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

Cr-210/Z-D/L-0.91

Good

Over: Ditch

.91 Mi Se Of Lagrange, Lee, AR

Built 2010 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 90

CR 24/White County

Good

Over: Cliffy Creek

.03 mile N SH 31, White, AR

Built 2011 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 280

CR41Ferndale Cutof

Good

Over: Little Maumelle Creek

4.22 South of Hwy10, Pulaski, AR

Built 2011 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 2,800

Gaston Rd

Good

Over: Hewing Branch

1.90 M NW of jct SH 8, Montgomery, AR

Built 2012 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 260

Gaston Rd

Good

Over: Lick Creek

1.92 M NW of jct SH 8, Montgomery, AR

Built 2012 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 260

CR 5016 Marion

Good

Over: Barren Fork

6.4 M West SH 14, Marion, AR

Built 2011 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 153

TempleIslandRd-GFC

Good

Over: Canal

1.23 Mi S CR 6-Humphrey, Jefferson, AR

Built 2014 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 10

Hinson Road

Good

Over: El Dorado Ditch

.5 M SE of Taylor Loop, Pulaski, AR

Built 2014 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 9,700

SCOTTSDALE DR

Good

Over: BRANCH - Bella Vista

1.5 M N GLASGOW RD, Benton, AR

Built 2015 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,100

W. Cliff Dr - B

Good

Over: Lynn Creek

0.8 Mi E. SH 330 & Beaver, Van Buren, AR

Built 2014 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 977

Lollie Rd

Good

Over: Tupelo Bayou

6.2MI W SH 89, Faulkner, AR

Built 2019 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 200

Calhoun CR # 131

Good

Over: Creek

2.55south of jctCR 30&131, Calhoun, AR

Built 2019 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 173

Punkin Center Rd

Good

Over: canal

2.79 miles W of Hwy 1, Poinsett, AR

Built 2021 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 55

SH 57 S-2 LM 5.02

Good

Over: PATTERSON CREEK

5.02 MI SE OUACHITA CO LI, Columbia, AR

Built 1954 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 410

SH 57 S-2 LM 5.68

Good

Over: SAND CREEK

5.68 MI SE OUACHITA CO LI, Columbia, AR

Built 1954 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 410

SH 9/Fulton Co.

Good

Over: DITCH

1.7 MI NE IZARD CO LN, Fulton, AR

Built 1951 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,200

SH 27

Good

Over: CREEK

8.89 M NE OF SH 10, Yell, AR

Built 1955 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 4,200

SH 28-Scott Co.

Good

Over: Cedar Creek Relief

12.6 M E OF US 71, Scott, AR

Built 1961 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 280

SH/56 Izard County

Good

Over: SPRING CREEK

0.6 MI E JCT SH 223 & 56, Izard, AR

Built 1949 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,976

US 64 White County

Good

Over: White Oak Creek

4.2 M E OF SH 5, White, AR

Built 1947 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 6,000

US 70-9 Log 6.31

Good

Over: Br East Gulpha Creek

9.28 MI E OF SH 7, Garland, AR

Built 1930 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 14,000

US 71-Scott Co.

Good

Over: Johnson Creek Tributary

4.61 MI NE POLK CO LN, Scott, AR

Built 1935 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 2,600

SH 94 Benton 1

Good

Over: BRUSH CREEK

2.5 MI N JCT SH 62 & 94, Benton, AR

Built 1948 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 6,600

SH 124

Good

Over: Rocky Branch

0.2 MI SE SH 213, Conway, AR

Built 1961 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,100

SH 213

Good

Over: Branch

1.05 M W of SH 95, Conway, AR

Built 1961 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 796

US Highway 270

Good

Over: Mill Creek Tributary

4.19 MI E JCT US 71 & 270, Scott, AR

Built 1962 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,000

SH 365 Log 10.15

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.78 MI N OF I40/I-2, Pulaski, AR

Built 1930 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 7,181

SH 365 Log 11.64

Good

Over: CREEK

3.29 MI N OF I - 40, Pulaski, AR

Built 1930 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 7,181

SH 23

Good

Over: ROARK CREEK

9.5MI SO JCT SH 96 & 23, Franklin, AR

Built 1967 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 2,800

US Highway 270

Good

Over: Tudor Branch

10.27 MI E JCT US 71 &270, Scott, AR

Built 1969 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,017

I - 40

Good

Over: POINT REMOVE CANAL

3.75 MI W MORRILTON, Conway, AR

Built 1968 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 30,000

SH 103

Good

Over: Creek

0.1 MI S Jct I-40 & 103, Johnson, AR

Built 1966 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,400

SH 123

Good

Over: Peters Branch

13.5 M W Pope Co Line, Johnson, AR

Built 1969 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 160

SH 287

Good

Over: Creek

6.0 M NW Jct SH 9, Conway, AR

Built 1987 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 300

SH 107 Log 3.96

Good

Over: CREEK

3.96 MI N JCT I-40, Pulaski, AR

Built 1988 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 28,751

SH 96-SEC 4

Good

Over: Branch of Moores Creek

1.8 MI W JCT 23 & 96, Franklin, AR

Built 1990 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 913

SH 369- 04-2.52

Good

Over: Creek

2.52 M N Montg. Co Line, Montgomery, AR

Built 1990 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 80

SH 379-SEC 1

Good

Over: Little Cedar Creek

2.5 MI W JCT US 270, Montgomery, AR

Built 1991 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 340

CR 442 Searcy

Good

Over: FOREST CREEK

.36 MI S OF US 65, Searcy, AR

Built 1991 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 400

SH 103 Newton

Good

Over: BRANCH

4.78 MI N SH 43, Newton, AR

Built 1997 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 270

SH 9/Fulton Co.

Good

Over: HURTON BRANCH

4.39 MI. NE OF JCT US 62, Fulton, AR

Built 1997 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,300

SH 365-14 LM 15.54

Good

Over: Creek

0.2 Mi S SH 256-WhiteHall, Jefferson, AR

Built 1999 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 12,000

SH 10

Good

Over: Mcgee Creek

4.9 MI E OF YELL CO LINE, Perry, AR

Built 2000 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,470

US 412-07- LM 1.79

Good

Over: WHITE OAK SLOUGH

0.7 MI E OF WALNUT RIDGE, Lawrence, AR

Built 2001 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 3,900

US 278-14 LM 10.01

Good

Over: Ten mile Creek

0.6 Mi W US425-Monticello, Drew, AR

Built 2002 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 8,600

SH 18-06- LM 14.55

Good

Over: DITCH

1.0 MI W OF BLYTHEVILLE, Mississippi, AR

Built 2002 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 5,630

SH 54-10 LM 6.74

Good

Over: Big Creek

6.74 Mi W US 79-SulphrSpg, Jefferson, AR

Built 2012 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,500

SH 13

Good

Over: Two Prairie Branch

7.2 Mi S of SH 70, Lonoke, AR

Built 2002 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,094

SH 13 LM 8.70

Good

Over: Big Ditch

4 Mi N of Humnoke, Lonoke, AR

Built 2002 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 920

SH 7 S-5 LM 9.45

Good

Over: Beaver Relief

9.72Mi. No. Oua. Co, Dallas, AR

Built 2004 Load: 20.0 t ADT: 1,000

Showing 7,101-7,150 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.