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

ARKANSAS HWY 59

Fair

Over: JAMES W TRIMBLE LOCK&DAM

3 MI. E OF FT. SMITH, Sebastian, AR

Built 1979 Load: 33.9 t ADT: 7,800

FDR 86

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

.1 MI E OF HWY 7, Perry, AR

Built 1984 Load: 34.0 t ADT: 100

Hoadley Rd

Fair

Over: ARMY & UNION PACIFIC RR

HOADLEY RD GATE, Jefferson, AR

Built 1969 Load: 34.3 t ADT: 2,700

US 64

Fair

Over: Slough Creek

6.38 M E Franklin Co L, Johnson, AR

Built 1933 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 3,294

I 49(N TO E RAMP)

Fair

Over: I40(BELOW)/I49(ABOVE)

JCT OF I-40/I 49, Crawford, AR

Built 1989 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 4,800

Independence CR 31

Fair

Over: MEADOW LAKE

3.1 M SO OF SH 14, Independence, AR

Built 1949 Load: 34.5 t ADT: 350

Arkansas Hwy 177

Fair

Over: Norfork Dam Spillway

13 MI SE of Mountain Home, Baxter, AR

Built 1944 Load: 34.7 t ADT: 2,800

Project Road

Fair

Over: Gillham Dam Spillway

9.7 KM NE Of Gillham, Howard, AR

Built 1970 Load: 34.8 t ADT: 85

Park Entrance Road

Fair

Over: Lee Creek Park Entrance

Lee Creek Park AR, Crawford, AR

Built 1975 Load: 36.0 t ADT: 50

Blakely Dam Road

Fair

Over: L.OUACHITA PWRPL CO2 RM

1.5MI.N.OF MOUNTAIN PINE, Garland, AR

Built 1953 Load: 36.3 t ADT: 700

Loop D Road

Fair

Over: Collins Creek

John F Kennedy Park, Cleburne, AR

Built 1989 Load: 36.6 t ADT: 100

I 430 SB Log 7.32

Fair

Over: BRECKENRIDGE DR.

