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

longview-35-B-1.97

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

10.5 M. WEST NASHVILLE, Howard, AR

Built 1991 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 159

Gamble Road-CS

Fair

Over: Gamble Bayou

0.25 M W SH365-WhiteHall, Jefferson, AR

Built 1972 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 486

CR40

Fair

Over: Barren Fork Creek

2.42 Mi NW of CR 39 @ Dol, Izard, AR

Built 1998 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 200

CR948 - LM 1.29

Fair

Over: THOMPSON CREEK

1.3 MI E OF SH 49, Craighead, AR

Built 1977 Load: 3.6 t ADT: 650

SH 135-02- LM 0.01

Fair

Over: DITCH NO 1

POINSETT CO LINE, Craighead, AR

Built 1954 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 1,500

Hagler Rd-CR 1

Fair

Over: Kaney Bayou

0.51 Mi W SH 276-Hagler, Arkansas, AR

Built 1965 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 128

CR 18/New Bill Rd

Fair

Over: Creek

0.4 Mi W CR 23-Chicot, Chicot, AR

Built 1940 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 13

CR 88 C SPRING St

Fair

Over: GULPHA CREEK

1.2 M W CO RD 285, Garland, AR

Built 1938 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 110

Griffin Flat Rd-B

Fair

Over: Hacker Creek

.48 N SH 247, Pope, AR

Built 1979 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 150

C.R 139-H(WILDWOOD

Fair

Over: LITTLE COSSATOT RIVER

0.75 MI W LOCKESBURG, Sevier, AR

Built 1908 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 25

CR 42 Sharp County

Fair

Over: CHANDLER CREEK

2.70 M E US 167, Sharp, AR

Built 1935 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 50

CR 9/Indepen Co.

Fair

Over: WAGON WHEEL CREEK

1.4 MI NO JCT SH 87, Independence, AR

Built 1984 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 180

CR8/Lafferty Trail

Fair

Over: E. LAFFERTY CREEK

2.5 MI SE SH 69, Izard, AR

Built 1985 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 216

CR27/Cleburne Co.

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

1.25 N W JCT CO 35, Cleburne, AR

Built 1965 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 390

CR 62-H LOST CR

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

2.7 MI WEST CO RD 63, Garland, AR

Built 1984 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 357

Co. Rd. 8-Polk Co.

Fair

Over: Rolling Fork River

1.44 MI WEST Jct US 71&CR, Polk, AR

Built 1984 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 24

CR 3021 Marion

Fair

Over: LITTLE SUGAR ORCHARD CR

.25 MI N OF PYATT, Marion, AR

Built 1992 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 275

CR 288/Old Hwy 65

Fair

Over: Walnut Lake

@ EWalnutLake Dr-Pickens, Desha, AR

Built 1993 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 11

Bell Road-CR 156

Fair

Over: Ditch

1.9 Mi W CR 60-Gillett, Arkansas, AR

Built 1993 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 12

Sebree Road-CR

Fair

Over: Fish Lake Ditch

1.0 Mi W SH 130-Almyra, Arkansas, AR

Built 1994 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 4

Wilson Lane-CR

Fair

Over: Crooked Creek

0.30 Mi W SH 13-Humphrey, Arkansas, AR

Built 1994 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 4

Ryan Road-CR

Fair

Over: Crooked Creek

0.5 Mi W SH 13-Humphrey, Arkansas, AR

Built 1994 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 4

CR 20/Jackson Co.

