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

Degraff Rd Benton

Fair

Over: WINTON SPRINGS CREEK

0.4 N of SH 62/412, Benton, AR

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 219

MckenzieDR B Vista

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.05 MI S JCT SCOTSDALE DR, Benton, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 772

CR 280 White Co.

Fair

Over: DOGWOOD CREEK

0.5MI W CR 63 & 280, White, AR

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 69

Albion Rd WHITE

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

1.7MI E JCT SH16, White, AR

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 260

Bay Ridge Dr.

Fair

Over: Creek

0.2 M N Jct SH 22, Yell, AR

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 614

Highland Rd

Fair

Over: East Cedar Creek

0.70 MI N JCT CR23, Yell, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 87

Cedar Creek Rd

Fair

Over: Cedar Creek

0.5 MI N JCT SH 10, Yell, AR

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 175

CR 1-H(MUDDY LANE)

Fair

Over: Creek

0.5 M N of Imboden, Randolph, AR

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 279

Calhoun CR 26 Z-D

Fair

Over: Creek

0.68 mi S US 278, Calhoun, AR

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 170

B Vista Highlands

Fair

Over: BRANCH

5.1 MI SW SH 279, Benton, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

Clinton Rd

Fair

Over: Panther Creek

0.75 MI SO SH 286, Faulkner, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,600

C.R. 15 STRAWBERRY

Fair

Over: WOLF CREEK

3.5 MI. N.W. OF DELIGHT, Pike, AR

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 364

CR 74/Bordeaux Rd

Fair

Over: Puncheon Creek

0.6 Mi N SH35-Monticello, Drew, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

CR 21/Klondike Rd

Fair

Over: Melton Branch

1.25 Mi S SH11-Cornervill, Lincoln, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 135

CR 143 White Co.

Fair

Over: Branch

1.6 Mi W SH5, White, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 301

CR N843 - A

Fair

Over: Mill Bayou

1.50 M S of SH 120 & RD43, Mississippi, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9

CR 61-B/SULPHUR SP

Fair

Over: THUNDER BRANCH

8 MI ESE MALVERN, Hot Spring, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 159

CR 1-F Military

Fair

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

1 Mi W Jct I-30 & CR 17, Saline, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,183

BEATRICE POWELL ST

Fair

Over: STONE DAM CREEK

0.15 M W Jct B.P. & Doneg, Faulkner, AR

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 420

CR 29/ Stone Co.

Fair

Over: Creek

0.8 Mi. S. SH.14, Stone, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 510

UNION CoRd 18 Z-E

Fair

Over: Flat Creek

1 mi. E jct SH 335 & CR18, Union, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 635

CR 62-D (911=745)

Fair

Over: Creek

1.2 Mi S of Pine log Rd, Craighead, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 579

CR 436 White Co.

Fair

Over: Dry Branch Creek

.42 N of CR53, White, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 145

Broyles Road

Fair

Over: Goose Creek Trib

1.46 Mi N Hwy 62, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,400

East Harding St-D

Fair

Over: Creek

0.17 Mi. W. Jct. SH 9, Conway, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,600

County Road 78-Seb

Fair

Over: Vache Grasse Creek

0.06 Mi SW Jct Co Rd 77, Sebastian, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 548

CR 882 - A

Fair

Over: Honey Cypress Ditch

1M E Jct. CR 84 & HWY 135, Craighead, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 68

CR 18/ Autumn Hill

Fair

Over: Turtle Creek (east br.)

2.73 Mi E SH54-Feenyville, Lincoln, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 380

CR 272 -D-LODI RD

Fair

Over: FORRESTER BRANCH

.5 MI NE OF LODI, Pike, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 246

CR# 263-D-0.45

Fair

Over: SLATE CREEK

5.75MI. N OF HWY 70, Sevier, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 17

Crowley Street

Fair

Over: Little Hurricane Creek

0.10 M east Hazen St., Prairie, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 164

Cr-517/Z-I/L-3.43

Fair

Over: Ditch

2.2 Miles South Jct Sh 20, Phillips, AR

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 17

CR. 74-1 (911=508)

Fair

Over: GRASSY SLOUGH

1.5 MI. SE OF HARGRAVES, Clay, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 109

CR 51 Wildcat Rd.

Fair

Over: Bull Bayou Creek

2.1 MI N Cedar Glades Rd., Garland, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 401

County Road 10

Fair

Over: Creek - Scott County

3.13 Mi S. Jct Hwy 248, Scott, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

CR 10

Fair

Over: Hines Branch

.5 mi. W CR 10&36, Union, AR

Built 2010 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 490

Crossbow Madison C

Fair

Over: TOWN BRANCH

.02 MI E JCT SH 23, Madison, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,057

CR 13

Fair

Over: Little Brushy Cr Relief

1.17 Mi N US 82-Crossett, Ashley, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 160

Pine Street-CS

Fair

Over: Cane Creek

0.78 Mi N SH 212-StarCity, Lincoln, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 173

Bailey Branch Rd.

Fair

Over: Riley Creek

4.61 M NW Jct SH80 & CR18, Yell, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 490

Water Street

Fair

Over: Little Hurricane Creek

0.50 M N US 70, Prairie, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 268

CR70/Dutton Mtn Rd

Fair

Over: Cypress Creek

0.45 M N jct. SH 9 & CR 7, Conway, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 148

CR 44 (ROCK CREEK)

Fair

Over: SWEETWATER CREEK

0.08 MILE FROM JCT US 70, Pike, AR

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 440

CR76 C 911Cox Rd.

Fair

Over: Ditch

3Mi E Hwy 115 on Cox Rd., Randolph, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 108

CR 22 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

3.1 M N JCT SH 102, Benton, AR

Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 396

Calhoun CR-81 Z-A

Fair

Over: Watson Creek

0.3 MI. N. CO RD 80, Calhoun, AR

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 84

Calhoun CR 35 Z-D

Fair

Over: Gilbert Creek

.2 MI S HWY 172, Calhoun, AR

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 245

CalhounCO RD5 Z-B

Fair

Over: Locust Bayou

0.5 MI N HWY 278, Calhoun, AR

Built 2011 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 127

Cavalry St.

Fair

Over: Biscuit Branch - Wash

0.5 miles SE of Hwy 62, Washington, AR

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,109

Shiloh Rd-Crawford

Fair

Over: Little Webber Creek

5.0 MI East SH 220, Crawford, AR

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,519

Showing 5,651-5,700 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.