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

CROMWELL MILL RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.5 MI N INT RT 187 * 226, Choctaw, AL

Built 1953 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 600

CO RT 8

Fair

Over: COWPEN CREEK

4.7 MI E INT AL 17, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 305

W BAILY ROAD

Fair

Over: LYNCH CREEK

1.5 MI. S OF HARKINS XRD., Clay, AL

Built 1965 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 50

REEVES/ STEWART RD

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

.6 MILE OFF CO/RD 31, Washington, AL

Built 1950 Load: 11.0 t ADT: 50

CO 14

Fair

Over: SECOND CREEK

7.7 MI W INT CO RT 10, Lauderdale, AL

Built 1937 Load: 11.1 t ADT: 400

COUNTY HWY 1128

Fair

Over: BIG SLAB CREEK

7087 FT NW JCT 1127, Marshall, AL

Built 1951 Load: 11.1 t ADT: 100

LEGGTOWN RD

Fair

Over: SHOAL CR

SEC21 T1S R5W, Limestone, AL

Built 1953 Load: 11.1 t ADT: 350

ANTIOCH RD

Fair

Over: RED CREEK

ANTIOCH CHURCH, Washington, AL

Built 1964 Load: 11.1 t ADT: 100

CO 13

Fair

Over: BRANCH

BRANCH CO 13, Cleburne, AL

Built 1974 Load: 11.1 t ADT: 230

Valley Grove Road

Fair

Over: Jones Creek

2.9 M N OF CO. RD 502, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1922 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 50

CO RD 635

Fair

Over: EAST FORK LITTLE RIVER

.6 MI W AL 117, DeKalb, AL

Built 1935 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 101

LEETH GAP RD.

Fair

Over: OWENS CREEK

LEETH GAP RD @ ROY WHITT, Etowah, AL

Built 1936 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 1,336

BYLER ROAD

Fair

Over: STREAM

0.1 MI W JCT SR 33, Lawrence, AL

Built 1958 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 500

CO 497

Fair

Over: MACOLA CREEK

MACOLA CREEK CR 497, Cleburne, AL

Built 1974 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 40

LEWIS RD

Fair

Over: HURRICANE BRANCH

OFF CO.RD.8 NERA MISS LIN, Washington, AL

Built 1998 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 30

_Cleb Co Rd 71

Fair

Over: Tallapoosa River

Co 71 Tallapoosa River, Cleburne, AL

Built 1940 Load: 11.2 t ADT: 192

Connector Road

Fair

Over: Sandy Creek Spur

0.7 MI N US 280, Tallapoosa, AL

Built 1910 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 45

COUNTY ROAD 34

Fair

Over: COHOBIE CREEK

0.5 MI WEST CO 8 FAYETTEV, Talladega, AL

Built 1955 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 51

CHESTNUT RD.

Fair

Over: CHESTNUT BRANCH

4 MI S OF MALVERN, Geneva, AL

Built 1987 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 61

COUNTY ROAD

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

1.5MI NW APPLETON, Escambia, AL

Built 1949 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 100

STACEY MCINNIS RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4 MI E REPTON, Conecuh, AL

Built 2001 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 80

FARR LANE

Fair

Over: UNNAMED PEROIDIC BRANCH

0.2 MI EAST OF JCT.AL 21, Talladega, AL

Built 1980 Load: 11.3 t ADT: 33

Little Road

Fair

Over: Ellis Creek

0.10 MI N of CR-14, Coosa, AL

Built 1940 Load: 11.4 t ADT: 74

CO RT 116

Fair

Over: BENGIS CREEK

W CLIFTON CORNER T5SR8E, DeKalb, AL

Built 1964 Load: 11.4 t ADT: 520

Gardners Chapel Rd

Fair

Over: Holloway Branch

Gardners Chapel Rd, Covington, AL

Built 1933 Load: 11.4 t ADT: 80

HODGE CREEK RD

Fair

Over: EMUCKFAW CREEK

2.2 MISE SIKESVILLE, Clay, AL

Built 1981 Load: 11.4 t ADT: 19

WATER WORKS ST.