Fair

Over: BEAR LAKE SLOUGH

0.6 MI E JCT CR 18 & 20, Jackson, AR

Built 1997 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 63

CR 179/KEITH RD

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.3 MI W JCT CR179 & SH278, Howard, AR

Built 2000 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 131

Col. CR 24 Z- F

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.02 MI N JCT SH 160, Columbia, AR

Built 2002 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 122

CR 23 Loftis Lane

Fair

Over: Bayou Meto

1 Mi south Seaton dump, Lonoke, AR

Built 2004 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 50

Morningside Drive

Fair

Over: Otter Creek

0.1 M East of Clayton Dr., Saline, AR

Built 2004 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 416

Cr-611/Z-B/L-2.91

Fair

Over: Caruthers Bayou

.1 Mi South Cr 606& 611, St. Francis, AR

Built 2004 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 20

Lancing/Z-Ew/1.02

Fair

Over: Ditch

0.4 Miles E CR 317, Crittenden, AR

Built 2009 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 173

CR 40-F Free Hill

Fair

Over: Point Cedar Creek

2 Mi SE Point Cedar, Hot Spring, AR

Built 2008 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 237

Sh118/Sec-3/L10.60

Fair

Over: Chatman Branch

3.9 Mi N Jct Sh 118 Us 64, Crittenden, AR

Built 1919 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 230

Old Hwy 389 - E

Fair

Over: Creek

0.14 M W Jct SH 95, Van Buren, AR

Built 1940 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 58

CR 144 (off SH144)

Fair

Over: Ditch

2.7 Mi W US65-McMillanCrn, Chicot, AR

Built 1978 Load: 4.5 t ADT: 360

FDR 501A

Fair

Over: BLAYLOCK CREEK

.01 MI S OF FDR 106, Polk, AR

Built 2000 Load: 5.2 t ADT: 10

CR 283/Stone Co.

Fair

Over: N SYLAMORE CREEK

0.45 SW SH 9 & 5, Stone, AR

Built 1943 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 140

CO RD 18 MadisonCo

Fair

Over: CREEK

2.6 MI S US 412, Madison, AR

Built 1950 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 923

County Road 301

Fair

Over: Snake Creek-Polk Co.

0.70 Mi E CR 70 - B, Polk, AR

Built 1950 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 150

County Road 664

Fair

Over: Mill Creek - Polk Co.

1.76 NE SH 370, Polk, AR

Built 1945 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 20

Buttermilk Rd - B

Fair

Over: Hackers Creek

.29 M S SH 124 & CO RD 48, Pope, AR

Built 1941 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 240

CR/61 IZARD COUNTY

Fair

Over: STRAWBERRY RIVER

1.65 MI S SH 56, Izard, AR

Built 1939 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 170

Cr-128/Z-I/L-4.71

Fair

Over: Creek

1.3 Miles East Jct Cr 258, Lee, AR

Built 1986 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 14

CR 29-I Red Wine

Fair

Over: INDIAN BAYOU

2 MI E SH 15, Lonoke, AR

Built 1990 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 110

C.R. 155 - F-1.61

Fair

Over: BOIS DARC CREEK

1.6 MI W JCT CR 7 & 105, Hempstead, AR

Built 1991 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 37

CR 826 - B

Fair

Over: JOHNSON CREEK

0.17 MI N US 412, Greene, AR

Built 1992 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 63

CR 22-D-WEINER CUT

Fair

Over: CREEK

2.25 Miles NW of Harrisbu, Poinsett, AR

Built 1992 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 40

C.R. 49 - E- 3.32

Fair

Over: BRIDGE CREEK

3.2 E JCT S H 195, Hempstead, AR

Built 1994 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 11

CR 20- K Geridge

Fair

Over: BUFFALO DITCH

1.7 MI S CO RD 25, Lonoke, AR

Built 1995 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 51

CR 644-E Hickory

Fair

Over: CANEY CREEK

2.9 MI W SH 128, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1996 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 610

South Yoder Rd-CR

Fair

Over: Creek

5.4 Mi N US165-LodgeCornr, Arkansas, AR

Built 1996 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 134

W.10th St Ext-CR4

Fair

Over: King Bayou Ditch

0.8 Mi E US 79-Stuttgart, Arkansas, AR

Built 1997 Load: 5.4 t ADT: 2

Showing 101-150 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.