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

Bob Long Lane CR59

Poor

Over: WHITE OAK BRANCH

.7MI N 58, Lonoke, AR

Built 1946 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 2

Madison CO RD 18-B

Poor

Over: SPANKER

4.41 SO E US 412, Madison, AR

Built 1950 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 923

Jack Creek Rd.

Poor

Over: Fletcher Creek-Logan Co.

4.50 M SE SH 23, Logan, AR

Built 1930 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 745

W. Wheeler Road

Poor

Over: Clabber Creek

3.73 MI N JCT SH 16, Washington, AR

Built 1939 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 2,600

CO RD24 Benton Co.

Poor

Over: COON CREEK

2.5 E SH 43, Benton, AR

Built 1930 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 197

CR 6/Hanna Rd

Poor

Over: Caney Bayou

2.14 Mi W SH 159-Eudora, Chicot, AR

Built 1983 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 80

Cr-116/Z-I/L-7.55

Poor

Over: Hog Tusk Creek

.3 Miles West Of Cr 248, Lee, AR

Built 1983 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 150

CR 304 E MAGNOLIA

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF BELLVILLE CR

1 MI SO OF LOCKSBURG, Sevier, AR

Built 1985 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 100

CR 8 F (CREEK TR.)

Poor

Over: BIG HILL CREEK

1.5 MI N W BISMARCK, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1990 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 251

CR 461 - I

Poor

Over: DITCH

2.5 MI W OF GREENWAY Rt 6, Clay, AR

Built 1991 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 70

CR 8/Indepen Co.

Poor

Over: DOTA CREEK

2.62 Mi S SH 122, Independence, AR

Built 2001 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 40

Cr-241/Z-D/L-6.08

Poor

Over: Ditch

1 Mile North Of Jct 76, Phillips, AR

Built 2002 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 62

Cr-354/Z-D/L-1.68

Poor

Over: Prairie Creek

0.3 So Jct Cr 352 & 354, Cross, AR

Built 2004 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 111

SH 9/Fulton County

Poor

Over: Little Strawberry Creek

0.4 MI N OF Wheeling AR, Fulton, AR

Built 1926 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 1,200

SH 9/Fulton County

Poor

Over: CREEK

1.66 Mi. So. Salem, Fulton, AR

Built 1926 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 1,200

SH 119-02- LM 6.71

Poor

Over: DITCH NO. 41

0.5 MI S SH 158, Mississippi, AR

Built 1955 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 397

Sh-238/Sec-1/L7.63

Poor

Over: Little Piney Creek

8.27 Mi East Of Jct Us 49, Monroe, AR

Built 1948 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 260

SH 25-06- LM 14.30

Poor

Over: LITTLE CYPRESS CREEK

3.5 MI NE OF LYNN, Lawrence, AR

Built 1971 Load: 6.4 t ADT: 1,800

SH 367 White Co.

Poor

Over: GLAISE CREEK

N EDGE OF RUSSELL, White, AR

Built 1937 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 1,200

SH 135-01-LM 15.09

Poor

Over: Right Chute Little River

2.12 Mi S Craighead CoLn, Poinsett, AR

Built 1954 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 1,500

SH 77-02- LM 6.83

Poor

Over: LITTLE RIVER

1.2 MI N JCT OF SH 158, Mississippi, AR

Built 1954 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 2,035

SH 91-02- LM 2.22

Poor

Over: CACHE RIVER

2.29 MI SE LAWRENCE CO, Craighead, AR

Built 1959 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 410

Co. Rd. 37 Polk Co

Poor

Over: Two Mile Creek Relief

3.28 MI S OLD POTTER, Polk, AR

Built 1923 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 221

CORD 60 Benton

Poor

Over: SPRING CREEK

3 MI N ELM SPRINGS, Benton, AR

Built 1975 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 139

No Ingram Blvd.

Poor

Over: Ten Mile Bayou Diversion

1.02 Mi No Int Broadway, Crittenden, AR

Built 1960 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 6,900

Cr-108/Z-I/L-3.57

Poor

Over: Hog Tusk Creek

4 Miles East Of Cr 15, Lee, AR

Built 1983 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 57

Yellville Fern Dr.

