STREAM

.1 MI S SR 247, Franklin, AL

Built 1951 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 35

CR106

Poor

Over: Unnamed Creek

0.1 MILES W. ON CR106, Wilcox, AL

Built 1952 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 25

STATE LANDS RD 88

Poor

Over: BRANCH OFF CHANEY CREEK

BETWEEN CO 25 AND CO 45, Dallas, AL

Built 1983 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

CLARENCE DAILY RD

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF DAILEY CREEK

.01 MI EAST ON CR 106, Wilcox, AL

Built 1983 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 40

CO RD 4

Poor

Over: UNNAMED CREEK

0.2 MILES E.ON.RTE. 4, Wilcox, AL

Built 1955 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 20

MISTY LANE

Poor

Over: HATCHETT CREEK

0.5 M SW BROWNSVILLE, Clay, AL

Built 1985 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

TRUCK TRAIL 17

Poor

Over: ROANS CREEK

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

Built 1929 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 45

DEASON ROAD

Poor

Over: MILL CREEK

3.8 MI NW OF JCT ALA 43, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1900 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 120

WHITESBORO RD.

Poor

Over: TRIB OF SHORT CREEK

WHITESBORO RD., Etowah, AL

Built 1966 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 110

DIRT RD .7 MI S 84

Poor

Over: DOUBLE BRIDGES CREEK

CITY OF NEW BROCKTON, Coffee, AL

Built 1988 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 42

CO.RD. 116

Poor

Over: CREEK

0.9 MILES N.ON ROAD 116, Wilcox, AL

Built 1968 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

CO.RD.

Poor

Over: PINE BARREN CREEK

1.9 MILES S.ON ROAD117, Wilcox, AL

Built 1950 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 30

OSCAR PRICE ROAD

Poor

Over: SAND CREEK

OSCAR PRICE RD, Perry, AL

Built 1958 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 135

LITTLE RIVER ST P

Poor

Over: CREEK

LITTLE RIVER ST PARK, Monroe, AL

Built 1930 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 100

PRETTY BRANCH RD

Poor

Over: PRETTY BRANCH

0.6MI E CO RD 10, Sumter, AL

Built 1961 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 50

SEABOARD CUT-OFF

Poor

Over: TIGER BRANCH CREEK

SEABOARD, Washington, AL

Built 1987 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 45

GALBERRY RD.

Poor

Over: UT-FAULK MILL CK

5 MILES N.W. OF SAMSON, Geneva, AL

Built 1996 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 39

PINE HOLE ROAD

Poor

Over: CSX RAILROAD

2 MILES S OF LINEVILLE, Clay, AL

Built 1965 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 45

Showing 15,751-15,800 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.