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

AL - 149

Fair

Over: GRIFFIN BROOK

AL 149 * GREEN SPRINGSHWY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 22.1 t ADT: 23,460

FIVE MILE RD-CR 36

Fair

Over: CHENEYHATCHEE CREEK

1.8 MILES S OF AL 30, Barbour, AL

Built 1962 Load: 22.1 t ADT: 250

SR 157

Fair

Over: MIDDLE CYPRESS RELIEF

6.5 MI S AL & TN ST LINE, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1993 Load: 22.1 t ADT: 2,650

DRY CREEK RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

FRANKVILLE, Washington, AL

Built 1982 Load: 22.1 t ADT: 100

AL-13

Fair

Over: Point Creek

1.4 MI N Tusc Co Line, Fayette, AL

Built 1925 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 3,288

AL-14

Fair

Over: Lubub Creek

1.5 MI E Aliceville, Pickens, AL

Built 1942 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 1,083

CO. HWY. 61

Fair

Over: BEESWAX CREEK

150 NORTH CR 77, Shelby, AL

Built 1945 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 1,000

OLD SELMA RD

Fair

Over: CATOMA CREEK

0.7 MI.W. HUNTER LOOP RD., Montgomery, AL

Built 1946 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 2,600

SR 9

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

CITY OF LINEVILLE, Clay, AL

Built 1947 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 8,576

CO RTE #14

Fair

Over: BUMPAS CREEK

1.3 MI N WATERLOO C L, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1948 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 125

COUNTY ROAD 6

Fair

Over: CONECUH RIVER

EAST CURTIS RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1951 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 1,134

ROMULUS ROAD

Fair

Over: JAYS CREEK

12.7 MI NE GREEN CO LINE, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1952 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 1,500

AL 183

Fair

Over: CAFFE CREEK

JCT AL 219, Perry, AL

Built 1954 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 429

CR-16

Fair

Over: REEDY BRANCH

1.4 MI. E. DETROIT, Lamar, AL

Built 1957 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 190

CO RT 53

Fair

Over: CROW CREEK

0.15 MI W JCT SR 117, Jackson, AL

Built 1960 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 264

AL - 5 SOUTH

Fair

Over: CO RD 65

ADAMSVILLE INTR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1961 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 16,855

WASDEN RD.

Fair

Over: PINTLALA CRK

BR. ON LOWNDES-MONTGCOLIN, Montgomery, AL

Built 1961 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 650

CO RT 71

Fair

Over: PINEY WOODS CREEK

3.8 MI WEST SHREVE, Conecuh, AL

Built 1965 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 150

US 411

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

3.7 MI W GA STATE LINE, Cherokee, AL

Built 1928 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 3,733

APPLEGROVE ROAD

Fair

Over: COTACO CREEK

3.0 MI N SR 67, Morgan, AL

Built 1969 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 600

SR 21

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

0.9 MI N CO RD 1, Escambia, AL

Built 1970 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 15,182

TINGLE SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: TINGLE CREEK

.5 MI W OLD TUSC HWY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1975 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 10

Goodwater Road

Fair

Over: Town Creek

2.6 MI W JCT SR 63, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1996 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 423

CHANCELLOR ST.

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

1 MILE N. OF CHANCELLOR, Geneva, AL

Built 1995 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 50

PILGRIMS REST RD.

Fair

Over: KIRKLAND BRANCH

6 MILES S.E. OF SLOCOMB, Geneva, AL

Built 1996 Load: 22.2 t ADT: 50

CO 83

Fair

Over: BRANCH OFF LITTLE UCHEE

4.3 MI CRAWFORD, Russell, AL

Built 1935 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 272

US 431 MP 16.659

Fair

Over: CSX R.R.

0.1 MI. N. JCT. U.S. 231, Houston, AL

Built 1936 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 10,630

COUNTY 27

Fair

Over: HENDERSON BRANCH

.4MI S WEST BLOCTON HS, Bibb, AL

Built 1938 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 462

SIBERT ST

Fair

Over: BIG COVE CREEK

SIBERT ST, Etowah, AL

Built 1940 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 170

UPPER COLUMBUS RD.

Fair

Over: Wards Mill Creek

6.7 MI NW OF JCT US NO 82, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1951 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 300

COUNTY ROUTE 17

Fair

Over: HOLLY MILL CREEK

1 MI. N.W. FOUNTAIN, Monroe, AL

Built 1953 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 1,100

COUNTY ROUTE 17

Fair

Over: BRADLEY MILL CREEK

2 MI.N.W. FOUNTAIN, Monroe, AL

Built 1953 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 1,100

AL - 4 (US 78)

Fair

Over: KELLY CREEK

US 78 * KELLY CK, St. Clair, AL

Built 1963 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 3,170

US 231 SBL

Fair

Over: TALLAPOOSA RIVER

MONTGOMERY ELMORE CO LINE, Montgomery, AL

Built 1955 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 16,115

SR 184

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

1.2 M W JCT SR184 & SR101, Colbert, AL

Built 1955 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 3,020

COUNTY 4

Fair

Over: MURDER CREEK RELIEF

5MI N.W EVERGREEN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1956 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 150

COUNTY ROUTE 20

Fair

Over: HATTERS MILL CREEK

3 MI. E.MONROEVILLE, Monroe, AL

Built 1956 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 1,800

COUNTY ROUTE 30

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

.03 MI. E. PETERMAN, Monroe, AL

Built 1958 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 1,124

CHEROKEE #41

Fair

Over: NORTH SPRING CREEK

0.9 MI SW INT ALA #35, Cherokee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 450

CO. HWY. 61

Fair

Over: FOURMILE CREEK

1.5MI N JCT ST 25, Shelby, AL

Built 1958 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 1,031

SR 210 MP 10.060

Fair

Over: C.S.X. RAILROAD

0.6 MI. N US. 84E, Houston, AL

Built 1958 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 14,085

AL-241

Fair

Over: Bear Creek

11 MI N JCT US 278, Marion, AL

Built 1958 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 1,105

CO RT 6

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

1 MI WEST LENOX, Conecuh, AL

Built 1959 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 370

SR74/US278

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

0.2 MI E JCT SR 200, Calhoun, AL

Built 1959 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 6,276

CHEROKEE #78

Fair

Over: LITTLE MUD CREEK

1.4 MI SE CHEROKEE #22, Cherokee, AL

Built 1959 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 267

CR #3

Fair

Over: CHANEY CREEK

0.8 MI W OF CR 11, Dallas, AL

Built 1960 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 300

COUNTY 4

Fair

Over: MURDER CREEK MC

5MI N.W EVERGREEN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1961 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 150

AL - 5 NORTH

Fair

Over: CO RD 65

ADAMVILLE INTR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1961 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 16,855

CO RT 20

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

1MI WEST EVERGREEN, Conecuh, AL

Built 1962 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 450

CO RT 6

Fair

Over: LITTLE CEDAR CREEK

6.5 MI E. CASTLEBERRY, Conecuh, AL

Built 1963 Load: 22.3 t ADT: 550

Showing 1,601-1,650 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.