Poor

Over: BRANCH OF MILL CREEK

1 MI SE YELLVILLE, Marion, AR

Built 1972 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 120

Cr-305/Z-C/L-0.30

Poor

Over: Missouri Ditch

0.3 North Of Jct Sh 44, Phillips, AR

Built 1992 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 4

Madison CR 330

Poor

Over: EAST GREASY CREEK

0.05 MI W S H 295, Madison, AR

Built 1996 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 29

Cr-105/Z-F/L-2.21

Poor

Over: Drainage Ditch

0.60 North Sh 42, Cross, AR

Built 1997 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 16

Calhoun CR.#53 S-B

Poor

Over: Taylor creek

1.08 Mi N Jct SH 203, Calhoun, AR

Built 2002 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 96

CR 23-GWD Thompson

Poor

Over: MCCRACKEN DITCH

2.4 Mi West SH 1, Poinsett, AR

Built 2006 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 47

Calhoun CR 40 Z-E

Poor

Over: Jacks Creek

3.20 mi. NE of US278 & 40, Calhoun, AR

Built 2004 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 316

SH 9/Fulton County

Poor

Over: HARKLE ROAD CREEK

2.29 Mi NE of Izard Co Li, Fulton, AR

Built 1926 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 1,200

SH 34-04- LM 4.82

Poor

Over: CREEK

4.82 MI E JCT SH 135 & 34, Greene, AR

Built 1965 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 1,500

SH 367 WHITE CO.

Poor

Over: CYPRESS CR

.00 MI OF LONOKE CO LINE, White, AR

Built 1950 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 3,500

State Highway 309

Poor

Over: Six Mile Canal-Logan Co.

1.5 MI SE JCT SH 288-309, Logan, AR

Built 1966 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 1,300

Wabbaseka Rd-CR 57

Poor

Over: Canal

3.75 Mi N US 79-Wabbaseka, Jefferson, AR

Built 1972 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 150

County Road 2

Poor

Over: Carter Creek-Polk Co.

2.08 MI E US 71, Polk, AR

Built 1955 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 48

CR 38 - Polk Co.

Poor

Over: Mt. Fork River

3.10 MI W JCT 37 & 38, Polk, AR

Built 1905 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 144

Hussman Dr. Camden

Poor

Over: WADLEIGH CR

.01 MI S Jct US 278, Ouachita, AR

Built 1965 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 241

CR 624-D-SENTENEY

Poor

Over: LANGUILLE RIVER

.95 MI W J CR 624&683, Poinsett, AR

Built 1996 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 512

CR35/SheltonTurner

Poor

Over: Ditch

1.68 Mi N US 82-Montrose, Chicot, AR

Built 1997 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 86

SH 56 Izard County

Poor

Over: HARS CREEK

4.8 MI W JCT US 167 & 56, Izard, AR

Built 1957 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 1,228

SH 354 Izard Co.

Poor

Over: Little Strawberry Creek

1.4 MI W SH 289, Izard, AR

Built 1973 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 530

Sh-318/sec2/L4.03

Poor

Over: Beaver Bayou Ditch

0.39 Mi East Of Jct Sh 85, Phillips, AR

Built 1974 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 120

CR 64-Logan Co.

Poor

Over: Short Mountain Creek

0.45 MI W SH 309, Logan, AR

Built 1928 Load: 8.3 t ADT: 50

GLADE ROAD

Poor

Over: PRODUCTION CREEK

0.3 MI SW OF MCCOY RD, Jefferson, AR

Built 1955 Load: 8.4 t ADT: 20

SH 28-Scott Co.

Poor

Over: Fourche La Fave River

1.7 M W OF HARVEY, Scott, AR

Built 1961 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 280

SH 367/Jackson Co.

Poor

Over: DEPARTEE CREEK

1.63 MI S Independence Co, Jackson, AR

Built 1935 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 1,800

Showing 12,401-12,450 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.