State profile · Below median Poor share

Arkansas 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 Arkansas.

12,974
Public bridges
45.8%
Good condition
5.4%
Poor condition

Arkansas holds 12,974 public highway bridges (#23 of 52 by inventory) with a 5.43% Poor share (#30 of 52 by Poor share).

That is 5.4% 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 23 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

12,974

Public highway bridges in Arkansas

Good Condition

45.8%

5,940 bridges rated 7-9

-4.2pp vs 50% benchmark

Poor Condition

5.4%

704 bridges whose lowest applicable component is rated 0-4

-2.1pp vs national avg 7.5%

Arkansas vs national bridge condition

Arkansas - Good condition share 45.8%
National avg

Share of bridges rated 7-9 on the FHWA 0-9 scale (deck, superstructure, substructure all good).

Arkansas - Poor-condition share 18.1%
National avg

Lower is better. Bar maxes at 30% (worst-state ceiling). National average sits at 7.5%.

Arkansas 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: Arkansas has 12,974 bridges and a 5.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #23 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 (%) AR, Public bridges in inventory (thousands): 13k · Poor-condition share (%): 5.43%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%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: Arkansas has 12,974 bridges and a 5.4% Poor-condition share in the 2024 NBI, rank #23 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.

Arkansas 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

12,974 23rd of 54 higher than 31 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 Arkansas

The highlighted point is Arkansas: 12,974 bridges and 5.43% in Poor condition, rank #23 of 54 jurisdictions ordered from the lowest share upward. The five jurisdictions immediately above and below Arkansas on that same Poor-share ordering:

  • Indiana: 19,495 bridges · 5.22% Poor
  • Kansas: 24,894 bridges · 5.26% Poor
  • Arkansas: 12,974 bridges · 5.43% Poor
  • Washington: 8,474 bridges · 5.45% Poor
  • California: 25,848 bridges · 5.91% Poor

The full national sortable table lives on the rankings page.

Material families in Arkansas

Exclusive FHWA material families across all 12,974 bridges in this state; continuous variants fold into the parent family. Orthogonal to the Poor-share scatter above.

Who maintains Arkansas’s inventory

State agency holds 57.1% of the 12,974 public highway bridges filed under Arkansas in the 2024 NBI, the agency-of-record split for this state, not a condition verdict.

When Arkansas’s bridges were built

Pre-1950 construction accounts for 13.5% of the 12,974 bridges with a recorded original year in Arkansas. Era bands are orthogonal to the Poor-share ranking above.

Condition Distribution

Arkansas45.8%48.8%GoodFairPoor
Bridge inventory deck-condition mix - Arkansas (FHWA NBI)

Counties (75)

Arkansas 154 Ashley 106 Baxter 91 Benton 410 Boone 98 Bradley 105 Calhoun 114 Carroll 119 Chicot 88 Clark 202 Clay 200 Cleburne 53 Cleveland 79 Columbia 131 Conway 122 Craighead 442 Crawford 248 Crittenden 235 Cross 129 Dallas 103 Desha 83 Drew 149 Faulkner 219 Franklin 143 Fulton 105 Garland 319 Grant 119 Greene 251 Hempstead 174 Hot Spring 222 Howard 116 Independence 184 Izard 105 Jackson 136 Jefferson 336 Johnson 162 Lafayette 72 Lawrence 126 Lee 94 Lincoln 110 Little River 83 Logan 152 Lonoke 187 Madison 149 Marion 65 Miller 216 Mississippi 309 Monroe 85 Montgomery 199 Nevada 133 Newton 65 Ouachita 162 Perry 118 Phillips 101 Pike 95 Poinsett 194 Polk 221 Pope 188 Prairie 88 Pulaski 721 Randolph 151 Saline 231 Scott 198 Searcy 65 Sebastian 331 Sevier 164 Sharp 110 St. Francis 202 Stone 73 Union 289 Van Buren 98 Washington 449 White 322 Woodruff 79 Yell 227

Arkansas 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 Arkansas on the same metric.

IN

Indiana

5.22% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$19,495

KS

Kansas

5.26% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$24,894
Selected

AR

Arkansas

5.43% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$12,974

WA

Washington

5.45% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$8,474

CA

California

5.91% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$25,848

Bridges Needing Most Attention in Arkansas

Six lowest-condition bridges in Arkansas, ranked by the portal's composite display score. Inspection intervals are risk-based under current NBIS rules.