1.02 M N OF I-630, Pulaski, AR

Built 1972 Load: 37.2 t ADT: 41,747

SH 181-00- LM 2.19

Fair

Over: I 55-SEC 12

2 MI E OF BASSETT, Mississippi, AR

Built 1960 Load: 39.0 t ADT: 1,200

County Road #96

Fair

Over: Lock 2 Ark Post Canal

9 MI S of Tichnor, Arkansas, AR

Built 1967 Load: 39.3 t ADT: 250

Sulphur Springs Rd

Fair

Over: Creek

3 Miles North of SH 8, Montgomery, AR

Built 2016 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 110

I-430 NB Log 4.15

Fair

Over: 36TH ST BRODIE CREEK

.6 MI N JCT SH 300, Pulaski, AR

Built 1974 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 45,871

I 430 SB Log 4.15

Fair

Over: 36TH ST BRODIE CREEK

.6MI NO JCT SH 300, Pulaski, AR

Built 1974 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 45,871

COVINGTON LK RD

Fair

Over: COOLEY SLOUGH

SEC 16 T5S R1W, Arkansas, AR

Built 2001 Load: 39.9 t ADT: 35

Arkansas Hwy 25

Fair

Over: Dam Spillway

3 mi. NE of Heber Springs, Cleburne, AR

Built 1964 Load: 41.5 t ADT: 6,200

I-40 WB - Crawford

Fair

Over: Little Frog Bayou

13.38 E OKLA ST LINE, Crawford, AR

Built 1965 Load: 41.7 t ADT: 15,000

CHANNEL ROAD

Fair

Over: Caddo River

10 mil N Arkadelphia AR, Clark, AR

Built 1963 Load: 44.4 t ADT: 46

I 430 NB Log 3.56

Fair

Over: SH 300-SEC 3

1.5 MI W OF SH 5, Pulaski, AR

Built 1974 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 46,500

I-430 SB Log 3.56

Fair

Over: SH 300-SEC 3

1.5 MI W OF SH 5, Pulaski, AR

Built 1974 Load: 45.4 t ADT: 46,500

Arkansas Hwy 187

Fair

Over: Beaver Dam Spillway

6 mi NW of Eureka Springs, Carroll, AR

Built 1965 Load: 49.6 t ADT: 1,500

I-430 NB Log 11.92

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK BAYOU

1.0 MI SW I 40 (I-5), Pulaski, AR

Built 1971 Load: 49.9 t ADT: 18,811

Access Rd to Park

Fair

Over: Love Creek

Dam Site 5, Jefferson, AR

Built 1972 Load: 53.6 t ADT: 125

ST FRANCIS LEVEE

Fair

Over: ST FRANCIS R.-- HUXTABLE

W.G. HUXTABLE PUMP STA., Lee, AR

Built 1977 Load: 55.4 t ADT: 30

Johnson Road

Fair

Over: Orten Creek-Scott Co.

2.21 MI NE US 71, Scott, AR

Built 1915 Load: 59.0 t ADT: 69

Silex Rd - E

Fair

Over: Mill Creek

0.41 M W Hwy SH 164, Pope, AR

Built 1955 Load: 83.5 t ADT: 117

Hwy 230 side drain

Fair

Over: Side drain

1 mile E of Alicia, Lawrence, AR

Built 1974 Load: 99.9 t ADT: 540

FDR 208

Good

Over: DRAIN

1.6 MI. EAST OF CR 30, Montgomery, AR

Built 2014 ADT: 50

FDR 985

Good

Over: DRAIN

.02 MI N OF HWY 80, Yell, AR

Built 2010 ADT: 50

FDR F32

Good

Over: KITCHEN CREEK

.22 MI E OF 4677, Yell, AR

Built 2013 ADT: 50

FDR 649

Good

Over: BOOSE HOLLOW CREEK

2 MI E OF HWY 27, Yell, AR

Built 2002 ADT: 50

FDR 649

Good

Over: BOOSE HOLLOW CREEK

2.1 MI E OF HWY 27, Yell, AR

Built 2002 ADT: 50

FDR 159

Good

Over: DRAIN

9.02 MI W OF CR 16, Yell, AR

Built 1980 ADT: 50

NFSR 170

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

0.322 MI E of NFSR 254, Yell, AR

Built 2017 ADT: 50

FDR 45

Good

Over: DRAIN

2.75 MI W OF HWY 7, Perry, AR

Built 1997 ADT: 50

FDR 45

Good

Over: DRAIN

2.8 MI W OF HWY 7, Perry, AR

Built 1997 ADT: 50

FSR 808

Good

Over: OUACHITA RIVER

1.37 MI. NW OF US HWY 270, Polk, AR

Built 2006 ADT: 50

FDR 33

Good

Over: DRAIN

6.95MI N OF HWY 270, Scott, AR

Built 1976 ADT: 50

FDR 528

Good

Over: E. SALINE CREEK

.3 MI W OF FDR 38, Polk, AR

Built 1940 ADT: 75

FDR 173

Good

Over: TWOMILE CREEK

0.558 MI OFF NFRS 30, Polk, AR

Built 2023 ADT: 25

FDR 776A

Good

Over: GAFFORD CREEK

.1 MI N OF FDR 776, Yell, AR

Built 1972 ADT: 50

FDR 970

Good

Over: E. SPILLER CREEK

3.5 MI W OF FDR 519, Yell, AR

Built 1972 ADT: 50

FDR 970

Good

Over: WEST WEAVER CREEK

8.3 MI W OF FDR 519, Scott, AR

Built 1972 ADT: 50

FDR 887

Good

Over: BIG BRANCH

2.2 MI E OF CTY RT 63, Montgomery, AR

Built 1998 ADT: 50

FDR 887

Good

Over: BIG BRANCH

3.6 MI E OF CTY RT 63, Montgomery, AR

Built 1998 ADT: 50

FDR 887

Good

Over: DRAIN

4.8 MI E OF CTY RT 63, Montgomery, AR

Built 1982 ADT: 50

FDR 33

Good

Over: DRAIN

5 MI N OF HWY 270, Scott, AR

Built 1976 ADT: 50

Showing 6,301-6,350 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.