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

GROSS DIRT ROAD

Poor

Over: CREEK

SEC 26 T4N R12E, Conecuh, AL

Built 1955 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 50

Jack Wilson Road

Poor

Over: N Fork Sandy Creek

0.89 MI N AL 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1996 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 10

Bethsaida Rd

Poor

Over: Horseshoe Creek

2900 FT SE AL HWY 168, Marshall, AL

Built 1965 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 100

MARVIN TURNER RD

Poor

Over: FLAT BRANCH

DEER PARK, Washington, AL

Built 1983 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 15

LUELLA RD

Poor

Over: TRIB BILBO CREEK

OFF JOHN JOHNSTON ROAD, Washington, AL

Built 1978 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 100

FIRETOWER ROAD

Poor

Over: BATES CREEK

FAIRFORD, Washington, AL

Built 1980 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 100

LUKE RIVERS RD

Poor

Over: BILBO CREEK

LUKE RIVERS RD, Washington, AL

Built 1984 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 250

BETHEL CHURCH RD

Poor

Over: JACKS BRANCH

BETHEL CHURCH RD, Washington, AL

Built 1978 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 50

STOKER ROAD

Poor

Over: TRIB BASSETS CREEK

ST. STEPHENS\HOBSON, Washington, AL

Built 1989 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 50

CO RD 604

Poor

Over: UN-NAMED BRANCH

3 MI SE OF WEDOWEE, Randolph, AL

Built 1969 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 18

BURLESON MTN ROAD

Poor

Over: VILLIAGE BRANCH

2.0 MI EAST HWY 31, Morgan, AL

Built 1940 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 115

JAMES MADISON ROAD

Poor

Over: BRADFORD CREEK

.50 MILE WEST OF WALL TRI, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 50

CO RD 27

Poor

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

.1 MI WEST OF AL-199, Macon, AL

Built 1965 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 40

DEARMAN FORK RD

Poor

Over: TAYLORS CREEK

.5 MILE FROM CNTY RD 11, Washington, AL

Built 1979 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 100

RITA BAY RD

Poor

Over: UT LITTLE RED CREEK

RED CREEK, Washington, AL

Built 1968 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 100

FORGOTTEN RD

Poor

Over: NANCES CREEK

FORGOTTEN RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 1960 Load: 1.8 t ADT: 48

Early St.

Poor

Over: Genetta Ditch

At Bellview Int., Montgomery, AL

Built 1800 Load: 1.8 t

RAILROAD STREET

Poor

Over: Driver Creek

0.5 MI E SR#17, Lamar, AL

Built 1900 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 15

Bill Price Road

Poor

Over: Emuckfaw Creek

1.4 M E OF RD NO. 556, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1920 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 45

CO RT 678

Poor

Over: BENGIS CREEK

.5 MI E CO RT 122 T5SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1921 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 10

CO 258

Poor

Over: BRANCH

0.3 MI W OF CO 10, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 92

FARM RD 04

Poor

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

0.2 M E Mooresville Rd, Limestone, AL

Built 1948 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 35

CO 65

Poor

Over: Muscadine CREEK

just south of Cr 49, Cleburne, AL

Built 1957 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 450

CO.RT.593

Poor

Over: BRANCH AT TURKEY CRK

1.3 MI. S. CO.RT.55, Marengo, AL

Built 1964 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 50

STATE LAND ROAD

Poor

Over: SPUR OFF NO. FORK CREEK

0.8 MI NO. OF AL 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1919 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 20

MADISON RD.

Poor

Over: TYRO CREEK

3.0 S E OF BERRY, Fayette, AL

Built 1974 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 55

WOLF CREEK RD.

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

Wolf Creek Road, Marshall, AL

Built 1985 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 100

121/DOUBLE BRANCH

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK BRANCH

1 MILE NO OF HWY 20, Pickens, AL

Built 1986 Load: 2.7 t ADT: 40

Buttston Road

Poor

Over: Unnamed Creek

0.9 M N CO RD 520, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1920 Load: 3.4 t ADT: 105

CR 30 - CYRIL RD

Poor

Over: BRANCH

1.0 MI W INT AL 10 * 196, Choctaw, AL

Built 1927 Load: 3.4 t ADT: 350

OAK HEIGHTS RD.

Poor

Over: STONE CREEK

0.2 MI E ALA 14:TALLASSEE, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1928 Load: 3.4 t ADT: 2,000

CO RD 43

Poor

Over: SELLERS SLOUGH

7.6 MI N OF SR41/CR49, Wilcox, AL

Built 1966 Load: 3.4 t ADT: 150

LIDAR RD

Poor

Over: TRIB TO INDIAN CREEK

WEST OF MORRIS RD, Madison, AL

Built 1975 Load: 3.4 t ADT: 2,500

CO. RD. 26

Poor

Over: GASTON BRANCH

.04 MI SW US 431:ROANOKE, Randolph, AL

Built 1952 Load: 3.5 t ADT: 200

CR-127

Poor

Over: Socapatoy Creek

4.5 MI. S. W.US.280, Coosa, AL

Built 1915 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 25

CO. 150

Poor

Over: SANDY CREEK

2.2 MI. S.W. MILLTOWN, Chambers, AL

Built 1920 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 20

Old Dutch Road

Poor

Over: Emuckfaw Creek

0.7 MI E CO INT 557 * 558, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1922 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 70

CO 111

Poor

Over: DRY BRANCH

0.7 MI NE OF CO 33, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1927 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 76

CO RD 489

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK

WAYMON SMITH)W.MT CARMEL, Randolph, AL

Built 1932 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 40

CO RD 411

Poor

Over: BLACK OAK CREEK

1.0 MI W CO RT 50, DeKalb, AL

Built 1935 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 61

HONEYJONESCREEKRD.

Poor

Over: HONEY JONES MILL CREEK

HONEY JONES CREEK RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1937 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 3

CO RD # 188

Poor

Over: SINKING CREEK

0.4 MI OF CO 4, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 40

CO RD 180

Poor

Over: SINKING CREEK

0.9 MI W CO RT 4, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 25

UNPAVED RD

Poor

Over: MANBONE CREEK

0.1 MI E CO 90, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 40

Churchill Road

Poor

Over: Blue Creek

2.4 M N AL 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1937 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 55

BUDDY DURHAM RD

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK

BUDDY FERRELL BRIDGE, Colbert, AL

Built 1948 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 360

CO RD 213

Poor

Over: MINTERS CREEK

3.5 MI N US 11, Greene, AL

Built 1942 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 130

cr 1427

Poor

Over: EIGHTMILE CREEK

CR 1427, Cullman, AL

Built 1947 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 170

CO 4

Poor

Over: BRANCH

1.1 MI W INT CO 15, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1947 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 65

SCHOOL HOUSE RD

Poor

Over: DAVIS BR

SEC12 T1S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1947 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 250

Showing 15,901-15,950 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.