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

CR 85

Fair

Over: I-65

2.2 MI N JCT US #31, Chilton, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 500

CR 32

Fair

Over: I-65

3.0 MI S JCT SR 145, Chilton, AL

Built 1958 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 500

I - 65 SOUTH

Fair

Over: L * N RR

3 MI N JCT CO RD 87, Shelby, AL

Built 1959 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 28,730

I - 65 NORTH

Fair

Over: L * N RR

3 MI N JCT CO RD 87, Shelby, AL

Built 1959 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 28,730

US 278; SR 74

Fair

Over: I-65

JCT I-65 * US 278, Cullman, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 17,222

US 278; SR 74

Fair

Over: I-65

JCT I-65 * US 278, Cullman, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 17,222

SR 83

Fair

Over: I-65

JCT I-65 * SR 83, Conecuh, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 9,521

SR 117

Fair

Over: I-59

JCT SR 117 * I-59, DeKalb, AL

Built 1960 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 3,749

ARGO PARKWAY

Fair

Over: I 59

ARGO INTERCHANGE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 1,500

STEELE STATION RD

Fair

Over: I - 59

STEEL INTERCHANGE, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,000

CO. RD. 388

Fair

Over: I-85

CUSSETA ROAD - EXIT 70, Chambers, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,783

AL 138

Fair

Over: I85

SHORTER EXIT, Macon, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 3,480

CO RT 353

Fair

Over: BEAVERDAM CREEK

6.4 MILE NW OF ELBA, Coffee, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 250

AL - 53 (US 231)

Fair

Over: I - 59

US 231 * I 59, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 8,140

CO.RD.36

Fair

Over: I85

2.37 MI.N. AL.49, Macon, AL

Built 1964 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 1,057

CR-208

Fair

Over: I-20/59

2.0 MI E Union church, Greene, AL

Built 1966 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,573

SR 3

Fair

Over: FLINT CREEK RELIEF

4 M N JCT SR 3 & SR 36, Morgan, AL

Built 1968 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 7,205

AL-14

Fair

Over: I-20/59

LOVES 2.0 MI W of Eutaw, Greene, AL

Built 1966 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,208

SR 144

Fair

Over: ATN RAILROAD

1.6 MI EAST JCT SR 77, Calhoun, AL

Built 1968 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 3,824

AL 147 / AL267

Fair

Over: AL 14 * CSX RAILROAD

JCT AL 14 * AL 147, Lee, AL

Built 1969 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 15,790

I65 NBL / SBL

Fair

Over: MILL ST

0.7 MI.N.OF FAIRVIEW AVE., Montgomery, AL

Built 1971 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 37,200

I - 65 NORTH

Fair

Over: I - 459 & RAMPS

I 459/I 65 INTERCHANGE, Jefferson, AL

Built 1977 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 56,815

I 459

Fair

Over: PATTON CK

I 459 * PATTON CK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1980 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 34,985

AL-171

Fair

Over: Stewart Creek

2.3 MI S Bobo, Fayette, AL

Built 1926 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,313

SR 10

Fair

Over: RELIEF

9.8 MI. E. OF BUTLER, Choctaw, AL

Built 1989 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,220

SR 10

Fair

Over: RELIEF

9.9 MI. E. OF BUTLER, Choctaw, AL

Built 1989 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 2,220

CO RD 30

Fair

Over: MARTIN CREEK

0.9 MILES W.ON RTE.30, Wilcox, AL

Built 1990 Load: 27.7 t ADT: 250

US 98 EB

Fair

Over: ESCATAWPA RIVER

AL-MISS STATE LINE, Mobile, AL

Built 2003 Load: 27.7 t

AL-7

Fair

Over: Little Buck Creek

0.5 MI S TUSC CO LINE, Greene, AL

Built 1936 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 1,450

ROADWAY

Fair

Over: CO RT 1087 STREAM

1.4 W AL HWY 39, Sumter, AL

Built 1951 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 256

CO.460

Fair

Over: EDDY CREEK

2.1 MI. E. ALA. 33 JCT., Lawrence, AL

Built 1952 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 3,093

CO RD NO 26

Fair

Over: BLUE GUT CREEK

3 MILES NO LAMAR CO LINE, Marion, AL

Built 1900 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 250

COUNTY ROAD 29

Fair

Over: BRASHER CREEK

1/2 MI S OF APPALACHAIN, Blount, AL

Built 1953 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 408

US 31 SBL

Fair

Over: PINE CREEK

0.2 MI N ELMORE CO LINE, Autauga, AL

Built 1954 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 10,815

US 31 NBL

Fair

Over: PINE CREEK

0.2 MI N ELMORE CO LINE, Autauga, AL

Built 1954 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 10,815

SR 3

Fair

Over: SWAN CREEK

2 MI N JCT SR 3 & SR 2, Limestone, AL

Built 1955 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 5,895

SR 59

Fair

Over: BUTTERFORK CREEK

1.5 MI. S. OF URIAH, Monroe, AL

Built 1957 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 1,190

SR 69

Fair

Over: BROWNS CREEK

JCT SR 69 * BROWNS CREEK, Marshall, AL

Built 1941 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 15,926

SR 77

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

3.7 MI N TALLADEGA CO LIN, Calhoun, AL

Built 1957 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 6,910

OLD COAL CITY RD

Fair

Over: I - 20

CORD20*I-20, St. Clair, AL

Built 1961 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 600

SR38 / US 280

Fair

Over: EASTERN ALABAMA R/R

2.2 MI N JCT ALA 21, Talladega, AL

Built 1963 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 10,712

SR38 / US280

Fair

Over: EASTERN ALABAMA R/R

2.2 MI N JCT ALA 21, Talladega, AL

Built 1963 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 10,712

SANDLIN RD SW

Fair

Over: CLARK SPRINGS

JCT SANDLIN RD*CLARK SPGS, Morgan, AL

Built 1973 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 5,625

CO 189

Fair

Over: COLBERT CREEK

0.6 MI N INT CO 14, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1975 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 200

SR 35

Fair

Over: TENNESSEE RIVER RELIEF

0.2 MI N JCT SR40 * SR35, Jackson, AL

Built 1983 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 8,558

I 759 WBL

Fair

Over: I 59 SBL

I 759 * I 59 INTR, Etowah, AL

Built 1984 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 4,069

HALLS MILL RD

Fair

Over: SPRING BRANCH

0.1 MI W ROCHELLE STREET, Mobile, AL

Built 1926 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 9,212

SR 41

Fair

Over: BURNT CORN RELIEF

1.9 MI N US 31, Escambia, AL

Built 1994 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 2,425

CO RD 19

Fair

Over: SAND BRANCH (CD1414X46)

INDEPENDENCE, Autauga, AL

Built 1994 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 510

OLD TUSCALOOSA

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK TRIBUTARY

1/4 MI SW LOWETOWN RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1950 Load: 27.8 t ADT: 6,675

Showing 3,801-3,850 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.