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. 92

Poor

Over: ALLEN CREEK

2.6 MI. N.E. LAFAYETTE, Chambers, AL

Built 1950 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 115

OLD LOONEY MILL RD

Poor

Over: CABAHA RIVER TRIBUTARY

ACTON, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 509

CO RT 846

Poor

Over: WHIPPORWILL CREEK

.5 MI W AL 75 T8SR5E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1951 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 106

COUNTY HWY 1415

Poor

Over: BERRY BRANCH

639 FT N JCT 1312, Marshall, AL

Built 1951 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 280

Cr 1856

Poor

Over: MULBERRY CREEK

CR 1856, Cullman, AL

Built 1952 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 45

C0. RT. 52

Poor

Over: PAN CREEK

1.0 MI E JCT CO RT 54, Cullman, AL

Built 1952 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 200

PETTUSVILLE RD

Poor

Over: BRANCH

SEC3 T1S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 1952 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 300

CO RD 39

Poor

Over: BIG WILLS CREEK

500 FT E AL 227 T9SR7E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1954 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 45

CHARLES HAMILTON R

Poor

Over: FIVE MILE CREEK

0.5 MI E OLD TUSC HWY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1955 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 500

CO.RT.560

Poor

Over: BRANCH AT SYCAMORE CRK

02.0 MI. E. AL.25, Marengo, AL

Built 1959 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 50

CR-112

Poor

Over: Weogufka Creek

0.04 MI. E. CR-29, Coosa, AL

Built 1960 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 23

LOCKHART HILL RD

Poor

Over: WOLF CREEK

2 MILE N HWY 18, Walker, AL

Built 1960 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 55

Buck Creek Road

Poor

Over: Buck Creek

1.4 M E CO RD 046, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1930 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 220

CO RD 743

Poor

Over: TOWN CREEK

.5 MI E AL 117 T4SR9E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1962 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 104

CO RD 14

Poor

Over: UNNAMED BRANCH

0.10 MI E OF ALA 221, Wilcox, AL

Built 1965 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 35

CO RT 199

Poor

Over: SOUTH FORK SCARHAM CREEK

.5 MI E CO RT 43 T8SR7E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1900 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 94

COUNTY HWY 1102

Poor

Over: CLEAR CREEK

5106 FT S JCT 1096, Marshall, AL

Built 1974 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 75

BRASWELL HILL RD

Poor

Over: SMALL CREEK

0.5 MI W INT RT 111 * 110, Choctaw, AL

Built 1900 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 125

PHILLIPS ROAD

Poor

Over: DRY CREEK

1 1/2 MI SW OF CLEVELAND, Blount, AL

Built 1977 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 66

COUNTY RT #100

Poor

Over: LITTLE LUBBUB CREEK

0.6 MI NO CO RT #5, Pickens, AL

Built 1978 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 30

JACK GREEN C.R.100

Poor

Over: WALLACE CREEK REL

55M WEST CO RT 17, Perry, AL

Built 1979 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 125

CR # 424

Poor

Over: SNAKE CREEK

0.6 MI S CR 4, Dallas, AL

Built 1920 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 20

WALNUT ST

Poor

Over: RAILROAD @ WALNUT STREET

0.5 MI E JCT US 31, Cullman, AL

Built 1915 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 1,000

TURNER RD

Poor

Over: DRY CREEK

1 MI N TONEY, Madison, AL

Built 1952 Load: 3.9 t ADT: 30

Choctaw St.

Poor

Over: CANE CREEK

CHOCTAW ST., Calhoun, AL

Built 1936 Load: 4.3 t ADT: 202

CO 27

Poor

Over: ST. FLORIAN BRANCH

1.5 MI N INT US 72, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 500

BAILEY ROAD

Poor

Over: LITTLE CAHABA RIVER

0.4 MI MW AL 119, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 92

ADERHOLT MILL RD

Poor

Over: LITTLE TALLAHATCHEECREEK

ADERHOLT MILL (DAM), Calhoun, AL

Built 1954 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 152

OLD MT CARMEL RD

Poor

Over: BENGESS CREEK

0.45 MI E US 72, Jackson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 720

COUNTY RT #103

Poor

Over: BEAR CREEK BRANCH

.4 MI NORTH OF STATE RT82, Pickens, AL

Built 1984 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 100

WILLOUGHBY RD

Poor

Over: GALLAWAY CREEK

1.7 M E OF CO 532, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1921 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 85

3RD AVE

Poor

Over: TANYARD CREEK

3RD AVE * 25TH ST, Walker, AL

Built 1936 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 1,100

MITCHELLVILLE RD.

Poor

Over: CREEK

MITCHELLVILLE RD., Calhoun, AL

Built 1940 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 199

Needmore Road

Poor

Over: Paint Creek

0.92 MI. N. of CR-56, Coosa, AL

Built 1945 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 8

STICKNEY RD

Poor

Over: TRIB. TO BIG PRARIE CRK

6.8 MI. E. GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 1950 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 40

DAY HILL ROAD

Poor

Over: CANE CREEK

1/2 MILE S OAKMAN, Walker, AL

Built 1960 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 30

CR # 424

Poor

Over: TRIB TO CEDAR CREEK

1.4 MI S CR 4, Dallas, AL

Built 1989 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 25

DEER CREEK ROAD

Poor

Over: STREAM

DEER CREEK ROAD, Monroe, AL

Built 2004 Load: 5.6 t ADT: 25

OLD DOZIER RD.

Poor

Over: DOUBLE BRANCH

OLD DOZIER RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1935 Load: 5.7 t ADT: 17

PEACE CIRCLE

Poor

Over: BRANCH

3MI. SO. OF OLD TOWN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1950 Load: 5.9 t ADT: 30

CO RD 584

Poor

Over: CANEY CREEK

.4 MI E AL 75 T6SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1965 Load: 6.1 t ADT: 135

0000061546363Z0

Poor

Over: BRH AT LITTLE BEAVER CRK

1.5 MI E AL 43, Marengo, AL

Built 1995 Load: 6.3 t ADT: 50

CO. 2

Poor

Over: SOUTH SANDY CREEK

STEPHENS MILL POND, Chambers, AL

Built 1920 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 25

Mt. View Rd.

Poor

Over: TALLAHATCHEE CREEK

MT. VIEW RD., Calhoun, AL

Built 1939 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 275

GROSS RD

Poor

Over: PICKS CREEK

2 MI. S. GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 1950 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 50

CO 211

Poor

Over: TALLADEGA CREEK

4.0 MI E TALLADEGA ON CO, Talladega, AL

Built 1952 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 670

CO RT 1184

Poor

Over: TOMS CREEK

0.8 MI N CO RT 1143, Sumter, AL

Built 1957 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 187

ROADWAY

Poor

Over: CO RT 1141 STREAM

2.1 MI NE SUMTERVILLE, Sumter, AL

Built 1958 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 100

COUNTY ROAD 21

Poor

Over: ELLIOTTS CREEK RELIEF

1.3 MI. S. OF MOUNDVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1960 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 200

CO RD 22

Poor

Over: CHEWACLA CREEK

2.2 MI. W. OF SR8, Macon, AL

Built 1961 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 325

Showing 15,951-16,000 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.