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

SR 153 MP 4.059

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

4.1 MI. N. FLA. LINE, Geneva, AL

Built 1948 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 1,900

CEDAR SPR. RD.

Fair

Over: TALLAHATCHEE CREEK

CEDAR SPRINGS RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 1949 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 1,333

KEYSBURG RD

Fair

Over: LIL COVE CK

KEYSBURG RD * US 431, Etowah, AL

Built 1950 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 670

COUNTY ROAD 53

Fair

Over: RAILROAD

BASEMORE, Fayette, AL

Built 1956 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 120

ROAD

Fair

Over: RILEY BRANCH

BR. CULVT. ON PAVEDRD. 62, Henry, AL

Built 1958 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 150

CO RD 43

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

1 MI NW CONCORD CHURCH, Randolph, AL

Built 1959 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 230

CR # 31

Fair

Over: TRIB TO ALABAMA RIVER

0.05 MI N CR 952, Dallas, AL

Built 1961 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 250

COUNTY RD 20

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

1/2 MI S OF ELLIOTTS QUAR, Covington, AL

Built 1963 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 270

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

3.0 MI. W. BURNT CORN, Monroe, AL

Built 1963 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 50

CR-20

Fair

Over: ESTES CREEK

.1 MI. S.W. CO. RD.6, Lamar, AL

Built 1964 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 130

CO.RD.9

Fair

Over: IVY CREEK

PEACE RD., Autauga, AL

Built 1964 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 192

PIPE LINE ROAD

Fair

Over: LITTLE SHADES CREEK

CAHABA HEIGHTS, Jefferson, AL

Built 1965 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 406

CO. 66

Fair

Over: LITTLE CHATAHOSPEE CREEK

2 MI. S. TRAMMEL C.R., Chambers, AL

Built 1950 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 35

LEE ST

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

LEE ST * SOUTH JEFFERSON, Limestone, AL

Built 1975 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 845

I-565; ALT US 72

Fair

Over: N/S R.R / CITY STREETS

1.3 MI E JCT I565 * SR53, Madison, AL

Built 1991 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 98,210

MULBERRY RD

Fair

Over: UNNAMED STREAM

3.19 MI. S.E. SULLIGENT, Lamar, AL

Built 2002 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 550

PIKEVILLE RD.

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

2 MI. SE OF HUBBERTVILLE, Fayette, AL

Built 1970 Load: 22.9 t ADT: 29

NEW HOPE CED PT R

Fair

Over: TREMBLE CREEK

2.5 MI NE JCT CO RD176, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 785

AL 17

Fair

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE CREEK

1.5 MI. S. OF BOYD, Sumter, AL

Built 1940 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 950

AL 17

Fair

Over: BODKA CREEK

0.2 MI N OF SR 116, Sumter, AL

Built 1940 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 868

AL 97

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.0MILESSOUTHOFAL.#21, Lowndes, AL

Built 1940 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 960

AL 28

Fair

Over: SICOLOCCO CREEK

1.5 MI. E. OF BOYD, Sumter, AL

Built 1941 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,160

AL 28

Fair

Over: SICOLOCCO CRK REL

1.6 MI. E. OF BOYD, Sumter, AL

Built 1941 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,106

SR1 / US 431

Fair

Over: CHULAFINNEE CREEK

2 MI N JCT SR 9, Cleburne, AL

Built 1947 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 5,920

US 84

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

3.9 MI E SR 41, Conecuh, AL

Built 1947 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 2,578

US 84

Fair

Over: ESCAMBIA CREEK

2 MI. W. OF REPTON, Monroe, AL

Built 1947 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 5,790

Lee Road 88

Fair

Over: LOBLOCKEE CREEK

2.5 MI SE WAVERLY, Lee, AL

Built 1950 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 53

CARSON RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

CARSON RD * SUN VALLEY RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 5,000

CHEROKEE #71

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK

0.7 MI NE JCT CO RT32, Cherokee, AL

Built 1951 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,350

CR-49

Fair

Over: BLOW HORN CREEK

6.8 MI. N. CROSSVILLE, Lamar, AL

Built 1952 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 430

RIVER RD

Fair

Over: MAYFIELD BRANCH

10.8 MI. E. HWY. 17, Lamar, AL

Built 1952 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 500

COUNTY RD 42

Fair

Over: CONECUH RIVER

Brooklyn Road, Covington, AL

Built 1952 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,060

COPELAND RD

Fair

Over: PANTHER BR

SEC29 T2S R3W, Limestone, AL

Built 1953 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 800

AL - 4 EAST

Fair

Over: CAHABA RV

US 78 * CAHABA RV, Jefferson, AL

Built 1955 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 2,825

SR 28

Fair

Over: BARTON CREEK

4.7MI.E.OF JEFFERSON, Marengo, AL

Built 1955 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,210

SR 184

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK RELIEF

1 M W JCT SR184 & SR101, Lawrence, AL

Built 1955 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 3,100

COUNTY ROAD 8

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

SEC 20 T12 R22, Bullock, AL

Built 1957 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 410

FAS 19 CO RD 50

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

0.3 MI W JCT CO RT 44, DeKalb, AL

Built 1957 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 2,801

AL-269

Fair

Over: NS Railroad

AL-269 RR, Walker, AL

Built 1957 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 3,200

CO RD 11

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

2.3 MI N JCT SR 24, Franklin, AL

Built 1958 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 760

AL - 79

Fair

Over: GURLEY CK

.2 MI. SO. BLOUNT CO LN, Jefferson, AL

Built 1952 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 8,790

I - 65 SOUTH

Fair

Over: L * N RR

I 65 * L * N RR, Shelby, AL

Built 1959 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 22,985

I - 65 NORTH

Fair

Over: L & N RR

0 . 8 MI N JCT US 31, Shelby, AL

Built 1959 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 22,985

SR 2

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.7 M W JCT SR 2 & SR 13, Colbert, AL

Built 1959 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 10,545

SR 2

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1.7 M W JCT SR 2 & SR 13, Colbert, AL

Built 1959 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 10,545

SR 157

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

5.2 M N JCT SR157 & SR101, Colbert, AL

Built 1959 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 3,020

CO. RT. 813

Fair

Over: RYAN CREEK

CR 813, Cullman, AL

Built 1960 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 500

SR 49

Fair

Over: EMUCKFAW CREEK

2 MI N TALLAPOOSA RIVER, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1960 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 1,076

I-85 S.B.L.

Fair

Over: AL. 199

I-85 OVER AL. 199, Macon, AL

Built 1964 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 15,625

CO RT 24 SCOTTSTR

Fair

Over: WASHINGTON CREEK FAS 07

2 5M WEST AL 14 CO RT 24, Perry, AL

Built 1954 Load: 23.0 t ADT: 345

Showing 1,801-1,850 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.