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 37Vimy Ridge Rd

Good

Over: Creek

1.2 M S Countyline Rd, Saline, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,300

CR 37Vimy Ridge Rd

Good

Over: Creek

1.5 M S Countyline Rd., Saline, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,300

C.R.273 RUNNELS RD

Good

Over: SYCAMORE CR

2.73 MI E JCT US 70, Sevier, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 114

Oak Tree Rd

Good

Over: Pine Mtn Creek

2 M N JCT SH 285 & CR 29, Van Buren, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 125

CR39/Sheepskin Rd

Good

Over: E Fk Point Remove Cr

5.0 Mi N. Jct SH 124, Conway, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 140

CR 512 - B

Good

Over: Big Slough Ditch

1 MI N Monette, Craighead, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 65

CR42/Vinyrd Crk Rd

Good

Over: Vineyard Creek Seb Co

0.85 MI West Hwy 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 356

Johnson Road-Wash

Good

Over: Clear Creek Tributary

0.42 Mi E. Jct I-49, Washington, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 8,902

Big Fork Athens Rd

Good

Over: Saline River Polk Co.

2.0 Mi. No. of SH 246, Polk, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

Chad Colley Blvd

Good

Over: Ditch City of Ft. Smith

1.75 Mi S. Jct SH 255, Sebastian, AR

Built 2008 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,000

Union CR 11 Z-F

Good

Over: Mill Creek

1.5 mi. E Jct SH 335, Union, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 621

Chestnut Street-CS

Good

Over: Pitts Drain (Canal)

4 blcks S US63B-PineBluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 107

Pine Street-CS

Good

Over: Pitts Drain (Canal)

4 blcks S US63B-PineBluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 107

Main Street-CS

Good

Over: Pitts Drain (Canal)

4 blcks S US63B-PineBluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,800

CR N471 - C

Good

Over: PEMISCOT BAYOU

N of Dell, Mississippi, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 28

CR E278 - C

Good

Over: DITCH NO 27

2 Mi N of Dell, Mississippi, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 295

Pamela Drive

Good

Over: Branch

0.10 mi west of Denise, Saline, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 226

CR 72/Unity Rd

Good

Over: Creek

1.2 mi W of SH 9, Saline, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 226

Daffodil Rd. White

Good

Over: Daniels Creek

1.77 Mi. E SH5, White, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 104

County Road 12

Good

Over: Cherokee Creek- Seb Co.

0.60 Mi E. of CR 6, Sebastian, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 45

Stonewall Rd /CR64

Good

Over: Muddy Fork - Wash. Co.

1 Mi W of Prairie Grove, Washington, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 784

CR 79/Danville Rd

Good

Over: LOCKETT CREEK

.6 ML N OF JCT SH5, Garland, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,800

CR 48 Lk Winona Rd

Good

Over: TRACE CREEK

.2 M WEST SH 9, Saline, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

Brush Creek Rd.

Good

Over: Brush Creek - Tontitown

0.02 Mi W Jct Javello Rd., Washington, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 640

Ouachita CR 30 Z-E

Good

Over: Tulip Creek Relief

2.90 mile W SH 8, Ouachita, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2

CR 3016 Marion

Good

Over: Tar Kiln Creek

.01 mi W jct CR51/3016, Marion, AR

Built 2014 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 40

CR 910 - C

Good

Over: BUTLER DITCH

5 mi E of Glendale, Craighead, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 138

Union CR 10 Z-H

Good

Over: Sewell Creek

0.5 MI E JCT CO RD 1, Union, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 490

Buffalo Mtn. Rd

Good

Over: Mortar Creek

1.15 Mi. East of JCT. 107, Faulkner, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 140

Clark CR 43 Z-A

Good

Over: West Fork Creek

1.2 Mi NE Jct Cr 40, Clark, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 53

CR 48 Lk Winona Rd

Good

Over: SALINE RIVER RELIEF

.8MI W SH9, Saline, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

Dodson Creek Rd

Good

Over: Dodson Creek

0.10 Mi east of SH 229, Saline, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 324

Waterside Dr

Good

Over: Ison Creek

0.3 Mi N of Hwy 10, Pulaski, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 100

CR 8453 Newton

Good

Over: EAST FORK of SHOP CREEK

.3 mi SE of SH 327, Newton, AR

Built 2012 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 25

Har-Ber Avenue

Good

Over: Brush Creek

1.7 miles East of SH 112, Washington, AR

Built 2009 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 9,000

S. 48 St.

Good

Over: Brush Creek

0.77 miles N of SH 412, Washington, AR

Built 2003 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,700

Co Rd 9/Nella Rd.

Good

Over: Black Fork Creek

10.21 Mi N US 71 & CoRd 9, Scott, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 200

Benton CR 525

Good

Over: Spavinaw Creek

1.9Mi S of SH 72, Benton, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 727

ARDOT-CR34/BurrOak

Good

Over: CREEK

2 mi NE of jct of SH 377, Searcy, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 96

Runyon St.

Good

Over: Hot Springs Creek

.02 Mi Jct. Valley St., Garland, AR

Built 2015 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 410

Kerr Station Rd

Good

Over: Diamond Creek

1.2 Ml S Adams St, Lonoke, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,300

Kerr Station Rd

Good

Over: Creek

1.95 Ml S Adams St, Lonoke, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,300

Camp Ground Rd

Good

Over: Diamond Creek

0.01 Mi E.of Kerr Station, Lonoke, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 12

Grant 13-CR

Good

Over: S Joy Creek

0.2 Mi S CR 7-Millerville, Grant, AR

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 978

Gregory Fischer-CR

Good

Over: King Bayou Ditch

0.4 Mi E SH 343-Stuttgart, Arkansas, AR

Built 2000 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 129

Townsend Rd-CR19

Good

Over: Jacks Bayou

0.8 Mi SW US 65-Tamo, Jefferson, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 33

E 52nd St-CS 65040

Good

Over: Imbeau Bayou

0.52 Mi E Main Street-PB, Jefferson, AR

Built 2017 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 960

CR 3/Stone Co.

Good

Over: Meadow Creek

3.45 Mi. W. of SH263@Fox, Stone, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 50

No. Main St/Searcy

Good

Over: Deener Creek

.5 Mi. North SH 16, White, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,400

Michael Street

Good

Over: Stokes Creek

0.02 N of Leonard Street, Garland, AR

Built 2016 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 329

Showing 11,351-11,400 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.