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

BO HOWARD RD

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

0.4 MI S CO RD 015, Madison, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 239

5 TH AVE NO

Fair

Over: HALLS CREEK

5 TH AVE N * 13 TH ST, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 350

FINLEY DR NW

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

JCT FINLEY DR * DRYBRANCH, Morgan, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 13,834

MOORES MILL RD

Fair

Over: BRIDGES CREEK

0.5 MI N JCT FAP 116, Madison, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,700

MILL ROAD

Fair

Over: MADISON BRANCH

0.7 MI W SULLIVAN ST., Madison, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,500

MCMULLEN RD

Fair

Over: COLLIER BRANCH

0.2 N CO RD JCT 220, Madison, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 595

LOCK 17 ROAD

Fair

Over: STANLEY BRANCH

500 W BETTY HILL ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 610

CO RT 5

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.5 MI S JCT US 72, Jackson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 368

OLD RR BED RD

Fair

Over: TONEY SPRING BRANCH

0.5 MI N TONEY, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 750

CO RT 59

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.2 MI N DEKALB CO LINE, Jackson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 500

SR 79

Fair

Over: STREAM

9.5 MI N JCT US431 * SR79, Marshall, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,866

SR 79

Fair

Over: STREAM

9.9 MI N JCT US431 * SR79, Marshall, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,866

CR 255

Fair

Over: Horn Branch Widows Creek

1.3 MI E JCT CR 96 N, Jackson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 100

SCOTT RD

Fair

Over: CHANDLER CREEK

0.1 MI N JCT CO RD 282, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 797

SHADY GROVE RD

Fair

Over: SWEETWATER BRANCH

0.3 MI E ALA HWY 53, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 200

BOBO SECTION RD

Fair

Over: WILL HOLT BRANCH

0.6 MI W CO RD 138, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 750

PAINT ROCK RD

Fair

Over: POND CREEK

0.7 MI E CO RD 384, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 500

LITTLE COVE RD

Fair

Over: SAND BRANCH

0.5 MI W JCT US HWY 72, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,297

PULASKI PIKE

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

100 FT N JCT CO RD 075, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,303

CARTERS GROVE RD

Fair

Over: READY BRANCH

0.1 MI N CO RD 1263, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,076

C C IVEY RD

Fair

Over: LEMLEY BRANCH

0.2 MI E JCT CO RD 375, Madison, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 140

BROOKLANE DRIVE

Fair

Over: VALLEY CREEK TRIB

100 N NOVEL DR HUEYTOWN, Jefferson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,160

BRIDGE ST

Fair

Over: AUTAUGA CREEK

1.4 MI W U.S.31 INT/MAIN, Autauga, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 544

CO 14

Fair

Over: POTTS BRANCH

2 MI EAST OF WATERLOO, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 505

NICK FITCHARD RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

0.8 MI N CO RD 032, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 163

CO RT 66

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.1 MI E JCT CR 37, Jackson, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 90

CO 70

Fair

Over: LEGG BRANCH

0.9 MI S CO 26, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 188

MAPLES RD

Fair

Over: YELLOW BANK CREEK

2.0 MI S JCT CO RD 364, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 319

CHERRY TREE RD

Fair

Over: COLLIER BRANCH

0.1 MI E JCT CO RD 413, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600

GREENVILLE PIKE

Fair

Over: SKINEM BRANCH

2.5 SO LINCOLN CO LINE, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 595

TANNER RD

Fair

Over: PIGRUM BRANCH

0.2 MI SO JCT CO RD 154, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 140

READY SECTION RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

0.2 MI E FAS RT 02, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 400

OAK GROVE RD

Fair

Over: HESS SPRING BRANCH

0.25 MI NORTH CO RD1164, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 487

OAK GROVE RD

Fair

Over: SCOTT BRANCH

0.15 MI EAST CO RD 1379, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 300

BELL FACTORY RD

Fair

Over: BELL FACTORY BRANCH

0.25 MI SO FAP RT 116, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,451

OSCAR PATTERSON R

Fair

Over: RICE BRANCH

0.5 W JCT CO RD 305, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600

COUNTY LAKE RD

Fair

Over: ELDER BRANCH

2.3 MI JCT CO RD FAP116, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 600

NEW HOPE C.PT. RD

Fair

Over: CEDAR PT. BRANCH

1.6 MI SO JACKSON CO LIN, Madison, AL

Built 1937 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 410

WALL-TRIANA HWY

Fair

Over: LOVE DITCH

0.6 MI S CO RD 068, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,800

PARK AVE

Fair

Over: BRANCH

PARK AVE * 50 TH ST SW, Jefferson, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,000

43rd AVE N.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

43rd AVE * 68TH ST, Jefferson, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,000

BROWNS FERRY RD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.1 MI E LIMESTONE CO LI., Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 850

NICK FITCHARD RD

Fair

Over: KELLY SPRING BRANCH

2.0 MI N ALA HWY 53, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 420

OPP REYNOLDS RD

Fair

Over: BANYON CREEK

0.2 MI E JCT CO RD 106, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 648

BUTTER * EGG RD

Fair

Over: COPELAND CREEK

0.1 S CO RD 214, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 250

NEBO RD

Fair

Over: POND CREEK

0.1 MI E FAS RT 01, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 400

ELKWOOD SECTION R

Fair

Over: W FORK COPELAND CREEK

100 FT W JCT FAS RT 45 04, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 620

READY SECTION RD

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

0.1 MI S CO RD 1263, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,783

MOORES MILL RD

Fair

Over: MOORES BRANCH

0.1 MI N CO RD 1449, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,400

ORVILLE SMITH RD

Fair

Over: SMITH BRANCH

0.4 MI N JCT FAS RT 45 03, Madison, AL

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 220

Showing 2,051-2,100 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.