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

US231; US431; SR1

Fair

Over: WEST FORK FLINT RIVER

2 MI S ALA-TENN ST LINE, Madison, AL

Built 1961 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 9,921

ELBO PORTER ROAD

Fair

Over: WARRIOR RIVE-LOCUST FORK

1 MI S FLAT TOP ROAD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1962 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,820

CREOLA-AXIS LOOP

Fair

Over: JIM BELL BRANCH

2.5 MI NE US 43, Mobile, AL

Built 1963 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 322

I 65

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

1 MI N JCT I 65 & SR 3, Morgan, AL

Built 1964 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 15,465

I 65

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

1 MI N JCT I 65 & SR 3, Morgan, AL

Built 1964 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 15,465

SR 51 MP 39.808

Fair

Over: C OF GA R.R.(ABANDONED)

0.1 MI.N. SR 130, Barbour, AL

Built 1964 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,400

US 11

Fair

Over: I-59 (EXIT 97)

CAFFEE JUNCTION, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1965 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 14,160

ROBBINS RD

Fair

Over: SHERWOOD DITCH

250FT E OF NOTTINGHAM RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1965 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 400

SR 21

Fair

Over: PIKARD CREEK

3.7 MI.N.OF MONROEVILLE, Monroe, AL

Built 1966 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 2,700

I-10 WB

Fair

Over: FISH RIVER

7.2 MI E JCT US 90, Baldwin, AL

Built 1970 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 27,963

I-10 WB

Fair

Over: THREE MILE CREEK

7.9 MI E US 90, Baldwin, AL

Built 1970 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 27,963

AL - 144

Fair

Over: CREEK

RAGLAND @ PROVIDENCE RD, St. Clair, AL

Built 1973 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,260

CO. HWY. 43

Fair

Over: YELLOWLEAF CREEK

0.1 MI W JCT US 280, Shelby, AL

Built 1978 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 3,308

I - 459 SOUTH

Fair

Over: AL - 150

I459 * AL 150, Jefferson, AL

Built 1982 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 34,985

I - 459 NORTH

Fair

Over: AL - 150

I459 * AL 150, Jefferson, AL

Built 1982 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 34,985

I - 65 SOUTH

Fair

Over: SHADES CREEK

I 65 * SHADE CREEK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1972 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 60,340

COOSADA PARKWAY

Fair

Over: COOSADA CREEK

0.4 MI S OF CO RD 23, Elmore, AL

Built 1997 Load: 29.2 t ADT: 4,000

BELL STREET

Fair

Over: STREAM

1.4 MI.E.of WesternBypass, Montgomery, AL

Built 1943 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 18,950

AL-17

Fair

Over: Branch

1.5 MI S MARION CO LINE, Lamar, AL

Built 1948 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,867

US 31

Fair

Over: MC CURTIN CREEK

3.5 MI N JCT SR 59, Baldwin, AL

Built 1951 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 4,764

CO RD #17

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Moore Road, Covington, AL

Built 1951 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 110

SR 3

Fair

Over: FLINT CREEK RELIEF

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

Built 1955 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 7,205

COUNTY ROAD 4

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

3.5 MI W OF LOCKHART, Covington, AL

Built 1958 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 990

COUNTY ROAD 47

Fair

Over: COWIKEE CREEK

SEC 16 T12 R26, Bullock, AL

Built 1967 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 100

CO.RD. 14

Fair

Over: GLADEY MILL BRANCH

(BUD CUMM CULVERT), Randolph, AL

Built 1959 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 260

COUNTY ROAD 1165

Fair

Over: JORDAN CREEK

SEC 20 T10N R20E, Pike, AL

Built 1959 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 275

FAS 15 CR 81

Fair

Over: JOHNNIES CREEK

0.5MI W JCT CORT 89T8SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1960 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,551

N UNIVERSITY BLVD

Fair

Over: EIGHTMILE CREEK

0.5 MI S BEAR FORK ROAD, Mobile, AL

Built 1964 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 9,230

PARKER ROAD

Fair

Over: I 65

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

Built 1968 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,420

Lee Road 391

Fair

Over: CENTRAL OF GA R R

0.5 MI S W JCT S 001, Lee, AL

Built 1971 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 741

CRENSHAW STREET

Fair

Over: WOODCOCK BRANCH

1140 N AIRPORT BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 1981 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 910

AL 5

Fair

Over: L * N RR

1.5 MI.N OF JCT.AL.22, Dallas, AL

Built 1982 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,080

US 80 EBL

Fair

Over: BOGUE CHITTO CRK

1.4 MI E OF AL 5, Dallas, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,040

US 84

Fair

Over: ALABAMA RIVER REL.

1 MI. W. OF CLAIBORN, Monroe, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 3,316

AL 14

Fair

Over: CHUBBEHATCHEE CREEK

1.0 MI.W.OF AL 63, Elmore, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 6,020

AL.14

Fair

Over: HANEY CREEK

0.2 MI.W.OF AL 63, Elmore, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 5,250

AL 14

Fair

Over: TUMPKEEHATCHEE CREEK

2.2 MI.E.OF AL 63, Elmore, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 3,380

AL 14

Fair

Over: WALLAHATCHEE CREEK#1

4.6 MI.E.OF AL 63, Elmore, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 3,620

AL14

Fair

Over: WALLAHATCHEE CREEK#2

5.5 MI.E.OF AL.63, Elmore, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 3,620

AL - 79 SOUTH

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

.1 MI.NO.AL 151, Jefferson, AL

Built 1983 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 7,695

SR 95 MP 41.913

Fair

Over: ABBIE CREEK SOUTH FORK

2.0 MI.S.ABBEVILLE, Henry, AL

Built 1984 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,020

AL.5

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK RELIEF

2.2 MI.S.OF US 80, Dallas, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 1,110

US 82

Fair

Over: LITTLE CATOMA CREEK

0.4 MI.E.OF MERIWETHER RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 7,825

US 82

Fair

Over: LITTLE CATOMA CRK RELIEF

0.6 MI.E.OF MERIWETHER RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 7,825

US 82

Fair

Over: LITTLE CATOMA CRK RELIEF

0.8 MI.E.OF MERIWETHER RD, Montgomery, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 7,825

AL 10

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK RELIEF

6.4 MI.E.OF US 31, Butler, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 2,663

AL-18

Fair

Over: Wolf Creek

AL-18 @ Wolf Creek, Walker, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 994

AL 69

Fair

Over: BIG PRAIRIE CREEK RELIEF

1.5 MI N JCT US 80, Hale, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 2,330

AL 69

Fair

Over: BIG PRAIRIE CREEK RELIEF

2.0 MI N JCT US 80, Hale, AL

Built 1985 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 2,330

US 72; SR 2

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK

7.0 MI W JCT SR117 * US72, Jackson, AL

Built 1986 Load: 29.3 t ADT: 13,827

Showing 4,301-4,350 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.