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

Pic-N-Tote Access

Fair

Over: Ditch (side drain)

JCT US 71 & COM DRIVEWAY, Sebastian, AR

Built 1995 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 20,000

E. Parkway Ave - B

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek

0.95 M E SH 7., Pope, AR

Built 1994 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 12,000

Brookhaven Drive

Fair

Over: Branch of Mud Creek-Wash

@ JCT OF OLD MISSOURI RD, Washington, AR

Built 1996 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 5,700

CR8-Gene Neal Rd

Fair

Over: Indian Bayou

1.5 Mi S of SH 165, Lonoke, AR

Built 1996 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 4

CR 508 - A

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

8 Mi SE of Rector, Clay, AR

Built 1997 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 312

CR/68 Sharp Co.

Fair

Over: LOVE CREEK

.75 MI E SH 167, Sharp, AR

Built 1997 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 140

COVEY RD

Fair

Over: CHRISTIAN CREEK

2 MI NO OF VALLEY VIEW, Craighead, AR

Built 1960 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,341

CALHOUN CR31 Z-D

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

0.7 MI E JCT CR 32, Calhoun, AR

Built 2000 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 106

Owley Rd

Fair

Over: Williams Creek

1.5 M E Jct SH 27, Montgomery, AR

Built 2000 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 669

Morrow Street

Fair

Over: Ward Creek- City of Mena

N. JCT. U.S.71 & MORROW S, Polk, AR

Built 2003 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 3,500

CR 826-G DENHAM RD

Fair

Over: BLAKELY CREEK

2.1 M N SH 84, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1996 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 26

CR.10(YORKS CHAPEL

Fair

Over: BLUE BAYOU CREEK

3.2 MI. S OF CENTER POINT, Howard, AR

Built 2003 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 414

CR 441 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: Chalybeate Creek

0.8 mi. S of Jct. CR 31, Benton, AR

Built 2003 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 177

College Street

Fair

Over: Creek

0.1 MI E JCT Prince Dr., Faulkner, AR

Built 1995 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 9,563

CR 207/Lk Wallace

Fair

Over: Lake Wallace

0.03 Mi N SH922-LkWallace, Drew, AR

Built 2004 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 227

Boyd Rd - D

Fair

Over: Little Creek

0.15 M. S. OF CO. RD. 24, Pope, AR

Built 2006 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 292

E. 16 th St - A.

Fair

Over: W. Fork Wig Creek

0.47 E St. Hwy. 7 Truck, Pope, AR

Built 2007 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 8,400

Rogers. S 28TH PL

Fair

Over: Blossom Way /Osage Creek

.3 MI E JCT BELLVIEW ROAD, Benton, AR

Built 2002 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 3,798

Broyles Road

Fair

Over: Owl Creek

0.6 Mi So. Hwy 16, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 4,400

N. Broyles Street

Fair

Over: N Fork Farmington Branch

0.25 Mi N Jct Hwy 62, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 5,900

Broyles Road

Fair

Over: Goose Creek

1.25 Mi N Hwy 62, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 4,400

Bntville Tiger Blv

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.7 M E of Jct US 71B, Benton, AR

Built 2009 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 6,300

Shady Grove Road

Fair

Over: Creek - Washington Co.

0.16 East of Johnson Rd., Washington, AR

Built 2010 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 2,800

MillCreekRd SHARP

Fair

Over: MARS BRANCH

3.8 M NW SH 115, Sharp, AR

Built 2010 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 156

CR215-Spring Lk Rd

Fair

Over: Duck Creek

0.7 miles South of SH 167, Saline, AR

Built 2013 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 320

Auburn Rd

Fair

Over: Big Creek BR 035

1.56 mi N. of LoneStar Ch, Sebastian, AR

Built 1941 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 100

Calhoun CR 87 SecB

Fair

Over: Creek

0.58 Mi. Jct 79B - CR 278, Calhoun, AR

Built 1984 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 208

Punkin Hollow Rd.

Fair

Over: MCKISIC CREEK

0.47 mi S of SH 549, Benton, AR

Built 2019 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 301

SH 163-04-LM 10.85

Fair

Over: GANNAWAY CR

1.0 MI SO CRAIGHEAD CO LI, Poinsett, AR

Built 1956 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,416

US 278 SEC.07-3.86

Fair

Over: LITTLE BODCAW

3.86 MI E HEMPSTEAD CO LI, Nevada, AR

Built 1936 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,500

SH 7 S-4 LM 7.48

Fair

Over: FREEO CREEK RELIEF

7.56 MI N JCT US 79 B, Ouachita, AR

Built 1956 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 903

SH 7 S-4 LM 13.64

Fair

Over: SLOUGH

3.26 MI S DALLAS CO LINE, Ouachita, AR

Built 1955 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 410

SH 7 S-6 LM 6.90

Fair

Over: LEAU FRAIS CREEK

4.33 MI SE JCT SH 51, Clark, AR

Built 1956 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,700

State Highway 8

Fair

Over: Wolf Creek - Polk Co.

0.2 MI SE OF NUNLEY ARK, Polk, AR

Built 1948 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,800

SH 8

Fair

Over: CREEK

S E of Norman, Montgomery, AR

Built 1953 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 2,800

SH 9

Fair

Over: Cypress Creek

13.79 M NE of Jct US 64, Conway, AR

Built 1960 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 2,197

State Highway 10

Fair

Over: Creek-Logan Co.

11.12 MI E-SEBASTIAN CO, Logan, AR

Built 1929 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 3,711

SH 10-7 log 11.77

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.25 M W Jolly Roger Rd., Pulaski, AR

Built 1947 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 3,300

SH 11-03 LM 9.36

Fair

Over: Canal

1.0 Mi N SH 114-Fresno, Lincoln, AR

Built 1956 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 412

SH 12 Benton 1

Fair

Over: PRAIRIE CREEK

1.91 MI E JCT US 62, Benton, AR

Built 1964 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 13,000

SH 23 Madison Co

Fair

Over: DITCH

11.06 MI NE OF FRANKLIN C, Madison, AR

Built 1955 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,100

Madison SH 23

Fair

Over: DITCH

5.42 MI SW OF US412 JCT, Madison, AR

Built 1950 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,389

SH 23 Carroll

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.63 MI NO OF US 62 JCT, Carroll, AR

Built 1935 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 3,700

SH 29 SEC.06 -1.04

Fair

Over: CREEK

3.5 MI SW ANTOINE, Pike, AR

Built 1961 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 300

SH 35 S-4 Lm 6.90

Fair

Over: CREEK

2.81 MI W JCT US 79, Cleveland, AR

Built 1956 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 630

SH 53 SEC. 04-4.70

Fair

Over: CLEAR CREEK RELIEF

2.1 MI N OF BUCKNER, Lafayette, AR

Built 1964 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 620

SH 59-Wash Co.

Fair

Over: Stream

4.86 M S OF BENTON COL, Washington, AR

Built 1952 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 1,500

State Highway 59

Fair

Over: Creek-Crawford Co.

0.06 M S OF I-40, Crawford, AR

Built 1947 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 22,208

US 62/412 Marion

Fair

Over: BROWN BRANCH

4.8MI E JCT SH 125 & US62, Marion, AR

Built 1947 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 4,500

Us-64/Sec-16/L3.81

Fair

Over: Coppers Creek

1.55 Miles West Of Sh 163, Cross, AR

Built 1954 Load: 19.1 t ADT: 5,000

Showing 1,251-1,300 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.