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

CONVENT ST.

Fair

Over: MARRS CREEK

0.35 Mi NE US 67, Randolph, AR

Built 1945 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 270

S. Garland Ave.

Fair

Over: Town Creek

0.1 S BOONE ST, Washington, AR

Built 1940 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 911

CR10/Fulton County

Fair

Over: CREEK

2.30 MI E SH 87, Fulton, AR

Built 1983 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 386

Illinois Chapel Rd

Fair

Over: Illinois River-Wash. Co.

3.0 MI EAST PRAIRIE GROVE, Washington, AR

Built 1986 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 1,800

Harisn Central Ave

Fair

Over: DRY BRANCH

.13 MI WEST OF SH 7, Boone, AR

Built 1955 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 2,100

Northcutt Road

Fair

Over: TWO PRAIRIE BAYOU

0.5 MI SOUTH I-40, Lonoke, AR

Built 1990 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 86

CR 312-F

Fair

Over: POPLAR CREEK

.78 MI NO JCT SH 141, Greene, AR

Built 1992 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 172

CR 65-C (911=523)

Fair

Over: LOCUST CREEK

.40 MI WEST OF US 49, Greene, AR

Built 1993 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 294

KY Club Ln-CR 47

Fair

Over: Kings Bayou

0.5 Mi W US165-LodgeCrnr, Arkansas, AR

Built 1995 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 9

CR 485 - I

Fair

Over: WHITE WALNUT CREEK

1.5 M N OF US 49, Clay, AR

Built 1995 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 183

CR 536 - B

Fair

Over: DR DITCH

4.2 NE OF HOLLY ISLAND, Clay, AR

Built 1996 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 11

Cr-708/Z-H/L-0.36

Fair

Over: Apperos Creek

.36 Miles East Of Sh 284, Cross, AR

Built 1997 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 345

CR 94-C (911=352)

Fair

Over: CREEK

.75 MI N 3.5 MI E POLLARD, Clay, AR

Built 1998 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 224

CR 430 - I

Fair

Over: VANCEL CREEK

.01 Mi E of Hwy 90, Clay, AR

Built 1999 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 225

TarkingtonRd-CR 12

Fair

Over: Little LaGrue Bayou

1.32 Mi W SH 153-Lagrue, Arkansas, AR

Built 1999 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 90

CR 234 - H

Fair

Over: DITCH NO. 10

1.6 MI W. OF KNOB, Clay, AR

Built 2001 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 40

C.R.277 GARNER RD.

Fair

Over: DILLARD CREEK

3.0 MI. W. OF NASHVILLE, Howard, AR

Built 2001 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 111

Union CR 10 ZONE H

Fair

Over: creek

1.17 MI SO US 82, Union, AR

Built 2002 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 120

CR 9/PumpkinCenter

Fair

Over: Hazel Creek

3.14 Mi S OldWarrenRd-Wil, Drew, AR

Built 2002 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 60

CR 216-E

Fair

Over: SWAN POND DITCH

3 MI. S OF EVENING STAR, Greene, AR

Built 2003 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 30

New Hope Rd

Fair

Over: Harris Creek

0.02 MI S JCT SH 28, Yell, AR

Built 1985 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 42

Bills Gril/Z-Ds

Fair

Over: Ditch

2.14 Miles NO I-55, Crittenden, AR

Built 2009 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 20

CR 85/Garnett Rd

Fair

Over: Upper Cutoff Creek

3.7 Mi W SH 83-Coleman, Drew, AR

Built 2005 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 320

Short Mountain Rd.

Fair

Over: Three Mile Creek-Logan

3.12 Mi SW SH 309, Logan, AR

Built 2008 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 50

Clark CR 24 Z- I

Fair

Over: Sugar Loaf Creek

0.75 m E Jct CR 24 & 52, Clark, AR

Built 2008 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 219

Clark CR 222 Z-E

Fair

Over: Mathews Creek

0.65 mi. SE jct. CR56, Clark, AR

Built 2009 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 32

Ray Dean Road-CR

Fair

Over: Creek

1.81 Mi N CR 757-L&D # 5, Jefferson, AR

Built 1994 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 163

ROCKCREEK263B-0.32

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

8.8 M. W OF NASHVILLE, Howard, AR

Built 1996 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 36

Calhoun CR 303 Z-C

Fair

Over: Locust Creek

0.5 Mi. E Co. Rd. 29, Calhoun, AR

Built 2011 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 204

CR40/Newcutt Rd

Fair

Over: Collins Creek

3.95 MI South SH 38, Prairie, AR

Built 2011 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 259

Red Oak Road

Fair

Over: Prair Creek BR 042

0.29 Mi S Jct 1st Ave, Sebastian, AR

Built 1939 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

Marietta Church Rd

Fair

Over: Creek BR 023 Ft Chaffee

1.86 M So. Hwy 22, Sebastian, AR

Built 1950 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 100

CR 420 - I

Fair

Over: Post Oak Creek

3.7 miles NW of Rector, Clay, AR

Built 2016 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 159

SH 41-Franklin Co.

Fair

Over: Mill Creek

1.0 M S JCT SH 96 & 41, Franklin, AR

Built 1950 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 270

SH 92

Fair

Over: Creek

5.6 MI NE CONWAY CO L, Van Buren, AR

Built 1941 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 725

SH 128 S-4 LM 5.43

Fair

Over: LEAU FRAIS CREEK

1 MI SE JCT SH 51 & 128, Clark, AR

Built 1964 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 270

SH 291-01 LM 4.91

Fair

Over: Creek

1.3 Mi S US 270-Prattsvil, Grant, AR

Built 1949 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 470

SH 314

Fair

Over: Creek

0.68 MI W JCT OF SH 7, Perry, AR

Built 1966 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 150

SH 124

Fair

Over: Racetrack Branch

3.30 Mi NE Springfield, Conway, AR

Built 1967 Load: 13.6 t ADT: 673

FDR 76

Fair

Over: IRONS FORK TRIB

9.861 MI SW OF HWY 270, Polk, AR

Built 1936 Load: 13.9 t ADT: 50

NFSR 1509

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Franklin, AR

Built 1934 Load: 13.9 t ADT: 50

SH 17/Jackson Co.

Fair

Over: OVERCUP DITCH

SOUTH EDGE OF TUPELO, Jackson, AR

Built 1948 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 1,196

SH 135-05- LM 3.08

Fair

Over: JACKS CREEK

3.08 N JCT OF US 49B, Greene, AR

Built 1950 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 7,400

SH 118-01- LM 9.83

Fair

Over: Ditch 7

JCT US 61 & SH 118 JOINER, Mississippi, AR

Built 1959 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 900

SH 33 Log 3.67

Fair

Over: JACKSON BAYOU

3.7 MI N JCT OF US 70, Prairie, AR

Built 1961 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 340

CR69 ZONE G Benton

Fair

Over: GARDEN BRANCH

2 Mi N of PEA RIDGE, Benton, AR

Built 1965 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 961

CR 306 Carroll

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.23 MI SW of US 62, Carroll, AR

Built 1940 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 67

CR 512 Carroll

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF PINEY CREEK

.87MI W JCT SH 21, Carroll, AR

Built 1938 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 74

Felix Doyle Rd.

Fair

Over: Frog Bayou-Crawford Co.

0.47 MI WEST OF US 71, Crawford, AR

Built 1950 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 2

Wire Rd- CR 67

Fair

Over: Cravens Creek - Franklin

3.67 M W SH 23, Franklin, AR

Built 1965 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 410

Showing 501-550 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.