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 229-02 LM 0.55

Fair

Over: South Beaverdam Slough

0.55 Mi W DallasCo-Leola, Grant, AR

Built 1948 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 320

SH 54-09 LM 7.57

Fair

Over: Creek

2.1 Mi SE US 79-Faith, Jefferson, AR

Built 1970 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 304

Sh-50/Sec-1/L-3.60

Fair

Over: Ditch

0.8 Mi E Jct Sh 38 & Sh50, St. Francis, AR

Built 1972 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 530

SH 352

Fair

Over: Creek

9.95 M E Franklin Co Line, Johnson, AR

Built 1930 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 1,072

SH 15 S-1 LM 14.62

Fair

Over: CORNIE BAYOU

8.3 SU OF JCT US 82, Union, AR

Built 1979 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 1,700

State Highway 45

Fair

Over: Creek - Washington Co.

150 E INT SH 265&45, Washington, AR

Built 1987 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 10,065

State Highway 253

Fair

Over: Cedar Creek-Seb. Co.

1.6 MI S OF JCT 271&540, Sebastian, AR

Built 2000 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 9,100

SHOP ACCESS ROAD

Fair

Over: DITCH #8

GRAVEL RD EAST OF OFFICE, Crittenden, AR

Built 1965 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 10

LOCAL ACCESS ROAD

Fair

Over: BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER

0.5 miles east of Ponca, Newton, AR

Built 1943 Load: 14.5 t ADT: 20

FDR 107

Fair

Over: BIG BLAKELY CREEK

3.9 MI W OF HWY 7, Garland, AR

Built 1948 Load: 14.6 t ADT: 25

FSR 512

Fair

Over: LONG CREEK

6 MI. NW OF ST. HWY 84, Montgomery, AR

Built 2008 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 50

FDR 149

Fair

Over: L. RAINY CR

13.4 MI W OF HWY 27, Montgomery, AR

Built 1954 Load: 14.9 t ADT: 50

CAMPGROUND ENTRANC

Fair

Over: N SYLAMORE CR

NO DATA ENTERED, Stone, AR

Built 1973 Load: 15.2 t ADT: 50

US 67 S-5 LM 14.83

Fair

Over: MADDOX CREEK

JCT WALNUT ST, Clark, AR

Built 1931 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 3,400

SH 37 / Jackson Co

Fair

Over: CACHE RIVER RELIEF

.70 MI S JCT SH 37 & 18, Jackson, AR

Built 1954 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 230

Sh-318/Sec-3/L0.67

Fair

Over: Coffee Creek

0.67 Mi South Jct Of Sh 1, Phillips, AR

Built 1957 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 300

CR 9 Baxter

Fair

Over: Monkey Run Creek

0.45 Mi W of SH 126N, Baxter, AR

Built 1960 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 877

CR 995 Carroll

Fair

Over: OSAGE CREEK

1 MI NORTH of US 412, Carroll, AR

Built 1970 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 128

Clark CR 12 Z-H

Fair

Over: MCNEELEY CREEK

1.4MI SE JCT US67, Clark, AR

Built 1926 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 47

Old Highway Road

Fair

Over: West East Creek

0.68MI SO US 64, Franklin, AR

Built 1930 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 247

Independence/CR 79

Fair

Over: DOTA CREEK

2.20 M NE SH 233, Independence, AR

Built 1928 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 210

CR86/Indepen Co.

Fair

Over: PFEIFFER CREEK

.50 M E SH 233, Independence, AR

Built 1936 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 4

Jackson / CR 315

Fair

Over: DEPARTEE CREEK

.45 MI E JCT 315 & UPRR, Jackson, AR

Built 1930 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 140

Main Street-CS

Fair

Over: Imbeau Bayou

0.13 Mi NE US 63B-PB, Jefferson, AR

Built 1950 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 1,800

CR16/Local 2243

Fair

Over: Slough Creek

0.64 Mi N. of SH 64, Johnson, AR

Built 1939 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 328

CR 428 - B

Fair

Over: COON CREEK

2 Mi N of Walnut Ridge, Lawrence, AR

Built 1939 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 43

CR 95/Dakota Road

Fair

Over: Long Creek

3.3 Mi N US 65-Grady, Lincoln, AR

Built 1978 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 50

Murphy Rd.

Fair

Over: S Fk Ouachita River

5.11 M W Jct CR 17, Montgomery, AR

Built 1973 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 120

CORD 103; BOWEN BR

Fair

Over: CREEK

5 MI S OF DELIGHT, Pike, AR

Built 1972 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 23

CR 287-H OLD MILIT

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.22 SO CORD 294, Poinsett, AR

Built 1978 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 520

CR 65-C SAMPLES

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.3MI NO CORD 533, Saline, AR

Built 1960 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 2,700

CR 8 Searcy

Fair

Over: SCHOOL HOUSE BRANCH

7.0 MI S OF CANAAN, Searcy, AR

Built 1957 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 174

Mountain Park Rd

Fair

Over: Creek

.66 MI W 190, Van Buren, AR

Built 1970 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 160

Mountain Park Rd

Fair

Over: Thompson Creek

2.29 MI W JCT CO RD 190, Van Buren, AR

Built 1980 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 160

Stonewall Road

Fair

Over: Alaxander Creek-Wash

0.2MI E CO RD 33, Washington, AR

Built 1960 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 784

CR 196 White Co.

Fair

Over: BUTTER CREEK

.05 MI W US 367, White, AR

Built 1948 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 49

CR 98 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: WAR EAGLE CREEK

5 MI NW BEST, Benton, AR

Built 1907 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 540

RichmondCoreRd-CR

Fair

Over: Plum Bayou

1.29 Mi W SH 15-Tucker, Jefferson, AR

Built 1924 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 19

Hummingbird Road

Fair

Over: Dog Run Hollow-Wash Co.

0.58 MI N OF SH 74, Washington, AR

Built 1976 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 873

W BENTON ST/SilSpr

Fair

Over: SAGER CREEK

4 BLOCKS W OF N MT OLIVE, Benton, AR

Built 1974 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 910

MILL STREET

Fair

Over: CHATMAN CR

EAST OF SH 9 @ MALVERN, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1960 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 960

N HAZEN Ave.

Fair

Over: LITTLE HURRICANE CR

.33MI N US 70, Prairie, AR

Built 1960 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 970

N.PIKE AVE

Fair

Over: SHILCOTTS BAYOU

.2 N 37TH, Pulaski, AR

Built 1938 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 6,400

Illinois Chapel Rd

Fair

Over: Hickory Branch - Wash Co

4.97 E PRAIRIE GROVE, Washington, AR

Built 1982 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 1,800

W. MAIN STREET

Fair

Over: ROCKY BRANCH

.25 Mi W of US 67, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 17,000

CNTRY CLB RD SLM S

Fair

Over: SAGER CREEK

.65 MI N JCT OF & 59, Benton, AR

Built 1977 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 700

CR 52-J/WALNUT VAL

Fair

Over: SO FK SALINE RIVER

.35 SO OF SH 7, Garland, AR

Built 1958 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 2,125

CR 13 RED BRIDGE R

Fair

Over: GREASY CREEK

1.95 MI W JCT CO RD 15, Sevier, AR

Built 1985 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 660

CR 66/Indepen Co.

Fair

Over: CURIA CREEK

0.53 MI S Indp/Sharp CoLn, Independence, AR

Built 1987 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 30

McCray Ridge Rd

Fair

Over: Little Chickalah Crk

0.21 MI N JCT SH27&CR41, Yell, AR

Built 1988 Load: 15.4 t ADT: 80

Showing 601-650 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.