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

I65 NBL/SBL

Fair

Over: ALABAMA RIVER AND RR

0.8 MI.S.OF AL.152, Montgomery, AL

Built 1973 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 38,750

I-59

Fair

Over: TOOMSUBA CREEK (-)

3.6 MI. N.OF MISS. ST.LN., Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 9,020

I-59

Fair

Over: TOOMSUBA CREEK (+)

3.6 MI. N.OF MISS. ST.LN., Sumter, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 18,188

SR 27 MP 63.976

Fair

Over: DEAL CREEK

0.7 MI.S.HENRY CO. L., Dale, AL

Built 1976 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 960

SR 157

Fair

Over: LITTLE CYPRESS CREEK

4 M N JCT SR 157 & SR 133, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1976 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 5,850

SR 24

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

1.5 M E JCT SR 24 & SR 19, Franklin, AL

Built 1978 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 2,335

US 84

Fair

Over: NORFOLK SOUTHERN

WHATLEY, Clarke, AL

Built 1983 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 3,890

I85

Fair

Over: ROSA PARKS

0.3 MI N OF I65, Montgomery, AL

Built 1971 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 133,908

COTTAGE HILL ROAD

Fair

Over: ESLAVA CREEK

0.1 MILE E OF MAGNOLIA RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 7,258

NAFF AVENUE

Fair

Over: BRANCH

500 FT W OF ALLEN ST, Talladega, AL

Built 1940 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 50

FRANKLIN DRIVE N.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

300 FT N OF NIMITZ AVE, Talladega, AL

Built 1940 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 50

NIMITZ AVENUE

Fair

Over: BRANCH

400 FT E OF GREEN ACRES, Talladega, AL

Built 1940 Load: 27.3 t ADT: 1,000

Old Gadsden Hwy

Fair

Over: Creek

Piedmont, Calhoun, AL

Built 1955 Load: 27.3 t

SR21 / US 231

Fair

Over: SHELTON CREEK

0.1 MI N WEOGUFKA ROAD, Coosa, AL

Built 1932 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 5,303

OLD US NO 11

Fair

Over: SLOUGH

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

Built 1932 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 20

SR 49

Fair

Over: BLUE CREEK

2 MI N JCT SR 50, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1941 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 4,167

I-65 SB

Fair

Over: BUSHY CREEK

2.6 MI N JCT SR 41, Conecuh, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 11,862

AL - 3 SOUTH

Fair

Over: L*N RR(ABANDONED)

US 31 * L*N RR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 4,640

AL - 3 NORTH

Fair

Over: L*N RR(ABANDONED)

US 31 * L*N RR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 4,640

I-65 NB

Fair

Over: BURNT CORN CREEK

3.6 MI N JCT SR 41, Conecuh, AL

Built 1959 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 11,863

CO RD B1

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

AT CO B1 CO 23 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 45

I-85

Fair

Over: LITTLE OSANIPPA CREEK

4.9 MI N CUSSETA RD, Chambers, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 38,376

AL - 3 SOUTH

Fair

Over: 21 ST AVE SO

US 31 * 21 ST AVE SO, Jefferson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 39,880

AL - 3 NORTH

Fair

Over: 21 ST AVE SO

US 31 * 21 ST AVE SO, Jefferson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 42,050

I-20

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.8 MI E JCT SR 21, Calhoun, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 18,931

AL - 3 SO RAMP

Fair

Over: US 31 * US 280

US 31 * US 280 INTR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 7,976

US 98 WB

Fair

Over: DOLIVE CREEK

0.2 MI E JCT I-10, Baldwin, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 20,481

I-20

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

4 MI E JCT SR 9, Cleburne, AL

Built 1970 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 20,268

CO RD B40

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

0.8 MI SE CO 40, Franklin, AL

Built 1972 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 35

CO RD B16

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

1 MI SW US 43 CO B16 JCT, Franklin, AL

Built 1973 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 50

COUNTY ROAD NO54

Fair

Over: CHOCTAWHATCHEE RIVER

RC BR. ON FAS RT. 22, Henry, AL

Built 1973 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 300

COLLEGE STREET

Fair

Over: TOULMIN SPRINGS

0.1 MI E GARRISON AVE, Mobile, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 838

GARRISON AVE

Fair

Over: TOULMIN SPRINGS

0.3 MI E US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 904

CHASTANG AVE

Fair

Over: TOULMIN SPRINGS

0.2 MI E US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1974 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 617

CO RT 29

Fair

Over: COAL CREEK

1 MI S CO RT 26 T9SR6E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1976 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 108

I - 20/59 NORTH

Fair

Over: 15TH ST BESSEMER

I59 * 15TH ST BESS, Jefferson, AL

Built 1977 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 23,360

US 84 MP 198.340

Fair

Over: PANTHER CREEK

2.8 MI.E.SR 123, Houston, AL

Built 1977 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 8,185

CO RT 480

Fair

Over: TRIB. TO BRAY CREEK

1.3 S LATHAMVILLE T9SR5E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1978 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 310

AMBER HILLS ROAD

Fair

Over: I - 459

I459 * AMBER HILLS ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 1,200

CO 158

Fair

Over: CHOCCOLOCCO CREEK

1 MI W ALA 9, Calhoun, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 200

1/2 SECTION LN RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE DRUM CREEK

1/2 Section Line Road, Marshall, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 1,550

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Fair

Over: CSX RR

LAKESHORE DR. * OXMOOR RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1988 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 5,000

LAKESHORE DRIVE

Fair

Over: CSX RR

LAKESHORE DR. * OXMOOR RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1988 Load: 27.4 t ADT: 5,000

SR 51

Fair

Over: COWIKEE CREEK

3.9 MI N JCT SR 26, Russell, AL

Built 1952 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 970

CO. RT. 532

Fair

Over: MULBERRY FORK

CR 532, Cullman, AL

Built 1955 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 1,000

AL - 3 SOUTH

Fair

Over: PROPOSED CITY STREET

US 31 @ KIMBERLY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 4,640

AL - 3 NORTH

Fair

Over: PROPROSED CITY STREET

US 31 @ KIMBERLY, Jefferson, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 4,640

SIMPSON RD

Fair

Over: LITTLE EMUCKFAW CR

2.4 MI E ALA 49, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 155

CO RD 45

Fair

Over: I-65

4.4 MI N SR 21, Escambia, AL

Built 1959 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 781

CO RD 616

Fair

Over: I65

5 MI S JCT US 278 * I65, Cullman, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.5 t ADT: 1,378

Showing 3,701-3,750 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.