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

River Rd

Fair

Over: Caddo River

.5 S Jct SH 8, Montgomery, AR

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 85

Sulphur Springs Rd

Fair

Over: Sulphur Creek

3.5 Mi N Jct SH 8, Montgomery, AR

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 110

C.R 35 - D - 6.32

Fair

Over: CREEK

3 MI E 11/2 MI N OF PRESC, Nevada, AR

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

CO RD 38 - G -0.93

Fair

Over: LITTLE SANDY CREEK

1 MI S OF LANEBURG, Nevada, AR

Built 1972 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 264

C.R 249- D - 1.13

Fair

Over: GRANDBRANCH(county judge

0.2 M S JCT CO RD 20, Nevada, AR

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 417

Ouachita CR 32 Z-D

Fair

Over: DIXON LAKE CREEK

1.91 M E OF JCT 7 & 32, Ouachita, AR

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 166

Cr-315/Z-C/L-1.58

Fair

Over: Ditch

.8 Miles North Of Cr 408, Phillips, AR

Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 448

Cr-604/Z-G/L-3.05

Fair

Over: Coffee Creek

.5 Mi West Of Jct Sh 318, Phillips, AR

Built 1976 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

CR 31 E. FARM RD.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.25 M S JCT SH 301, Pike, AR

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 88

Buck Mt. Rd. - D

Fair

Over: Isabell Creek

0.3 M N CO RD 26 & SH 124, Pope, AR

Built 1942 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,312

Peaceful Valley Rd

Fair

Over: Linker Creek

0.17 W jct. SH 7, Pope, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 281

Welcome Home Rd.

Fair

Over: Anderson Creek

.47 M NE CO RD 55 & 422, Pope, AR

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 223

BOWMAN RD

Fair

Over: PANTHER CREEK

2.9 MI N OF Col. Glenn Rd, Pulaski, AR

Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 22,000

CR82-Faulker Lk Rd

Fair

Over: ASHLEY BAYOU

0.1 Mi W of Lonoke Co. Ln, Pulaski, AR

Built 1935 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

CR 31-H SO SARDIS

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CR REL

1MI NO OF CORD 446, Saline, AR

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,100

Tate Road-Scott Co

Fair

Over: Petit Jean River

0.05 M E OF US 71 & RD 90, Scott, AR

Built 1939 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 285

County Road 37

Fair

Over: Mackenay Creek Seb. Co.

0.1MI E SH253, Sebastian, AR

Built 1940 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 291

County Road 312

Fair

Over: Bear Creek Seb. Co.

0.1 MI N OF CR 312 & 56, Sebastian, AR

Built 1928 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 886

SH 317 - 04- 5.65

Fair

Over: LICK CREEK

9 M SE OF LOCKSBURG, Sevier, AR

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 160

Dawn Rd - E

Fair

Over: W Fk Point Remove Creek

1.2 W SH 95, Van Buren, AR

Built 1958 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 68

Mule Skinner Rd

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

0.31 MI S JCT 441 & 43, Yell, AR

Built 1930 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

CR 9 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: CREEK

2.6 MI S SH 12, Benton, AR

Built 1976 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 750

Clark CR 38 Z-A

Fair

Over: EASLEY CREEK

.1 MI W JCT 31 & 38, Clark, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 385

CR 54J Cedar Glade

Fair

Over: BULL BAYOU

2.94 M E JCT SH 227, Garland, AR

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,200

CR 127 Buckville

Fair

Over: DALEY CREEK

1.13 Mi S HWY 298, Garland, AR

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,949

Cr87/Independ. Co.

Fair

Over: PFEIFER CREEK

.5 M E OF US 167, Independence, AR

Built 1974 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 940

County Road 64

Fair

Over: East Creek Polk Co.

13.23 MI SE SH 375, Polk, AR

Built 1963 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

Old Booneville Rd

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek

3.53 MI W JCT SH 27, Yell, AR

Built 1930 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 535

CR 15-G-OAK RIDGE

Fair

Over: CREEK

.6 N SH 90, Randolph, AR

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 719

Arrowhead Rd.- D

Fair

Over: Creek

0.84 M E of jct. CR406, Conway, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 107

Co Hwy 71 - D

Fair

Over: Overcup Creek

0.74 M E of jct w/SH 9, Conway, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 195

CR2298-F (911=556)

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.11 W JCT US 67, Lawrence, AR

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 310

Clark CR 38 Z-A

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

.1 MI W JCT CO RD 184, Clark, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 385

CR 37 Newton

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.65 SO JCT SH 74 & CR 37, Newton, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 132

CR 70-80000-D-6.93

Fair

Over: COSSATOT RIVER

6.93 MI E JCT US 71, Sevier, AR

Built 1975 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

CR 1462 Macy Blvd.

Fair

Over: Creek

.07MI E HWY 227, Garland, AR

Built 1970 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 49

CR 1621J Chest

Fair

Over: Clear Creek

JCT CO RD 1621 & 57, Garland, AR

Built 1945 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 552

CR 87-B-PORTIS FRM

Fair

Over: RIVERVALE OUTLET

0.2MI N JCT CR 88, Poinsett, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25

CR 90- B

Fair

Over: RIVERVALE OUTLET DITCH

1.39 M W SH 140, Poinsett, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 222

CR 73 Izard County

Fair

Over: MUDTOWN BRANCH

2 MI NO CO RD 72, Izard, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30

CR 73 Izard County

Fair

Over: PINEY FORK RELIEF

2 MI NO CO RD 72, Izard, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 30

N BRIDGE ST. (C)

Fair

Over: Front St BN & UP RR

150 NO OF CATE ST, Craighead, AR

Built 1936 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,900

E RIDGEWAY BLVD

Fair

Over: GULPHA CREEK

1.8 M E JCT HWY 270, Garland, AR

Built 1958 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,600

WOODLAWN AVE.

Fair

Over: STOKES CREEK

At Panama Street, Garland, AR

Built 1950 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,611

Batesville/BroadSt

Fair

Over: Mo&N AR RR & Polk Bayou

.2 M NW SH 69 CITY RT, Independence, AR

Built 1973 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 136

Cherry Street

Fair

Over: Craven Creek

0.2 E. of Cherry & SH 103, Johnson, AR

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,400

Cherry Street

Fair

Over: Spadra Creek

0.28 E SH 103, Johnson, AR

Built 1968 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,400

Mimosa St/Helena

Fair

Over: Ditch

.1 Mi No Of Quarles St, Phillips, AR

Built 1971 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40

MARKHAM ST

Fair

Over: COLEMAN CREEK

MARKHAM & TYLER ST, Pulaski, AR

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 828

Winston Faulkner R

Fair

Over: ALLSOPP DITCH

.05 MI N OF CANTRELL RD, Pulaski, AR

Built 1930 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 616

Showing 5,301-5,350 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.