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

US 82-09 LM 13.25

Good

Over: Overflow Creek

13.25 Mi E US 425-Snyder, Ashley, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

US 82-09 LM 15.19

Good

Over: Bayou Bartholomew

4.5 Mi W US 165-Montross, Ashley, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,700

SH 226/Jackson Co.

Good

Over: VILLAGE CREEK

3.48 MI. E. JCT. US. 67, Jackson, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,200

I-540 NB & SB Lane

Good

Over: Ark. River Relief-Seb Co

1.05MI SW Crawford Co, Sebastian, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 49,000

SH 385 White Co.

Good

Over: Black Creek

.4 MI.S.JCT SH 36, White, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 947

SH 10

Good

Over: Cedar Creek

1.5 MI. SE. SH 309, Yell, AR

Built 2001 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,514

STATE HWY 91

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

1.58 MI E JCT US 63, Craighead, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,234

SH 91

Good

Over: LOST CREEK

2.69 MI SE JCT US 63, Craighead, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,234

SH 141-01- LM 5.51

Good

Over: Mud Creek

5.51 MI N JCT US 63B, Craighead, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,305

SH 141-01-LM 5.78

Good

Over: Mud Creek Relief

5.78 MI N JCT US 63B, Craighead, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,700

SH 298 -5 Log 4.27

Good

Over: DOG CREEK

4.27 MI E JCT SH 9 & 298, Saline, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 280

I-40 Log 199.12

Good

Over: White Rvr Rlf & Park Rd

.30 MI W OF WHITE RIVER, Prairie, AR

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 36,000

I-40 Log 200.79

Good

Over: White River Relief

1.4 M W SH 33, Prairie, AR

Built 2013 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 36,000

SH 341 Baxter

Good

Over: MORTON CREEK

0.25 MI W of SH 5 South, Baxter, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,700

SH 201 Baxter

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

3.24 M NW Jct SH 201/341, Baxter, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,200

SH 201 Baxter

Good

Over: BIG CREEK

3.7 MI S JCT SH 5 & 201, Baxter, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,200

SH 160-12 LM 6.31

Good

Over: Boeuf River

5.8 Mi W US 65-Chicot Jct, Chicot, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 450

State Highway 255

Good

Over: Vache Grasse Creek

1.7 MI N OF22&255 JCT, Sebastian, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,100

Us-64/Sec16/L14.08

Good

Over: St Francis River

0.1 Miles West Jct Sh 75, Cross, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,100

SH 100 Log 8.67

Good

Over: I-40 Log 148.20

I-40 Log 148.20, Pulaski, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,900

SH 107 JFK Blvd.

Good

Over: I-40 LOG 152.89

Jct of I-40 and SH 107, Pulaski, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 34,000

SH 183 Log 8.40

Good

Over: I-30 Sec 22/0 Log 122.96

0.34 MI S SH 5 JCT, Saline, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 26,000

I-30 Log 121.36

Good

Over: Hurricane creek

1.6 M sw SH 183, Saline, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 82,000

SH 90-02- LM 11.09

Good

Over: DITCH NO. 10

6.0 MI E JCT OF SH 135, Clay, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 890

US 65

Good

Over: Choctaw Creek

0.6 MI SO OF CHOCTAW, Van Buren, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12,204

US 65

Good

Over: Big Branch

N Outskirts of Choctaw, Van Buren, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14,146

State Highway 309

Good

Over: Gum Creek Logan County

2.44 Mi. S. Jct Hwy 109, Logan, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 587

Mablevale Pike

Good

Over: I-30 Mn Lns & Fr Rds

I-30 Sec 23 Log 130.42, Pulaski, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,102

SH 31 02/0 19.57

Good

Over: Bayou Meto

1.9 Mi S of US 70, Lonoke, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,000

S.H. 111 SEC 02/0

Good

Over: I-30 ML & FRT RDS

I-30 Log 126.35, Saline, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,300

State Highway 248

Good

Over: Haw Creek Scott County

2.12 M WEST OF US 71 JCT, Scott, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 900

S.H. 29 - 01-23.89

Good

Over: STEEL CREEK

.25 MI. S. OF JCT.U.S. 82, Lafayette, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,367

SH 164

Good

Over: Cove Creek

1.8 MI W JCT.SH 103 & 164, Johnson, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 570

SH 1-01 LM 7.01

Good

Over: Canal # 43

7.01 Mi NE US65-McArthur, Desha, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

SH 1-01 LM 7.91

Good

Over: Coon Bayou

7.91 Mi NE US65-McArthur, Desha, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

SH 1-01 LM 9.70

Good

Over: Boggy Bayou

9.70 Mi NE US65-McArthur, Desha, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,900

SH 229 S-1 LM 2.22

Good

Over: Moro Creek

2.2 Mi. N SH 48, Dallas, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 320

SH 229 S-1 LM 2.40

Good

Over: Moro Creek Relief

2.4 Mi. N SH 48, Dallas, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 320

US63B-08/B LM 2.12

Good

Over: I-555

Jct. 555/149/63B, Poinsett, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,200

I-40EB/Se51/259.75

Good

Over: Shell Lake

0.14 Mi W Of Jct 149&40, St. Francis, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 39,000

I-40/Sec51/L261.66

Good

Over: Blackfish Bayou

1.83 Mi E Jct Sh 149&I40, St. Francis, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 31,000

McCain Crossover

Good

Over: US 67 LOG 1.20

1 Mi N of I-40, Pulaski, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11

US 67 Log 2.21

Good

Over: Five Mile Creek & SR

2 Mi N of I-40, Pulaski, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 82,000

Sh-78/Sec-2/L11.39

Good

Over: Hog Tusk Creek

1 Mi No Jct Us 79/Sh 78, Lee, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 820

SH 265-Washington

Good

Over: Sweetwater Creek

7.53 Mi N.W. Jct 170&265, Washington, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 670

US 70 Log 2.61

Good

Over: Spring St.

2.61 M N US 270, Garland, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 14,873

US 70 Flyover

Good

Over: US 70 & US 70B Spring S

US 70 Bypass @ Spring St., Garland, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,500

US 70B Log 5.54

Good

Over: Spring St.

US 70 WB Ramp & Spring St, Garland, AR

Built 2004 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,302

SH63 Sharp County

Good

Over: Forty Island Crk/ Wdlnd

.7M E JCT SH63, Sharp, AR

Built 2005 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,000

SH 220

Good

Over: Ellis Creek - Washington

0.8 Mi S Jct Hwy 170, Washington, AR

Built 2018 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

Showing 10,501-10,550 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.