CR 870-H OLD US 63

Poor

Over: DITCH 123

.10 MI E JCT SH 14, Poinsett, AR

Built 1933 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 667

SH 140-02- LM 9.08

Poor

Over: NATIONAL DITCH

1.7 MI E JCT SH 77, Mississippi, AR

Built 1967 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 2,900

Bucklake/Z-Ew/3.10

Poor

Over: Ditch Number 21

3.1 Miles West Of Sh 50, Crittenden, AR

Built 1955 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 360

CR20 -G 911- 108

Poor

Over: Union Pacific Railroad

0.91 M E Jct. SH 349, Craighead, AR

Built 1957 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 174

Cr74/Fulton Co.

Poor

Over: SPRING RIVER

2 M SE MAMMOTH SPRINGS, Fulton, AR

Built 1916 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 779

BOWEN BR. C.R. 244

Poor

Over: LITTLE MO RIVER

.75 M S SH 301, Hempstead, AR

Built 1944 Load: 0.0 t ADT: 9

All Bridges in Arkansas

SH 100 Log 7.37

Fair

Over: White Oak Bayou

0.5 Mi E of I-430, Pulaski, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,450

Sh-1/Sec-13/L-0.42

Fair

Over: Lick Creek

0.43 Mi No St Francis Cty, Cross, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,899

Sh-1/Sec-13/L-2.37

Fair

Over: Bear Pen Creek

2.37 Mi No St Francis Cty, Cross, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,880

Sh-1/Sec-13/L-3.19

Fair

Over: Section Line Ditch

3.19 Mi N St Francis Cty, Cross, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10,000

I-40/Sec-51/L248.8

Fair

Over: Fishing Lake

1.8 Mi E Jct Sh 38 & I 40, St. Francis, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 36,000

US 270 Log 4.00

Fair

Over: UPRR

.3 MI NW US 67, Hot Spring, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,326

SH 31-00 LM 9.96

Fair

Over: Wabbaseka Bayou

4.0 Mi NE SH 15-Sherrill, Jefferson, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 160

SH 72 Benton 1

Fair

Over: LITTLE SUGAR CREEK

2.1 M NE of JCT US 71, Benton, AR

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,000

Roberts Boulevard

Fair

Over: SH 549 - Sebastian Co.

1.0 S. of Wells Lk Rd., Sebastian, AR

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 760

Kelly Hwy

Fair

Over: I-540 - Sebastian Co

4.97 MI S OF I 40-11, Sebastian, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,200

US 82

Fair

Over: MISSISSIPPI RIVER

MISS/AR STATE LINE, Chicot, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,400

US 82-11 LM 1.87

Fair

Over: Ditch Bayou

1.87 Mi E US 65-LakeVilla, Chicot, AR

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,602

Sh-149/Sec-3/L-0.2

Fair

Over: I-40/Sec-51/L-259.83

.2 Mi No Jct.Us 70 & 149, St. Francis, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,946

SH 225/Cleburne Co

Fair

Over: Midway Branch

1.35 MI N JCT SH 92, Cleburne, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 890

I-49

Fair

Over: CR 37/ Peach Orchard Rd

91.919 Mi I-49, Benton, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,700

Cheri Whitlock Dr.

Fair

Over: KCS RR/Cntry Club/Sager

1.2 Mi W JCT SH 59, Benton, AR

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,000

SH 123

Fair

Over: Haw Creek

6.36 M SW of Pope Co line, Johnson, AR

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

I-49 NBLN Benton 1

Fair

Over: US 71-SEC 18B

10.14 MI N WASH CO LINE, Benton, AR

Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 76,000

CR 705 Carroll

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

6MI W JCT. SH 103, Carroll, AR

Built 1937 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 78

CR27/ 16th Sect Rd

Fair

Over: Macon Bayou Relief Ditch

1.95 M W US 65-LakeVllage, Chicot, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 660

Clark CR 40 Z-A

Fair

Over: WEST FORK CREEK

.5 MI E CO RD JCT 191, Clark, AR

Built 1936 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 108

Col.CR 19 Z-G

Fair

Over: CROOKED CREEK

0.5 MI W JCT 21 & 19, Columbia, AR

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 95

Cedar Creek Rd - C

Fair

Over: Cedar Creek

1.8 mi E of Jct. SH 9, Conway, AR

Built 1945 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 86

Union Chapel Rd

Fair

Over: Creben Creek

0.8 Mi E Jct SH 92 & CR 5, Conway, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 315

CR 762 - D

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.72MI E SH 351, Craighead, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,493

