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 97

Fair

Over: L*NRR

2.2MI.NORTHOFI65INTERCHAN, Lowndes, AL

Built 1938 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,740

CO 33

Fair

Over: BLUEWATER CREEK

0.9 MI N CO 71, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1940 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 210

SR 19

Fair

Over: GUM CREEK

4 M N JCT SR 19 & SR172, Franklin, AL

Built 1947 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,630

CO RD 2

Fair

Over: CUBAHATCHEE RELIEF

2.7 MI. WEST AL15/SR29, Macon, AL

Built 1948 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 268

SR 56

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.0 MILE E. OF MISS. ST.L, Washington, AL

Built 1950 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,280

WEST COY SMITH HWY

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO CEDAR CREEK

4.6 MI E OF CITRONELLE, Mobile, AL

Built 1951 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 2,469

SR 64

Fair

Over: OPOSSUM CREEK

3.8 M E JCT SR 64 & SR 13, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1952 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 2,480

EASTER FERRY RD

Fair

Over: ELK RIVER

SEC34 T1S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,243

CO RD 22

Fair

Over: CHEWACLA CREEK REL

3.5 MILES WEST OF SR80, Macon, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 325

AL 23

Fair

Over: I 59

AL 23 * I 59, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 2,880

ROADWAY

Fair

Over: CO RT 1165 STREAM

0.4 MI N ALA HWY 116, Sumter, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 395

RAMP SR68 TO I-59

Fair

Over: LITTLE WILLS CREEK

JCT SR 68 * I-59, DeKalb, AL

Built 1962 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 974

CR-3

Fair

Over: Proctor Creek

1.14 MI. N. CR-14, Coosa, AL

Built 1963 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 131

5TH AVE SW

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

JCT 5TH SW * DRY BRANCH, Morgan, AL

Built 1963 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 19,349

MODELL BRYARS ROAD

Fair

Over: I-65

5 MI S ESC CO LINE, Baldwin, AL

Built 1965 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 191

SMITH CHAPEL RD

Fair

Over: OWENS CREEK

0.75 MI N OF SARDIS RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1966 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 780

CO RD 24

Fair

Over: LONG BRANCH

.42 MILES NORTH CO RD 26, Macon, AL

Built 1968 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 268

COUNTY ROAD 29

Fair

Over: 5 MILE CREEK

2.1 MI. N. OF HOGGLEVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 200

COUNTY RT 51

Fair

Over: BIG BRUSH CREEK

5.4 MI. N OF GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 150

COUNTY RT 51

Fair

Over: POLECAT CREEK

4.5 MI. N OF GREENSBORO, Hale, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 150

CHEROKEE #4

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.2 MI N INT CHERO #10, Cherokee, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 165

SPRAXLIN RD

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

0.09 MI SO OF CO RD 2, Macon, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 135

COUNTY RD 42

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

BARNES ST City of Opp, Covington, AL

Built 1937 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 590

CHEROKEE #6

Fair

Over: LITTLE BALL PLAY CREEK

1.0 MI W CHEROKEE #19, Cherokee, AL

Built 1975 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 250

SAILORS RD

Fair

Over: I-65

2.3 MI N E US 43, Mobile, AL

Built 1976 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 1,467

CO RD 31

Fair

Over: SANTA BOGUE CR

SIVER CROSS, Washington, AL

Built 1978 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 855

I - 459 NORTH

Fair

Over: PRESERVE PARKWAY

I459 * PRESERVE PKWY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 34,985

COUNTY ROAD 72

Fair

Over: EAST FORK BLACKS CREEK

SEC-7 T-7-N R-24-E, Dale, AL

Built 1982 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 200

HWY 19

Fair

Over: BLACKS CREEK

SEC-21 T-7-N R-24-E, Dale, AL

Built 1983 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 111

SR 188

Fair

Over: BAYOU LA BATRE

MID-TOWN B.L.B., Mobile, AL

Built 1984 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 12,029

CR. 45

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

2.5 MI.E.MCKENZIE, Butler, AL

Built 1986 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 325

WAID RD.

Fair

Over: ROCKHOUSE CREEK

2 MI S JCT US 278, Winston, AL

Built 1991 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 100

US 29

Fair

Over: I-85

JCT I85 * US 29(EXIT51), Lee, AL

Built 2005 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 16,470

NATCHEZ TRACE PARK

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.6 MILES NORTH OF MS ROU, Colbert, AL

Built 1982 Load: 27.2 t ADT: 720

SR 10

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3 MI. E. OF CAMDEN, Wilcox, AL

Built 1927 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 2,940

AL-17

Fair

Over: Fenachee Creek

3.1 MI N SUMTER CO LINE, Pickens, AL

Built 1927 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 1,010

CHEROKEE #77

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK

0.7 MI W INT CHERO #41, Cherokee, AL

Built 1940 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 300

AL - 3 (US 31)

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1 MI N CHILTON CO LN, Shelby, AL

Built 1920 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 7,680

UPPER FT. HAMPTON

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK

SEC22 T1S R4W, Limestone, AL

Built 1941 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 675

SR 85 MP 6.989

Fair

Over: PROVIDENCE CREEK

7.1 MI.N.JCT.SR27, Geneva, AL

Built 1951 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 1,230

CODY RD

Fair

Over: ESTES CREEK

4.4 MI. N.E. CO. RD. 49, Lamar, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 130

SCONYERS RD

Fair

Over: WILDCAT BRANCH

1.4 MI NE OF AL 10, Barbour, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 165

COUNTY ROAD 16

Fair

Over: BIG GERMAN CREEK

0.8 MI.W. OF CEDARVILLE, Hale, AL

Built 1964 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 200

COUNTY HIGHWAY

Fair

Over: BLUE BRANCH

4MI N KIRKLAND, Escambia, AL

Built 1964 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 75

OLD RR BED RD

Fair

Over: DAVIS BRANCH

3.6 MI N US 72 HWY, Madison, AL

Built 1965 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 3,798

ROY WEBB RD.

Fair

Over: CREEK

ROY WEBB RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 1966 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 1,910

AL-18

Fair

Over: Lost Creek

Lost Crk at Carbon Hill, Walker, AL

Built 1966 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 3,624

CO.299

Fair

Over: LITTLE BUTLER CREEK

1.9 MI W INT CO 61 * 11, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1970 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 75

CO RT 385

Fair

Over: BRANCH

CR 385, Cullman, AL

Built 1971 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 400

CR 1528

Fair

Over: MINNOR CREEK

CR 1528, Cullman, AL

Built 1971 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 35

Showing 3,651-3,700 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.