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 RT 372

Fair

Over: KIRBY CREEK

0.3 MI SE JCT CR 47, Jackson, AL

Built 1970 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 150

CO RD 39

Fair

Over: BLEVINS CREEK

1 MI N JCT US 278, Winston, AL

Built 1974 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 500

RADCLIFF ROAD

Fair

Over: INDUSTRIAL WATER SUPPLY

2.8 MI. E. OF CELESTE RD., Mobile, AL

Built 1975 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,897

SR 2

Fair

Over: SR 3

JCT SR 2 & SR 3, Limestone, AL

Built 1975 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 32,800

CO RT 20

Fair

Over: PAINT ROCK RIVER

0.7 MI E JCT SR 65, Jackson, AL

Built 1975 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 40

CO RT 38

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

2.0 MI W JCT CR 43, Jackson, AL

Built 1975 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 240

SR 77

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

5.9 MI NORTH JCT SR 34, Talladega, AL

Built 1975 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 8,085

CO RT 28

Fair

Over: ROBINSON CREEK

0.4 MI W JCT CR 21, Jackson, AL

Built 1977 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 130

COUNTY ROAD 14

Fair

Over: LOCUST FORK RIVER

2 1/2 MI W OF SNEAD CROSS, Blount, AL

Built 1979 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 421

I 459

Fair

Over: PATTON CK

I459 * PATTON CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 34,985

JOHNSON RD.

Fair

Over: SANDY CREEK BRANCH

8 MILES SE OF SAMSON, Geneva, AL

Built 1942 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 55

CR 565

Fair

Over: BIG COON CREEK

05MI SO JCT CO RD53, Jackson, AL

Built 1981 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 12

GREENWOOD DR

Fair

Over: I - 459

GREENWOOD DR * I459, Jefferson, AL

Built 1983 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 950

BANKHEAD HWY

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.25 MILES N OF ROBBINS, Jefferson, AL

Built 1935 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,950

SR 101

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5 M N JCT SR 101 & SR 24, Lawrence, AL

Built 1947 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 1,330

ARKADELPHIA ROAD

Fair

Over: THOMAS CREEK

2.5MI NW WARRIOR-JASPER, Jefferson, AL

Built 1930 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 3,725

OWL RD/CLEMET BE

Fair

Over: UNNAMED TRIB

1.5 MI WEST OF CO RD 16, Hale, AL

Built 2012 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 125

Eureka Landing Rd

Fair

Over: slough

4 Mi SW Eliska, Monroe, AL

Built 2019 Load: 24.5 t ADT: 50

US 11

Fair

Over: TOOMSUBA CREEK

W CL OF YORK, Sumter, AL

Built 1946 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 2,070

AL-129

Fair

Over: Little New River

1.5 MI N JCT SR 44, Marion, AL

Built 1948 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 2,140

US 90

Fair

Over: STYX RIVER

1 MI W FLA LINE, Baldwin, AL

Built 1949 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 5,381

CO RD 54

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

AL 52 TO CO RD 48, Houston, AL

Built 1950 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 660

COUNTY HIGHWAY124

Fair

Over: SHOAL CREEK

8466 FT SW JCT 1256, Marshall, AL

Built 1951 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 3,030

Al-17

Fair

Over: Luxapallilia Crk Relief

0.9 MI N of Millport, Lamar, AL

Built 1954 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 1,721

AL-17

Fair

Over: Luxapallilia Crk Relief

1.3 MI N of Millport, Lamar, AL

Built 1954 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 1,721

AL 605

Fair

Over: HARRISON MILL CREEK

150 NORTH OF DALE CO 10, Dale, AL

Built 1954 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 2,971

AL 66

Fair

Over: CHILATCHEE CREEK

4.5MI.W.AL#5, Dallas, AL

Built 1955 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 380

SR 106 MP 32.684

Fair

Over: PATSALIGA CR.RELIEF #1

.4 MI W.CRENSHAW 77, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1957 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 630

SR 106 MP 32.899

Fair

Over: PATSALIGA CR.RELIEF #2

.3 MI.W.CRENSHAW 77, Crenshaw, AL

Built 1957 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 630

F.A.S.04

Fair

Over: AFONEE CREEK

3.5MI N POVILLL ON FAS.04, Bibb, AL

Built 1958 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 266

CO.26/PINE GROVE

Fair

Over: FERGUSEN BRANCH

0.8 MI NORTH OF US 86, Pickens, AL

Built 1958 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 550

US231; US431; SR1

Fair

Over: BEAVER DAM CREEK

11 MI S ALA-TENN ST LINE, Madison, AL

Built 1959 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 19,312

SR 273

Fair

Over: YELLOW CREEK

3.7 MI N JCT SR 68*273, Cherokee, AL

Built 1947 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 1,983

CO.RD.19

Fair

Over: SWIFT CREEK

HAYNES, Autauga, AL

Built 1960 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 500

7TH AVE SW

Fair

Over: AL - 5 (US 78)

AL - 5 / 7TH AVE SW, Jefferson, AL

Built 1961 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 2,250

AL - 5 SOUTH

Fair

Over: ABANDONED RR

@ BECKY LYNN RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1962 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 6,240

CO. RD. 484

Fair

Over: MUSH CREEK

300FT EAST I59 T8SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1962 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 72

CO. RD. 97

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

(JOANN CULVERT), Randolph, AL

Built 1963 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 150

CO RD 1282

Fair

Over: I-65

CR 1282 OVP MP 316.164, Cullman, AL

Built 1964 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 508

DAUPHIN STREET

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

1033 E I65, Mobile, AL

Built 1964 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 31,399

CENTRAL PARKWAY

Fair

Over: CLARK SPRINGS BRANCH

JCT. CENTRAL PKY * BRANCH, Morgan, AL

Built 1984 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 25,162

I-65

Fair

Over: MAIN STREET

0.6 MI N US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1965 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 80,661

C.R.418

Fair

Over: CREEK

2 MI EAST ARAB CITY LIMIT, Marshall, AL

Built 1955 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 800

COUNTY HIGHWAY 14

Fair

Over: SMITH SPRING

4 572 FT S JCT 69, Marshall, AL

Built 1954 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 2,360

TOFTOY THRUWAY

Fair

Over: MARTIN ROAD

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Madison, AL

Built 1968 Load: 24.6 t ADT: 6,600

AL 277

Fair

Over: WIDOW CREEK

4 MI W CITY OF BRIDGEPORT, Jackson, AL

Built 1925 Load: 24.7 t ADT: 2,701

US 31

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.0 MI N OF PRATTVILLE, Autauga, AL

Built 1926 Load: 24.7 t ADT: 9,110

AL - 160

Fair

Over: BLACK WARRIOR RIVER

AL 160 * BLACK WARR RV, Blount, AL

Built 1947 Load: 24.7 t ADT: 3,950

DOYLE ST

Fair

Over: BRANCH

DOYLE ST * LITCHFIELD AVE, Etowah, AL

Built 1950 Load: 24.7 t ADT: 462

SR 35

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

3 MI N JCT SR 68 * 35, Cherokee, AL

Built 1951 Load: 24.7 t ADT: 3,205

Showing 2,651-2,700 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.