CR 96-B (911=510)

Fair

Over: BIG SLOUGH DITCH

2MI W MONETTE, Craighead, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 235

CR 40-Crawford Co.

Fair

Over: Rock Creek

1 MI W 45-B, Crawford, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 21

Old River/Z-Dn/6.7

Fair

Over: Ditch Number 3

6.71 Mi E Int Cr 30 & 6, Crittenden, AR

Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 115

S Bolden Hill Rd

Fair

Over: Mill Creek

1.4 SO INT CR 281 & 87, Faulkner, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 333

Potts Road

Fair

Over: Prairie Cr. - Frank. Co.

2.0 MI NORTH SH 217, Franklin, AR

Built 1972 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 31

Coal Road

Fair

Over: Cedar Creek - Frank. Co.

0.43 MI W ALIX, Franklin, AR

Built 1939 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 121

Fulton CR 31

Fair

Over: HILL CREEK

2.32MI NO SH62, Fulton, AR

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 310

CR 252/Fulton Co.

Fair

Over: CAMP CREEK

.1 M W SH 9, Fulton, AR

Built 1948 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

CR 71-H PEARCY RD

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK CREEK

1.14 MI S HWY 70, Garland, AR

Built 1945 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 643

CR 88 SPRING ST

Fair

Over: GULPHA CREEK

0.2 M E CO RD 280, Garland, AR

Built 1930 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 110

CR 107Whitfield

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF MAZARN CREEK

.5 S SH 227, Garland, AR

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 39

CR 118F Owl Cr Rd

Fair

Over: Bear Creek

0.7 Mi W Brady Mt Rd, Garland, AR

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40

CR 50-B (911=834)

Fair

Over: LOCUST CREEK

4.6 MI E OF HALLIDAY, Greene, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

CR51-B (911=853)

Fair

Over: LOCUST CREEK DITCH

0.5 MI W OF BARD, Greene, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 230

CR 75-C Sand Road

Fair

Over: FRANCOIS CREEK

6 MI NE OF MALVERN, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1954 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 312

CR224/Indepen Co.

Fair

Over: MOOREFIELD CREEK

.11 MI N SH 69, Independence, AR

Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4

CR 16 Izard County

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.55 SW SH 56, Izard, AR

Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 170

Corinth Rd IZARD

Fair

Over: LITTLE BRUSHY CREEK

1.13 MI NE SH 223, Izard, AR

Built 1958 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 110

BayouMetoRec-CR

Fair

Over: Little Bayou Meto

0.04 Mi W CR 85-Reydell, Jefferson, AR

Built 1923 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 203

Cr-410/Z-G/L-2.25

Fair

Over: Hog Tusk Creek

2 Miles East Of Moro, Lee, AR

Built 1967 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 182

CR 18/ Autumn Hill

Fair

Over: Turtle Creek (west br.)

2.64 Mi E SH54-Fennyville, Lincoln, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 380

Ferguson Valley Rd

Fair

Over: Rocky Creek Logan Co.

0.06 MI S SH 23, Logan, AR

Built 1966 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 126

Reveille Valley Rd

Fair

Over: Reveille Creek-Logan Co.

3.33 M N SH 10, Logan, AR

Built 1938 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 221

County Road 71

Fair

Over: Hegwood Creek-Logan Co.

1.45 MI NO SH 22, Logan, AR

Built 1935 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 44

Oak Grove Rd

Fair

Over: S Fk Caddo River

.4 MI S JCT SH 240, Montgomery, AR

Built 1949 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 63

Showing 5,251-5,300 of 12,974 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 Arkansas's inventory picture to drill to a county or a specific span.

  • Browse counties in Arkansas 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. Arkansas 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.