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

State Highway 22

Good

Over: Big Vache Grasse Creek

1.99 mi E of Central City, Sebastian, AR

Built 2012 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 11,000

SH 214-02

Good

Over: Ditch No. 1

1 M E SH 163, Poinsett, AR

Built 2011 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 270

SH 144-03 LM 5.91

Good

Over: Ferry Bayou

5.91 Mi NE US65-LkVillage, Chicot, AR

Built 2015 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,029

Hwy 34

Good

Over: Hurricane Ditch

2.95MI W JCT SH139 & 34, Greene, AR

Built 2022 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 860

CR 3261

Good

Over: Creek

0.13 w Jct. CRs 66&67, Johnson, AR

Built 1976 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 30

CR S275 - H

Good

Over: DITCH NO. 5

3.5 Mi NW of Marie, Mississippi, AR

Built 1978 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 90

CR 511 Baxter

Good

Over: Monkey Run Creek

0.06 mi N Jct of CR 9, Baxter, AR

Built 1985 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 220

CR 93-C (911=W230)

Good

Over: DITCH NO 70

.5 Mi W of Hwy 239 & 181, Mississippi, AR

Built 1980 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 96

CR 324 - E

Good

Over: BIG CREEK DITCH

.5 MI W OF STERLING SPRG, Craighead, AR

Built 1992 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 791

CR 45 KANIS 2.07

Good

Over: CREEK

5.3 MI EAST SH 9, Saline, AR

Built 1992 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,079

Spring Grove Rd-G

Good

Over: EIGHT MILE CREEK

.78 Mi South of Walcott R, Greene, AR

Built 1993 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,737

H Island Stateline

Good

Over: HADDOCK CREEK

.01 M FROM EAGLE DR, Carroll, AR

Built 1992 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,990

CR 526 - B

Good

Over: MUD SLOUGH DITCH

1.5 MI SE CHILDRESS, Craighead, AR

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 25

CR 73-A (911=841)

Good

Over: DITCH NO 1

2 M W &4 M S CARAWAY, Craighead, AR

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 74

Blue Rock Road-CR

Good

Over: Canal

1.05 Mi NE SH88-Altheimer, Jefferson, AR

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 30

CR 175 - I

Good

Over: DITCH NO 7

6 MI SO MANILA, Mississippi, AR

Built 1998 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 31

CR 267-C(Tulot Rd)

Good

Over: DITCH NO 35

0.09 E J CR 267 & CR 266, Poinsett, AR

Built 1999 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,297

CR N503 - D

Good

Over: DITCH NO 6

2.49 N of Hwy 158, Mississippi, AR

Built 2000 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 120

CR 406-B(911=N887)

Good

Over: CROOKED LAKE BAYOU

.06 N of SH 150, Mississippi, AR

Built 2004 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 24

CR N503 - D

Good

Over: DITCH NO. 31

2 MI NE OF VICTORIA, Mississippi, AR

Built 2002 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 49

CR S103 - H

Good

Over: L H Chute of Little Riv

4.5 Miles SW of Athelstan, Mississippi, AR

Built 2003 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 99

CamdenCutoffRd-CR

Good

Over: Creek

0.72 Mi S SH 54-SulphurSp, Jefferson, AR

Built 2002 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,402

CR 425 - H

Good

Over: MAIN DITCH # 2

1 Mi S Valley View, Craighead, AR

Built 2003 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 361

CR 131

Good

Over: Chemin-A-Haut Cr Relief

3.1 MI N US 82-Hamburg, Ashley, AR

Built 2007 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 47

CR 72-D (911=712)

Good

Over: Creek

.25 MI S OF SCHOOL ST, Craighead, AR

Built 2008 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 75

CR 72-D (911=712)

Good

Over: Creek

1.8 MI E of HWY 351, Craighead, AR

Built 2008 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 75

RogersPromnde Bvd.

Good

Over: OSAGE / TURTLE CREEK

0.3 MI N SH 94, Benton, AR

Built 2007 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 12,000

CR 452 - H

Good

Over: Drainage ditch

4.0 MI S of Valley View, Craighead, AR

Built 2014 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 90

Fort Smith Blvd

Good

Over: Vache Grasse Creek BR018

2.37 Mi E Jct 1st Ave, Sebastian, AR

Built 1991 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 100

CR 804 - I

Good

Over: Purcell Slough

1.9 M E Jct. SH 158, Craighead, AR

Built 2012 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 312

Ramick Rd-CR 560

Good

Over: Creek

0.36 Mi S SH54-SulphrSpng, Jefferson, AR

Built 1998 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 398

CR 263 - F

Good

Over: Cottonmouth Creek

0.5 mi S Jct SH226, Craighead, AR

Built 2014 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 94

Barron Rd.

Good

Over: Poteau River-Scott Co.

0.07 MI South of SH 80, Scott, AR

Built 2017 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 213

BNTVILLE-3RD ST.

Good

Over: Coler Creek

.8 MI W JCT US 71&3RD ST, Benton, AR

Built 2018 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,800

CR 5351

Good

Over: Panther Creek

2.45 M N of Jct CR 36, Johnson, AR

Built 2020 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 50

Collins St.

Good

Over: Mine Creek

0.14 M E JCT Washington S, Howard, AR

Built 2021 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 349

CR 880 - A

Good

Over: Ditch #2

1.45 Mi West of SH 135 Se, Craighead, AR

Built 2023 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 59

SH 365-14 LM 0.66

Good

Over: Barnes Creek

0.66 Mi S GrantCo-Hensley, Jefferson, AR

Built 1929 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 530

I-40 WB 152.02 Lev

Good

Over: SH 365 Pike Ave & UPRR

I-40 Log 152.02, Pulaski, AR

Built 2006 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 39,000

I-55FN/Se11/L12.67

Good

Over: 15 Mile Bayou

2.5 Miles North Jct Us 64, Crittenden, AR

Built 1956 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,660

CO RD 21

Good

Over: I-30 EB Log 87.32

EB I 30 LM 87.32, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1966 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 63

I-49 NB LNS

Good

Over: US 412-SEC 2

4.9 N INT I-49 & 71B, Washington, AR

Built 1984 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 34,995

I-530 SB LM 43.37

Good

Over: Lower Bayou Bartholomew

0.3 Mi E US 63-PineBluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 1997 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 8,500

I-55FS/Se11/L12.67

Good

Over: 15 Mile Bayou

2.5 Miles North Jct Us 64, Crittenden, AR

Built 1956 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,460

I-55FS/Sec11/L20.5

Good

Over: Big Creek

0.95 Miles South Of Sh 42, Crittenden, AR

Built 1958 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 3,700

SH 195 - 01- 7.06

Good

Over: CREEK

7.1 MI N.E. OF FULTON, Hempstead, AR

Built 1967 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 330

SH 92

Good

Over: Sulphur Creek Relief

2 Mi W of Van Buren Co Ln, Conway, AR

Built 2015 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 970

SH 91-02- LM 4.33

Good

Over: DITCH

4.33 MI SE LAWRENCE CO L, Craighead, AR

Built 2022 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 310

West Center Street

Good

Over: Hester Creek-Seb. Co.

2.31 MI E OF JCT US 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 1928 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 14,103

US 67-19- LM 1.79

Good

Over: Hamil Creek

1.79 Mi N Jct US67/62, Randolph, AR

Built 1928 Load: 29.9 t ADT: 5,819

Showing 8,951-9,000 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.