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

COUNTRY CLUB RD S

Fair

Over: BRUSH CREEK

JCT COUNTRY CLUB*BRUSH CK, Morgan, AL

Built 1976 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 14,814

PERRY HILL RD

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

50 FT N OF BETH MANOR DR, Montgomery, AL

Built 1978 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 9,000

QUEENSTOWN RD

Fair

Over: I - 459

I459 * QUEENSTOWN RD, Jefferson, AL

Built 1979 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 1,300

US 43

Fair

Over: LEWIS CREEK

4.7 MI. N. OF MCINTOSH, Washington, AL

Built 1984 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 3,975

AL 10

Fair

Over: PIGEON CREEK

6.2 MI E.OF US 31, Butler, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 2,663

WHATLEY RD

Fair

Over: GENETTA DITCH

0.17 MI E OF MOBILE HWY, Montgomery, AL

Built 1985 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 35

I - 65

Fair

Over: 6TH. AVE. NORTH

I65*6TH. AVE. NORTH, Jefferson, AL

Built 1969 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 133,050

US 31

Fair

Over: OLD TOWN CREEK

1.3 MI S CO RD 26, Conecuh, AL

Built 1994 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 726

BRANCH

Fair

Over: LANGHAM RD

_, Conecuh, AL

Built 2018 Load: 30.9 t ADT: 75

US 31

Fair

Over: GUM SWAMP BRANCH

2.7 MI S THORSBY, Chilton, AL

Built 1924 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 6,590

CO RT 184

Fair

Over: ELAM CREEK

0.3 MI S JCT CO RT 87, Lawrence, AL

Built 1953 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 235

ROCKY FORD RD.

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

300 E OF REEVES RD, Etowah, AL

Built 1955 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 829

AL - 5 (US 78) NO

Fair

Over: FLAT TOP RD

US 78 GRAYSVILLE INTR, Jefferson, AL

Built 1961 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 13,850

RAINBOW DR

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.5 M NE RAYS CROSSROADS, Clay, AL

Built 1966 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 181

HORSE CRK BLVDCR30

Fair

Over: MULBERRY FORK WARRIOR RV

0.1MI E AMORY AVE/CR 30, Walker, AL

Built 1967 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 4,006

HAIG ST

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

400 E CRAFT HWY, Mobile, AL

Built 1968 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 350

AL - 75

Fair

Over: GURLEY CREEK

.5 MI.NO.CO.LN., Blount, AL

Built 1968 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 11,640

CO. 92

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2 MI. N.E. LAFAYETTE, Chambers, AL

Built 1950 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 115

FIRST AVE

Fair

Over: TOULMIN SPRINGS

0.3 MI E US 45, Mobile, AL

Built 1974 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 400

I-10 WB

Fair

Over: M. BAY 90 98 I10WB RAMP

EAST TUNNEL INTERCHANGE, Mobile, AL

Built 1978 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 32,387

POWELL RD.

Fair

Over: BRYANT MILL CREEK

POWELL RD., Crenshaw, AL

Built 1984 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 40

CR # 65

Fair

Over: FOURMILE BRANCH

0.8 MI E CR 37, Dallas, AL

Built 1938 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 500

COUNTY ROAD 36

Fair

Over: MOUNTIAN CREEK

RC BR CULV ON PVDRD 36, Henry, AL

Built 1994 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 150

CLARK ROAD (483)

Fair

Over: TIDAL STREAM

0.5 MI SW HWY 188, Mobile, AL

Built 1999 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 84

STEVENS ROAD

Fair

Over: DUCK CREEK

CO. 29 NORTH, Conecuh, AL

Built 1998 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 25

BEL AIR BLVD

Fair

Over: ESLAVA CREEK

800 S OF AIRPORT BLVD, Mobile, AL

Built 2006 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 13,438

Upper Hurricane Rd

Fair

Over: Hurricane Creek

3 mi. NE Jct.CO RD 468_, Madison, AL

Built 2019 Load: 31.0 t ADT: 74

US 90

Fair

Over: MUD CREEK

4 MI E CO RD 39, Mobile, AL

Built 1928 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 10,205

AL-69

Fair

Over: Wolf Creek

AL-69 Wolf Creek, Walker, AL

Built 1937 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 1,694

AL - 174

Fair

Over: BRANCH

2 MI WEST JCT 231, St. Clair, AL

Built 1941 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 5,010

US 11

Fair

Over: GRANTS CREEK

2.5 MI S WARRIOR RIVER, Tuscaloosa, AL

Built 1954 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 3,500

US 231 MP 56.381

Fair

Over: PEA RIVER

0.5 MI. N. SR 123, Dale, AL

Built 1956 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 7,235

AL-13

Fair

Over: NS Railroad

2.1 MI N JCT SR 18, Fayette, AL

Built 1957 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 2,032

CHEROKEE #125

Fair

Over: CULSTIGH CREEK

0.3 MI NE INT CHERO #46, Cherokee, AL

Built 1958 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 235

CO RT 73

Fair

Over: BRANCH

BUSHY CREEK, Conecuh, AL

Built 1959 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 240

MONTEVALLO ROAD

Fair

Over: CSX RAILROAD

OXMOOR IND. PARK, Jefferson, AL

Built 1964 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 19,582

HALIFAX LN

Fair

Over: GLADLANE DITCH

200 FT W OF HALIFAX CT, Montgomery, AL

Built 1972 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 750

STAPLES RD

Fair

Over: PERCH CREEK

0.2 MI E ALBA CLUB RD, Mobile, AL

Built 1975 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 4,834

AL 152 WBL

Fair

Over: L*N RR YARD * STREETS

0.6 M.E.AL RIVER, Montgomery, AL

Built 1975 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 16,745

AL 21

Fair

Over: BIG SWAMP CREEK RELIEF

1.9 MI.S.OF HAYNEVILLE, Lowndes, AL

Built 1979 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 3,930

SR 27 MP 6.765

Fair

Over: RELIEF BRIDGE

0.2 MI. N. SR-52, Geneva, AL

Built 1982 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 4,730

I 565

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

2.5 MI E JCT I 565 & I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1987 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 25,775

I 565

Fair

Over: LIMESTONE CREEK

2.5 MI E JCT I 65 & I 565, Limestone, AL

Built 1987 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 25,775

WOLF ROAD

Fair

Over: TURKEY CREEK

0.5 MILE S SR 118, Lamar, AL

Built 1987 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 144

I 565

Fair

Over: PINEY CREEK

0.9 MI E JCT I 565 & I 65, Limestone, AL

Built 1990 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 26,590

SR 104

Fair

Over: PERONE BRANCH

6 MI E US 98, Baldwin, AL

Built 1993 Load: 31.1 t ADT: 10,078

CO. HWY. 280

Fair

Over: COOPER CREEK

OLD 280 * CO 43, Shelby, AL

Built 1931 Load: 31.2 t ADT: 650

AL 277

Fair

Over: CSX RR

IN CITY OF BRIDGEPORT, Jackson, AL

Built 1938 Load: 31.2 t ADT: 3,065

AL 5

Fair

Over: AFFONEE CREEK RELIEF

0.6 MI N JCT AL 25, Bibb, AL

Built 1942 Load: 31.2 t ADT: 5,669

SR 85 MP 4.118

Fair

Over: ADAMS CREEK

4.2 MI.N.JCT.SR 27, Geneva, AL

Built 1951 Load: 31.2 t ADT: 1,200

Showing 4,801-4,850 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.