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)

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.

All Bridges in Arkansas

SH 28-Scott Co.

Good

Over: Big Crow Creek

11.32 MI E JCT OF US 71, Scott, AR

Built 1950 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 280

CR 2-CENTRAL-16.90

Good

Over: BLUE CREEK

.5MI E .5MI SO OF HORATO, Sevier, AR

Built 1949 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 780

CR 519 Boone

Good

Over: BRANCH OF HUZZAH CREEK

.84MI NE OF US 62, Boone, AR

Built 1929 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 456

Red Bluff Drive

Good

Over: Cedar Creek

.10 M N SH 154, Conway, AR

Built 1935 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 180

CR 43-A GRANDSTAFF

Good

Over: CREEK

.82MI JCT SH 290, Garland, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 538

N. ROCKINGCHAIR -H

Good

Over: CREEK

.92 MI NO US 412, Greene, AR

Built 1978 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 4,200

RAINWOOD RD

Good

Over: GRASSY FLAT CREEK

.1 MI E GREEN MT DR, Pulaski, AR

Built 1976 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 4,000

West North St.

Good

Over: Skull Creek-Wash. Co.

0.50 MI W OF US 71-B, Washington, AR

Built 1983 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 20,000

SO THAYER STREET

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.02 MI SO OF 8TH ST, Pulaski, AR

Built 1969 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 168

E ROOSEVELT ROAD I

Good

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

JCT FRAZIER PIKE & E ROOS, Pulaski, AR

Built 1974 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 7,900

Graham RD.

Good

Over: Two Prairie Relief

3.5 MI WEST SH 89, Lonoke, AR

Built 1987 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,521

Abbott Road

Good

Over: Lea Creek-Scott Co.

0.09 MI S SH 71 JCT, Scott, AR

Built 1990 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 562

CR 35-Caraway Rd

Good

Over: Wagon Bayou

2.8 Mi S US 65-Grady, Lincoln, AR

Built 1990 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 10

CR 432 - I

Good

Over: VANCEL CREEK

0.03 MI W. JCT SH 90, Clay, AR

Built 1996 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 29

Republican Rd

Good

Over: Branch

2.1 MI E OF JCT SH 285, Faulkner, AR

Built 1996 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 242

51ST ST

Good

Over: SHILCOTTS BAYOU

.05 MI W OF CP ROBINSON R, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 861

50TH STREET

Good

Over: SHILCOTTS BAYOU

.04MI W OF CP ROBINSON RD, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 460

52nd ST

Good

Over: SHILCOTTS BAYOU

.06 MI W OF CMP ROBINSON, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 830

FARMERE CR(SO END)

Good

Over: SHILCOTTS BAYOU

.04 MIW OF CP ROBINSON RD, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 319

FARMERE CR(NO END)

Good

Over: SHILCOTTS BAYOU

.04 MI WOF CP ROBINSON RD, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 319

Roger S DIXELND RD

Good

Over: OSAGE CREEK

.5 SOUTH OF SH 94, Benton, AR

Built 2000 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 9,300

S. German Ln.

Good

Over: Stone Dam Creek

0.29 MI S JCT SH 60, Faulkner, AR

Built 2001 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 5,500

CR 108 - E

Good

Over: Burke Ditch

3 Mi S Success, Clay, AR

Built 2002 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 11

CR 54 Searcy

Good

Over: BEGLEY CREEK

.2 MI N W of LESLIE, Searcy, AR

Built 2003 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 190

Hogjaw Rd

Good

Over: Cedar Creek

.34 M E Jct CR 133, Montgomery, AR

Built 2003 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 92

S 7th Street-CS

Good

Over: Ditch

0.07 Mi S US 278-Wilmar, Drew, AR

Built 2003 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,031

8th Street-CS

Good

Over: Ditch

0.08 Mi S US 278-Wilmar, Drew, AR

Built 2003 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 94

BORGMAN ST.- C

Good

Over: Ditch

.1 Mi S INT. Hope&Borgman, Craighead, AR

Built 2004 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 857

MCADAMS RD- C

Good

Over: Ditch

.12Mi S Int. Hope&McAdams, Craighead, AR

Built 2004 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 140

O Street/Wynne

Good

Over: Drainage Ditch

0.35 Mi No Jct O & Mohr, Cross, AR

Built 2011 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 397

E. GREENWOOD

Good

Over: BR PATE CRK (CITY)

.36 W OF S.H.29 BYPASS, Hempstead, AR

Built 2006 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 2,000

Broyles Street

Good

Over: Farmington Branch Trib

0.1 Mi N Hwy 62, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 5,900

North Eastern Ave

Good

Over: Branch Jacks Bayou

0.01 M So US 67, Pulaski, AR

Built 2009 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,400

CR 708

Good

Over: Creek

2.2 MI E SH 11, Prairie, AR

Built 2010 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 22

13th Street-CS

Good

Over: Branch

0.22 M E US 278-Wlimar, Drew, AR

Built 2014 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 100

Garret Rd

Good

Over: Greenbrier Creek

.09 MI SO SH 225, Faulkner, AR

Built 2011 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,372

Batesville Pike/67

Good

Over: Leopard Creek Relief

3.1 N of Gibson, Pulaski, AR

Built 2011 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 2,300

S.Springs Maple St

Good

Over: SAGER CREEK

0.01 M N JCT W UNIVERSITY, Benton, AR

Built 2011 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 60

County Rd 35- Seb

Good

Over: Branch of Prairie Creek

0.63 Mi SW Jct Co Rd 36, Sebastian, AR

Built 2013 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 172

CR 127 White Co.

Good

Over: Bull Creek

.6 Mile South CR 12, White, AR

Built 2013 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 512

Cr-738/Z-J/L-7.39

Good

Over: Hawkins Creek

7.39 MI SE JCT 334, St. Francis, AR

Built 2015 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 4

Cr-232/Z-F/L-2.02

Good

Over: Spybuck Ditch

2.02 Miles West Jct Cr 12, St. Francis, AR

Built 2015 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 97

County Road 630

Good

Over: Cossatot River Polk Co.

0.10 Mi N. Jct Co Rd 8, Polk, AR

Built 2016 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 33

Ouachita CR178 Z-F

Good

Over: North Bayou

.9 MI N JCT CR 178 & SH 4, Ouachita, AR

Built 2021 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 23

CR 50 White County

Good

Over: Bull Creek

.55 Mi W Jct SH 367, White, AR

Built 2022 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 208

Northlake Rd.

Good

Over: creek

.5 Mi west Spring Hill Rd, Saline, AR

Built 2023 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 5,100

Sh-1B/Sec-11/L1.48

Good

Over: Drainage Ditch

4.73 Mi No Of Lee Co Line, St. Francis, AR

Built 1934 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 2,900

US.278 SEC.2-19.29

Good

Over: DITCH

4.7 MI NW OF JCT US 70, Howard, AR

Built 1963 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 740

US 278-14 LM 8.89

Good

Over: Creek

1.7 Mi W US425-Monticello, Drew, AR

Built 1951 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 6,400

SH 9/Fulton County

Good

Over: CREEK

6.21 MI NE OF JCT US 62, Fulton, AR

Built 1952 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,185

Showing 6,601-6,650 of 12,974 bridges

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.

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.