Fair

Over: BOGUE CREEK

0.3 MILE S SR 118, Lamar, AL

Built 1989 Load: 11.4 t ADT: 495

PHIL CHURCH RD.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

PHILADELPHIA CHURCH RD, Calhoun, AL

Built 1939 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 90

CO RD 76

Fair

Over: THREE MILE BRANCH

CITY OF GENEVA, Geneva, AL

Built 1994 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 60

COUNTY RT #201

Fair

Over: JENKINS CREEK

1.5 MILES E CO RT #29, Pickens, AL

Built 1977 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 50

COUNTY RT #57

Fair

Over: BEAR BRANCH

0.8 MI NORTH OF US HWY 82, Pickens, AL

Built 1980 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 70

COUNTY RT #109

Fair

Over: LITTLE BEAR CREEK

1.3 MI EAST OF CO RT #109, Pickens, AL

Built 1981 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 45

CO ROUTE #63

Fair

Over: HOOD BRANCH

1.1 MILES SO OF CR #2, Pickens, AL

Built 1900 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 40

COUNTY RT #80

Fair

Over: LITTLE LUBBUB CREEK

1.8 MI NORTH OF SR 86, Pickens, AL

Built 1982 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 50

COUNTY DIRT RD

Fair

Over: NO NAME BRANCH

Charolais Road, Covington, AL

Built 1948 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 150

FAS 03 DICKEY RD

Fair

Over: REL BOGUECHITTO CREEK

DICKEY RD CR12, Perry, AL

Built 1949 Load: 11.5 t ADT: 150

CHARITY LA

Fair

Over: COPELAND CREEK

2.3 MI NW HAZEL GREEN, Madison, AL

Built 1934 Load: 11.6 t ADT: 1,250

COUNTY LAKE RD

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK RELIEF

0.8 MI EAST CO ROAD1468, Madison, AL

Built 1956 Load: 11.6 t ADT: 250

HENSON SPRINGS RD

Fair

Over: BUTTAHATCHEE RIVER

.5 MI. E. HENSON SPRINGS, Lamar, AL

Built 1958 Load: 11.6 t ADT: 380

CO RD 50

Fair

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

2.0 NE OF HUBBERTVILLE, Fayette, AL

Built 1958 Load: 11.6 t ADT: 118

CO RD 53

Fair

Over: SIPSEY RIVER

1.0 S BAZEMORE, Fayette, AL

Built 1959 Load: 11.6 t ADT: 125

CO 213

Fair

Over: PRIDGEN BRANCH

1.0 MI W CO 238, Talladega, AL

Built 1978 Load: 11.6 t ADT: 452

JERNIGAN HOLLOW

Fair

Over: STINNETT BRANCH

SEC 9 T2S R7W, Limestone, AL

Built 1996 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 50

CHEROKEE #40

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

8.7 MI W INT CHEROKEE #45, Cherokee, AL

Built 1950 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 120

HURRICANE RD

Fair

Over: STILLHOUSE CREEK

0.4 MI N CO RD 1436, Madison, AL

Built 1953 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 450

CALUMET ROAD

Fair

Over: CANE CREEK

2 MILES S JASPER, Walker, AL

Built 1970 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 40

CANADY RD

Fair

Over: WESOBULGA CREEK

1 MI W CORINTH CH, Clay, AL

Built 1919 Load: 11.7 t ADT: 10

W LIMESTONE ST

Fair

Over: TOWN BRANCH

0.4 MI E JCT ADAMS ST, Franklin, AL

Built 1950 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 900

cr 1748

Fair

Over: BECKWORTH CREEK

CR 1748, Cullman, AL

Built 1956 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 40

CO RD 18

Fair

Over: LONG CREEK

0.6 MI W INT RT 120 * 122, Choctaw, AL

Built 1956 Load: 11.8 t ADT: 1,000

Showing 401-450 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.