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 - 261

Fair

Over: BUCK CK

HELENA, Shelby, AL

Built 1955 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 11,570

CR 1 YANTLEY RD

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.4 MI N INT RT 202 * 215, Choctaw, AL

Built 1956 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 600

CR 1 YANTLEY RD

Fair

Over: YANTLEY CREEK

2.0 MI N INT RT 202 * 215, Choctaw, AL

Built 1956 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 600

CO 058

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

0.5 MI S I20, Talladega, AL

Built 1957 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 173

CODY RD

Fair

Over: HELLS CREEK

.3 MI. S. ALA. HWY. 18, Lamar, AL

Built 1958 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 230

504

Fair

Over: MARIOT CREEK

Cr 504, Cullman, AL

Built 1962 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 30

GLENN ACRES DR E

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

0.5 MI N OLD SHELL ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 1963 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 690

CHOCCOLOCCO RD.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

CHOCCOLOCCO RD., Calhoun, AL

Built 1963 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,717

I65 SBL

Fair

Over: PINTLALA CREEK

2.6 MI.N.OF TYSON RD., Montgomery, AL

Built 1965 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 16,060

CO. RD. 16

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

3 MI SE OF HARTFORD, Geneva, AL

Built 1970 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 210

HONEYSUCKLE ROAD

Fair

Over: BEAVER CREEK

1.4 MI. N. JCT. SR 52, Houston, AL

Built 1970 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 12,800

CO RT 395

Fair

Over: KIRBY CREEK

0.05 MI E JCT CR 47, Jackson, AL

Built 1971 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 140

I - 20 WEST

Fair

Over: RR * CITY STREET

I20 * GEORGIA ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1974 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 30,680

CO 31

Fair

Over: UCHEE CREEK

3.1 MI S HUGLEY, Russell, AL

Built 1931 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 42

WEST CEDAR ST.

Fair

Over: STREAM

JACKSON, Clarke, AL

Built 1980 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 81

CR. 62

Fair

Over: HALLS CREEK

1.0 MI. E. SPRINGHILL, Butler, AL

Built 1984 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 477

CO RD 358

Fair

Over: FOSTER CREEK

0.4 MILES N.ON ROAD 358, Wilcox, AL

Built 1986 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 40

3 MI W US 431

Fair

Over: TRIB. OHATCHEE CREEK

ROCK SPRINGS RD. SMALL, Calhoun, AL

Built 1989 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 171

AL-14

Fair

Over: Warrior River Relief

0.5 MI W Warrior River, Greene, AL

Built 1992 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 1,875

LAKEWIEW DR W

Fair

Over: MILKHOUSE CREEK

0.10 S OF LAKEWIEW DR E, Mobile, AL

Built 1982 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 883

I-85 (NBL)

Fair

Over: CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

0.1 MI E OF WEST POINT, Chambers, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 41,000

I-85 (SBL)

Fair

Over: CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

0.1 MI E OF WEST POINT, Chambers, AL

Built 1961 Load: 26.3 t ADT: 44,900

CEDRUM ROAD

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

1 MILE S HWY 78, Walker, AL

Built 1940 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 1,100

RED ROAD 55

Fair

Over: COTTAQUILLA CREEK

WHITE PLAINS, Calhoun, AL

Built 1940 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 253

SR 21

Fair

Over: KELLY CREEK RELIEF

0.2 MI S JCT CO 91, Talladega, AL

Built 1923 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 5,607

SR 36

Fair

Over: Valhermosa Springs Creek

6 MI W JCT SR 36 & SR 53, Morgan, AL

Built 1942 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 4,890

WEST MARKET ST.

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

WEST OF SANDERS, Limestone, AL

Built 1947 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 6,999

COALBURG RD

Fair

Over: RR

COALBURG RD - RAILROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1948 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 1,000

CR-9

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.5 MI. S.W. STAR, Lamar, AL

Built 1950 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 350

CO 49

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2.6 MI S E HURTSBORO, Russell, AL

Built 1950 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 360

sumter 20

Fair

Over: sicolocco creek

2.2 MI E AL HWY 17, Sumter, AL

Built 1951 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 437

VIGO RD.

Fair

Over: TERRAPIN CREEK

VIGO RD., Calhoun, AL

Built 1952 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 814

SR 52 MP 82.326

Fair

Over: CHATTAHOOCHEE RV. RELIEF

0.6 MI.E.SR.95 NORTH, Houston, AL

Built 1959 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 5,850

SR 167 MP 13.448

Fair

Over: CHOCTAWHATCHEE RIVER

2 MI S.OF DALE CO LI, Geneva, AL

Built 1959 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 2,870

CO RD 39

Fair

Over: SMALL CREEK

2.6 MI S INT RT 8 * 110, Choctaw, AL

Built 1963 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 375

CO RD 32

Fair

Over: GEORGIA CREEK

4 MI W JCT SR 195, Winston, AL

Built 1965 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 500

SR 79

Fair

Over: SAUTY CREEK

7 MI S JCT US 72 * SR 79, Jackson, AL

Built 1936 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 7,015

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: SEVEN MILE CREEK RELIEF

1.5MI W N.BREWTON, Escambia, AL

Built 1969 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 250

CO RT 192

Fair

Over: TRIBUTARY TO SOUTH FORK

2.2 MI W AL. 68 T8SR6E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1974 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 287

AL 41

Fair

Over: RR * BEACHCREEK

2.3 MI. N. US 80, Dallas, AL

Built 1976 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 10,950

BROOKMEAD RD

Fair

Over: BRUSH CREEK

JCT BROOKMEAD RD*BRUSH CK, Morgan, AL

Built 1976 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 5,634

MASSEY RD-CO339EX

Fair

Over: QUARRY ROAD

0.6 MI N JCT CO 340, Shelby, AL

Built 1977 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 1,518

SR 193 NB

Fair

Over: RABBIT CREEK

1.6 MI N HAMILTON BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 1983 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 11,421

ACCESS AL ST DOCK

Fair

Over: CSX R.R.

781 N. E. WATER STREET, Mobile, AL

Built 1986 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 6,907

KIMBRO RD.

Fair

Over: CROOKED RUN CREEK

KIMBRO RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1989 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 20

I-59

Fair

Over: LITTLE WILLS CR N/S RR

I-59 * N/S RR, Etowah, AL

Built 1993 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 13,076

NADAWHA RD

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

.05 MI. S. E. NADAWAH, Monroe, AL

Built 2012 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 60

THEODORE DAWES RD

Fair

Over: RABBIT CREEK

1.4 MI E OF I-10, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 26.4 t ADT: 6,019

SR 22

Fair

Over: CSX R/R

TOWN OF WADLEY, Randolph, AL

Built 1938 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 3,280

COUNTY ROAD 7707

Fair

Over: BEAMON CREEK

SEC. 2 T11N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1992 Load: 26.5 t ADT: 500

Showing 3,301-3,350 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.