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 73 - 02 - 8.61

Fair

Over: WATER CREEK

1MI E OF S.H. 195 JCT, Hempstead, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,099

SH 176 (KIEHL AVE.

Fair

Over: WOODRUFF CREEK

.2 E OF SH 107, Pulaski, AR

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 15,000

Jones Creek Road

Fair

Over: Turbid Creek

1 MI WEST HWY.248, Scott, AR

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

Hinkle Dam Road

Fair

Over: Kayla Creek - Scott Co.

1.9 MI W S.H. 248, Scott, AR

Built 1982 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

SH 7 S-3 LM 9.32

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.1 SO JCT SH 7 & 376, Ouachita, AR

Built 1982 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,008

SH 279 Benton 2

Fair

Over: CREEK

3.04 MI N SH 102, Benton, AR

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

State Highway 253

Fair

Over: Cox Creek-Sebastian Co.

0.4 MI N SH 96, Sebastian, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 470

SH 72 Benton 2

Fair

Over: MCKISIC CREEK

1 MI SE OF SH 102, Benton, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 13,840

Sh-121/Sec-3/L4.71

Fair

Over: Spring

4.71 Mi South Jct Us 79, Lee, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 480

SH 128 - 8 log 4.7

Fair

Over: MT CARMEL CREEK

4.7 N JCT SH 84&128, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,200

Madison Co. SH 16

Fair

Over: CANNON CREEK

1.91 MI SE WASHINGTON CO, Madison, AR

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,500

Grassy Road/CR 58

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK /SD DRAIN

5.20 MI East of SH 27, Searcy, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 108

SH 12 Madison Co.

Fair

Over: DITCH

.75 MI W CLIFTY, Madison, AR

Built 1964 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,199

SH 14-14- LM 14.34

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

SH 14, Poinsett, AR

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,290

SH 58 Sharp County

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.32 MI NE OF JCT SH 58&5, Sharp, AR

Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 170

EB OFF RAMP US 270

Fair

Over: DITCH

AT JCT. OF US 270B, Garland, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 24,850

Sh-42/Sec-5/L-1.75

Fair

Over: Ditch Number 13

1.75 Mi East Jct 149&42, Crittenden, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 380

SH 188

Fair

Over: Ditch

0.01 MI E OF SH 27, Montgomery, AR

Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 190

I 49-01-24.97

Fair

Over: Branch of 4 Mile Creek

1.61 MI. JctSH 237 &I 49, Miller, AR

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,700

SH 18-04-LM 8.66

Fair

Over: Butler Ditch

4.8 mi. East of Jonesboro, Craighead, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,000

SH 201 Baxter

Fair

Over: VICKORY CREEK

3 mi NW of jct of SH 341, Baxter, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,200

Co. Rd. 151

Fair

Over: Vineyard Creek Seb. Co.

1.78 mi N. U.S.71 JCT., Sebastian, AR

Built 2002 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 469

US. 167/Indepen Co

Fair

Over: McCOY BRANCH

4.48 MI N JCT 167 & 157, Independence, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,300

US 64B Side drain

Fair

Over: HWY DITCH

VILONIA, Faulkner, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,300

State Highway 309

Fair

Over: Hixsom Creek-Logan Co.

0.5 Mi. S. Jct Hwy 288, Logan, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,300

S.H. 160 -01- 4.76

Fair

Over: Side Road Ditch

3.25 MI. W. OF GIN CITY, Lafayette, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

S.H. 160 -01-5.35

Fair

Over: Side Rd Ditch

2.66 MI. WEST OF GIN CITY, Lafayette, AR

Built 2006 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

SH 335 S2 LM2.42

Fair

Over: Flat creek

2.42 mi E jct 7 & 335, Union, AR

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 540

SH 59 Benton 2

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.6 MI N JCT of US 412, Benton, AR

Built 2007 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 15,150

SH/36 White County

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF CADRON CR.

_0.85 MI SW JCT SH124&36, White, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 830

Us-70/Sec-17/L8.86

Fair

Over: Burnt Branch Crk

1.80 Mi Sw Of Jct Us 49, Monroe, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,600

State Highway 244

Fair

Over: Creek - Washington Co.

3.71 Mi E Jct Hwy 59, Washington, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 350

Sh-284/Sec1/L13.99

Fair

Over: Branch of Caney Creek

2.4 Miles West Jct Sh 1, Cross, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,200

State Highway 59

Fair

Over: Tudor Creek

15.35 miles N JCT I-40, Crawford, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,006

SH13 Searcy Bypass

Fair

Over: Rocky Branch

.95 mi W SH 16, White, AR

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12

Sh-85/Sec-1/L-8.02

Fair

Over: Johson Ditch

1.68 Mi. N JCT SH 44&85, Phillips, AR

Built 2019 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 720

I-30 @ US 67

Fair

Over: Ditch

3.0 MI SW JCT SH 5 & I 30, Saline, AR

Built 2022 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 82,000

PINE ISLAND ROAD

Fair

Over: RED-EYE CREEK

PINE ISLAND, Ashley, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

PINE ISLAND ROAD

Fair

Over: MUD LAKE CREEK

PINE ISLAND, Ashley, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

PINE ISLAND ROAD

Fair

Over: PENNINGTON SLOUGH

PINE ISLAND, Ashley, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

SHALLOW LAKE ROAD

Fair

Over: LAPILE CREEK

SHALLOW LAKE ROAD, Union, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 70

TRAM ROAD

Fair

Over: POND CREEK

4 MI S OF CNTRL RD OFF 71, Sevier, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 10

NOBLES MOUND ROAD

Fair

Over: POND CREEK

5 MI S OF CNTRL RD OFF 71, Sevier, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 15

WINTON SPRING ROAD

Fair

Over: WINTON SPRING

AFTER TOUR STOP #2., Benton, AR

Built 1960 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

ROEMER ROAD

Fair

Over: PHILLIPS CREEK

500 FT NE OF AVE 6192, Jefferson, AR

Built 1955 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 500

507TH STREET

Fair

Over: PHILLIPS CREEK

PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AR, Jefferson, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

504TH ST EXT T

Fair

Over: PHILLIPS CREEK

PINE BLUFF ARSENAL AR, Jefferson, AR

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 150

UNNAMED ROAD

Fair

Over: ARSENAL BRANCH

2523 SPRINGER BLVD LITTL, Pulaski, AR

Built 1930 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 120

Sh-149/Sec-5/L1.95

Fair

Over: Big Creek

1.96 Mi North Jct Us 64, Crittenden, AR

Built 1975 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 750

US 71 SB LNS

Fair

Over: Vineyard Creek-Seb. Co.

8.79 MI N SCOTT CO LINE, Sebastian, AR

Built 1971 Load: 33.6 t ADT: 11,500

Showing 6,251-6,300 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.