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

I-59

Fair

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RVR REL.

1.4 MI. S. OF S.R. 28, Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 20,946

I-59

Fair

Over: WARRIOR RVR REL (+)

1.3 MI N FOSTER, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1974 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 25,944

CO RD 99

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.2MI.S.W. OF AL.5 JCT, Marion, AL

Built 2000 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 710

CO RT 212

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.8 MI NW OF VICTORIA, Coffee, AL

Built 1994 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 45

CO. RD. 48

Fair

Over: STRAIGHT CREEK

.5 MI W CO RT 47 T6SR7E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1978 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 189

CO RD 24

Fair

Over: SMALL CREEK

6.0 MI W INT AL 17 * 115, Choctaw, AL

Built 1979 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 325

AL 171

Fair

Over: UNKNOWN BRANCH

1.5 MI N MT OLIVE RD, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1979 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 3,360

RAMP C

Fair

Over: VALLEY ROAD

RAMP C * VALLEY RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 6,130

AL-17

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River

6.0 MI S of Aliceville, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,524

PAVED ROAD

Fair

Over: EAST FORK LUXAPALILLA

.5 MILE OF CO RD 14, Marion, AL

Built 1981 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 160

POWDER PLANT ROAD

Fair

Over: MOORES BROOK

1 MI NE MCCALLA, Jefferson, AL

Built 1981 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 2,500

SR 10

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

2.1 MI. W. OF PINE APPLE, Wilcox, AL

Built 1982 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 770

THOMPSON ROAD

Fair

Over: I 65

2 MI S JCT I 65 & SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1968 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 1,742

AL - 38 WEST

Fair

Over: CAHABA RIVER

JEFF/SHELBY CO. LN., Jefferson, AL

Built 1962 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 38,675

AL - 38 EAST

Fair

Over: CAHABA RIVER

JEFF/SHELBY CO. LN., Jefferson, AL

Built 1962 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 38,675

US 231

Fair

Over: BLACK DRINK BRANCH

1.0 MI.S.OF COOSA CO LINE, Elmore, AL

Built 1931 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 2,120

COUNTY ROAD 1024

Fair

Over: PERKINS CREEK

0.50MI S CO RD 1418, Marshall, AL

Built 1968 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 150

POCKET BOOK RD.

Fair

Over: LITTLE CEDAR CK.

7MI E CASTLEBERRY, Conecuh, AL

Built 1998 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 50

HUGGINGS PLANT.RD

Fair

Over: CREEK

SEC 05 T5N R14E, Conecuh, AL

Built 1998 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 25

MILL CREEK LP

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

MILL CREEK N OF MILL POND, Colbert, AL

Built 1939 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 60

SR 53 MP 12.464

Fair

Over: BUCK CREEK

6 MILE SOUTH DOTHAN CIRCL, Houston, AL

Built 1940 Load: 25.9 t ADT: 3,550

SR 49

Fair

Over: WIND CREEK

1.7 MI S JCT SR 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1941 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,933

US 11

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK CREEK

YORK, Sumter, AL

Built 1925 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 2,629

US 84

Fair

Over: BUSHY CREEK

1.3 MI E SR 41, Conecuh, AL

Built 1947 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 2,860

AL - 25 (US 411)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.3 MI S JCT AL 174 W, St. Clair, AL

Built 1947 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 9,190

COUNTY ROAD 49

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK COWIKEECREEK

2.8 MI NE OF US 82, Barbour, AL

Built 1948 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 270

E PATTON AVE

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

150FT W OF E AUDUBON RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1948 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 3,000

County Road 48

Fair

Over: West Branch Buttahatchee

1 MILE EAST OF ST RD 241, Marion, AL

Built 1953 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 270

SYLVAN LOOP ROAD

Fair

Over: GRANTS CREEK

0.2 MI SW OF JCT US NO 11, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1928 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 500

CR 45

Fair

Over: AL 5

S CITY LIMITS OF MARION, Perry, AL

Built 1956 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 3,430

SR 210 MP 9.990

Fair

Over: SR 52 C. OF GA. R.R.

JCT. OF ALA.52 E, Houston, AL

Built 1958 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 14,085

ROAD

Fair

Over: RILEY CREEK

BR. CULVT. ON PAVEDRD. 89, Henry, AL

Built 1959 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 125

CO. HWY. 29

Fair

Over: CAHABA RIVER

300 FT. SO. JEFF CO LINE, Shelby, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 16,152

ROADWAY

Fair

Over: CO RT 1182 NOXUBEE RIVER

1.0 MI N AL HWY 116, Sumter, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 400

AL - 174

Fair

Over: I - 59

I59 * AL 174, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 6,960

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: FLOYD CREEK

2MI NE ELAM CHURCH, Escambia, AL

Built 1964 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 175

BETHEL RD

Fair

Over: I 65

2 MI N JCT I 65 & SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1968 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,965

SR 10

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

2.0 MI. E. OF PINE HILL, Wilcox, AL

Built 1969 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 4,010

US 231 MP 172.843

Fair

Over: WALNUT CREEK

1.3 MI. E. OF TROY, Pike, AL

Built 1970 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 18,360

US 231 MP 177.039

Fair

Over: WHITE WATER CREEK

2 MI. W. OF BRUNDIDGE, Pike, AL

Built 1970 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 14,720

SR 35

Fair

Over: ROSEBERRY CREEK

W CITY LIMITS SCOTTSBORO, Jackson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 9,951

CO RT 79

Fair

Over: DICKEY CREEK

0.45 MI W JCT CR 79* CR22, Jackson, AL

Built 1972 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

LOCAL RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.2MI.W. OF AL.5 JCT, Marion, AL

Built 1900 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 510

I-59

Fair

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RVR (-)

.8 MI. S. OF S.R.28, Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 9,995

I-59

Fair

Over: SUCARNOOCHEE RVR (+)

.8 MI. S. OF S.R.28, Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 20,946

CO RD 425

Fair

Over: BEE GUM CREEK

1.2 MI W JCT SR 71, Jackson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 50

JACKSON ROAD

Fair

Over: COX CREEK

0.1 M S JCT SR 133, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1977 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 2,450

US 431

Fair

Over: LAKEWOOD DRIVE

3.3 MI N JCT US 80, Russell, AL

Built 1981 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 19,705

US 431

Fair

Over: LAKEWOOD DRIVE

3.3 MI N JCT US 80, Russell, AL

Built 1981 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 19,705

AL-86

Fair

Over: Tombigbee River Relief

0.3 MI E Miss State Line, Pickens, AL

Built 1983 Load: 26.0 t ADT: 1,426

Showing 3,151-3,200 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.