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

C.R-3-CORNISH ROAD

Good

Over: MUDDY FORK CREEK

1/2 MILE NORTH NATHAN, Pike, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 55

Bradley CR 4 Z-F

Good

Over: BIG LAIGLE CR REL

2.24 S W OF INGALLS, Bradley, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 95

Bradley CR4 Z-F

Good

Over: BIG LAIGLE CR RELIEF

2.13 MI S W OF INGALLS, Bradley, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 95

BradleyCORD4 Z-F

Good

Over: BIG LAIGLE CREEK REL

1.94 MI S W OF INGALLS, Bradley, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 95

Cr-318/Z-B/L-1.38

Good

Over: Bayou Deview

1.38 E Of Co Rd 56&36, Woodruff, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11

CO RT 45 / KANIS R

Good

Over: NO. FORK SALINE RIVER

0.5 MI E. OF SH 9, Saline, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6

CO RD 4 - F- 2.07

Good

Over: EAST KELLY BAYOU

0.3 MI E JCT U S 71, Miller, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 70

C.R. 5 - E - 12.90

Good

Over: MANIECE FIELD BAYOU

0.6 MI N CR 5 & SH 360, Lafayette, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 57

Mill Bridge Rd

Good

Over: Cadron Creek

2 MI N GUY, Faulkner, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 390

UPPER JANES CR-G

Good

Over: HALL CREEK

0.08 MI N OF SH 90, Randolph, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 163

CR 61-I (911=673)

Good

Over: GUM SLOUGH DITCH

1.75 S OF JCT SH18&C R61, Craighead, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 353

CR 647-E River st.

Good

Over: OUACHITA RIVER

0.7 MI S JCT US 67, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 131

FLOYD ST (E)

Good

Over: LOST CREEK DITCH

.25 MI N HWY 63B JCT, Craighead, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 840

CR 4019 Marion

Good

Over: KINGS BRANCH

1.0 MI W EROS, Marion, AR

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 310

Dizzy Dean Road

Good

Over: Rock Creek Logan Co.

0.01 MI E US71 SEC 11, Logan, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 326

CR 17-I-911=160

Good

Over: COOPER CREEK

1.5 MI WEST SMITHVILLE, Lawrence, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 122

Mercy Way-Benton

Good

Over: LITTLE SUGAR CREEK

0.1 MI E US 71, Benton, AR

Built 1998 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,200

E SPRING ST

Good

Over: MID BRANCH GULPHA CREEK

1.94 MI E JCT US 70B, Garland, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,664

Oua. CR 68 Z-A

Good

Over: SMACKOVER CK RELIEF

0.31 MI N UNION CO LINE, Ouachita, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 641

Union CR 27 Z-L

Good

Over: BAYOU DE LOUTRE

2.3 M W JCT CO RD 27 &32, Union, AR

Built 1993 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 547

North Rudy Road

Good

Over: Flat Rock Cr. - Crawford

1 MI N OF I 40, Crawford, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,200

Davis Rd. WHITE

Good

Over: DEENER CREEK

0.8_MI NE JCT 67C, White, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,500

Rena Road

Good

Over: Lee Creek-Van Buren

0.28 MI E I-40, Crawford, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,000

CR 15/S Wilmar Rd

Good

Over: Ten Mile Creek

3.51 Mi S US 278-Wilmar, Drew, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 260

CR 38 Sharp County

Good

Over: MILL CREEK

3.2 MI SE SH 58, Sharp, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 156

CR 47/ Old Hwy 65

Good

Over: Big Bayou Ditch

0.7 Mi N SH 35, Chicot, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2

CR 10/McArthur Rd

Good

Over: Macon Bayou

3.2 Mi E US 65-Reed, Desha, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 52

CR 77/Jackson Co.

Good

Over: VILLAGE CREEK

0.7 MI E OF JCT CR 75, Jackson, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 28

CR 60-C (911=928)

Good

Over: LITTLE BAY DITCH TRIB

1.5 MI S BROOKLAND, Craighead, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 419

North Avalon/W Mem

Good

Over: Ten Mile Bayou

.77 Mi North Of Jct Us 70, Crittenden, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,300

Cleburne CR 79

Good

Over: WILBURN CREEK

0.4 MI N. SH 110, Cleburne, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 480

MABELVALE PIKE

Good

Over: YOUNG CREEK

0.3 M W OF CHICOT, Pulaski, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,000

CR 35/F-STATELINE

Good

Over: CANE CREEK

3.5 MI N JCT US 70 OKLA, Sevier, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 255

Col. CR 36 Z-C

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

3 MI W JCT 98&36, Columbia, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,100

Col. CR 36 Z-C

Good

Over: BIG CORNIE CREEK

0.7 MI W JCT 36&434, Columbia, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,100

CR 2/Kiowa Rd

Good

Over: Ten Mile Creek

2.38 Mi S SH11-Cornervill, Lincoln, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 266

Cr-355/Z-B/L-1.81

Good

Over: Old Bayou Deview

1.81 North Of Us 64, Woodruff, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 20

Heifer Creek Rd.

Good

Over: Stratton Creek

1.7 M NW of Springfield, Conway, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 79

Stone CR 86

Good

Over: ROASTING EAR CREEK

3.8 MI SW OF SH 14, Stone, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 614

County Road 38

Good

Over: Two Mile Creek Polk Co.

2.00 MI SW JCT 37&38, Polk, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 144

CO RD 37- B- 2.35

Good

Over: DORCHEAT BAYOU RELIEF

2.4 M SE JCT U.S. HWY 82, Lafayette, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4

CR 135 - E

Good

Over: MAIN DITCH

4.3 MI S MO STATE LINE, Clay, AR

Built 1994 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 196

Cr-107/Z-G/L-5.88

Good

Over: Second Creek

5.88 MI S JCT CR 127, St. Francis, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

Calhoun CR 83 Z-A

Good

Over: FORDYCE & PRINCETON RR

0.8 MI E JCT SH 274, Calhoun, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 290

Phoenix Ave Ext

Good

Over: Little Massard Creek

700 W JCT MASSARD RD, Sebastian, AR

Built 1996 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 18,000

C0 8/MISSION DR

Good

Over: LEFEVER CREEK

0.6 M E JCT SH 355, Howard, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 457

Oakwood Rd-CS41960

Good

Over: Bayou Bartholomew

1.67 M S SH190-Pine Bluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,400

CO RD 7 Benton Co

Good

Over: FLINT CREEK

0.6 MI S JCT CO RD 7&SH12, Benton, AR

Built 1997 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,008

Timmerman Rd/CR 7

Good

Over: BIG LAGRUE BAYOU

2.50 MI E US 79 Ulm, Prairie, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 88

Oua. Cr 97 ZONE C

Good

Over: BEAVER POND CREEK

1.1 MI S Jct Dallas Co Ln, Ouachita, AR

Built 1995 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 811

Showing 9,701-9,750 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.