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

FDR 12

Fair

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

1 MI W OF HWY 71, Scott, AR

Built 1936 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 50

Left Abut Acces RD

Fair

Over: DeQueen Lake Spillway

7 MI NW Of DeQueen, Sevier, AR

Built 1976 Load: 16.5 t ADT: 300

CO.RD.#FR75

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Franklin, AR

Built 1941 Load: 16.8 t ADT: 50

OLD HWY 70

Fair

Over: CANEY CREEK (city)

.22 M E OF US 70, Pike, AR

Built 1928 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 275

SH 7 Newton

Fair

Over: HARP CREEK

2.14 MI SO OF DOGPATCH, Newton, AR

Built 1928 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 2,400

US 62B-S 9-Marion

Fair

Over: RR WHITE RIVER

.50 MI E OF JCT 412/62, Marion, AR

Built 1930 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,000

US 61-02- LM 9.61

Fair

Over: DR DITCH

1.15 MI N JCT OF SH 181, Mississippi, AR

Built 1924 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 2,299

SH 7-10 Log 13.27

Fair

Over: MIDDLE FORK SALINE RIVER

4.22 MI SE OF PERRY CO, Garland, AR

Built 1933 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,851

US 71-Polk Co

Fair

Over: McKinney Creek

0.20 MI N OF JCT SH 375, Polk, AR

Built 1935 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 6,600

SH 8

Fair

Over: Sulphur Creek - Polk Co.

0.2 MI W JCT SH 370, Polk, AR

Built 1950 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,800

SH 8 - Polk Co.

Fair

Over: Abernathey Branch

0.79 MI W MONTGOMERY CO, Polk, AR

Built 1951 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 680

SH 181-01- LM 2.75

Fair

Over: SANDY BAYOU

.4 M W I-55, Mississippi, AR

Built 1950 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 853

State Highway 28

Fair

Over: Negro Creek

1.52 MI E JCT OF US 71, Scott, AR

Built 1950 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 680

State Highway 28

Fair

Over: Corbin Creek

11.73 MI E JCT OF US 71, Scott, AR

Built 1950 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 280

SH 103 Carroll

Fair

Over: YOCUM CREEK

2.50 MI N JCT OF US 62, Carroll, AR

Built 1951 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,188

Sh-357/Sec-1/L4.33

Fair

Over: Drainage Ditch # 6

4.33 Mi No Of Jct Sh 50, St. Francis, AR

Built 1965 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 120

SH 24 SEC.01- 3.09

Fair

Over: WALNUT SPRING CREEK

3.09 MI NE JCT SH 41 & 24, Sevier, AR

Built 1949 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 1,100

Cr-749/Z-B/L-1.43

Fair

Over: Frenchmans Bayou

1.43 Mi South Cr 749 &750, St. Francis, AR

Built 1984 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 85

CR 45 Boone

Fair

Over: DESHIELD FORK CREEK

1.75 MI E JCT SH 7, Boone, AR

Built 1948 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 90

Lucerne Rd. (city)

Fair

Over: DITCH

0.2M S Greenwood Hollow R, Carroll, AR

Built 1910 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 670

Grandview Rd. F

Fair

Over: Brindley Creek

0.15 Mi. N. Birdtown, Conway, AR

Built 1940 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 430

CR 31/Fulton Co.

Fair

Over: BAY CREEK

3.7MI E SH223, Fulton, AR

Built 1948 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 120

CR 33-A Leau Fraiz

Fair

Over: LEau Frais Crk

7 MI E DONALDSON, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1916 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 378

CO RD 812 (KIRBY R

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.25 MI W JCT SH 278, Howard, AR

Built 1960 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 55

CR 23/Independ Co.

Fair

Over: CEDAR CREEK

1.61 SO SH14, Independence, AR

Built 1941 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 112

CR37/Independ. Co.

Fair

Over: ONEAL CREEK

3.66 M SW OF END OF SH106, Independence, AR

Built 1933 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 217

CR 315/Jackson Co.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

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

Built 1930 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 140

CR 315/Jackson Co.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1 MI E JCT 315 & UPRR, Jackson, AR

Built 1930 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 140

Red Oak Rd.

Fair

Over: Creek

.55 W Hwy 64, Johnson, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 203

French Prairie Rd.

Fair

Over: Petit Jean River-Logan

2.69 MI E JCT US 71, Logan, AR

Built 1966 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 334

CR1650 Madison Co.

Fair

Over: WAR EAGLE CREEK

2 MI W JCT 127 & 412, Madison, AR

Built 1924 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 71

Madison CORD 347

Fair

Over: DRAKES CREEK

1.4 M S OF GEORGETOWN, Madison, AR

Built 1956 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 481

Southside Rd

Fair

Over: Kates Creek

9.95 M W Jct SH 379, Montgomery, AR

Built 1935 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 80

Owley Rd

Fair

Over: Williams Creek

2.28 M E Jct SH 27, Montgomery, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 669

Horseshoe Bend Rd

Fair

Over: Mill Creek

.83 MI E Jct SH 27, Montgomery, AR

Built 1977 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 49

Sims Loop Rd

Fair

Over: Little Rainy Creek

1.3 M E Jct CR 65, Montgomery, AR

Built 1936 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 187

Twin Bridges Rd

Fair

Over: Creek

.31 M S Jct CR 36, Montgomery, AR

Built 1970 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 92

Red Ridge Rd

Fair

Over: Muddy Creek

2.65 N SH 298, Montgomery, AR

Built 1936 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 76

Abernathy Rd

Fair

Over: Hackberry Creek

1 Mi. E. of Jct. SH 270, Montgomery, AR

Built 1975 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 11

Cr-100/Z-F/L-1.19

Fair

Over: Lateral No. 2 Ditch

.7 Miles East Cr 100&152, Phillips, AR

Built 1978 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 16

Co Rd 125 Polk Co.

Fair

Over: Lake Wilhelmena Dam

0.57 MI W JCT SH 8, Polk, AR

Built 1957 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 194

Buttermilk Rd - B

Fair

Over: Creek

1.28 M S St. Hwy. 124, Pope, AR

Built 1941 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 240

CO RD 43 - G(GARRI

Fair

Over: BR OF KENNERLY CREEK

5.5 M N OF FERN CTF, Pulaski, AR

Built 1960 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,307

CR 43-G GARRISON

Fair

Over: KENNERLY CREEK

3.5 M N OF FERN CTF, Pulaski, AR

Built 1950 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,307

CRYSTAL HILL RD

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.4 MI W SH 365, Pulaski, AR

Built 1960 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 3,300

CR 94-J HENSLEY CO

Fair

Over: CAMPBELL BAYOU

.3 E US 65-167, Pulaski, AR

Built 1960 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 600

Brush Creek Road

Fair

Over: Catalpa Creek-Scott Co.

1.2 MI N HWY 28, Scott, AR

Built 1930 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 197

County Road 57

Fair

Over: Bear Creek - Seb. Co.

1.5MI E OF US 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 1940 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 390

Co. Rd. 63 Seb. Co

Fair

Over: Diamond Grove Stream

0.16 M N SH 96, Sebastian, AR

Built 1939 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 310

County Road 88

Fair

Over: Horace Creek Seb. Co.

0.27MI E OF SH 252, Sebastian, AR

Built 1940 Load: 17.2 t ADT: 459

Showing 801-850 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.