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

SH 275 S-2 Lm 1.03

Fair

Over: DRY CREEK

1.03 MI N JCT US 82, Union, AR

Built 1968 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 650

SH 84 SEC.02-6.89

Fair

Over: LITTLE BLOCKER CREEK

1.4 MI E JCT SH 369, Pike, AR

Built 1969 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 940

US 71_04_0.30 (NB)

Fair

Over: RED RIVER

5.56 MI N JCT I-30 & US71, Little River, AR

Built 1981 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 14,364

US 67-SEC.01-18.51

Fair

Over: RED RIVER

.2 W JCT SH 355, Miller, AR

Built 1982 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 4,300

SH 198-02- LM 0.61

Fair

Over: DITCH NO. 13

1.5 MI W JCT SH 77, Mississippi, AR

Built 1987 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 120

CR 6 Baxter

Fair

Over: LITHIA CREEK

2.45 Mi E of Whiteville, Baxter, AR

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 895

CR 405 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: BEATY CREEK

.56 MI NO OF SH 72, Benton, AR

Built 1932 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 62

Calhoun CR 54 Z-B

Fair

Over: TAYLOR CREEK

1 MI W US 167, Calhoun, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 411

Clark CR 36 Z-A

Fair

Over: CANEY CREEK

1 MI SW JCT CO RD 165, Clark, AR

Built 1925 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 6

Center School Rd-E

Fair

Over: Canady Branch

2.43 Mi N. Jct. SH 124, Conway, AR

Built 1979 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 238

Round Mt. Rd.

Fair

Over: Gold Creek

1.23 MI W SH 365, Faulkner, AR

Built 1939 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,400

CR 52-J/WALNUT VAL

Fair

Over: SOUTH FORK SALINE RIVER

1.49 MI W HWY 7, Garland, AR

Built 1970 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,125

CR 125-G Oak Grove

Fair

Over: HALLMANS CREEK

.67 M CORDS 125 & 108, Garland, AR

Built 1963 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,223

CR2/BRIGHT STAR Rd

Fair

Over: INGRAHAM CREEK

2 MI W SH 355, Howard, AR

Built 1965 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 807

C.R 6(BLUFF SPRING

Fair

Over: BLUE BAYOU

3 MI NW MINERAL SPRINGS, Howard, AR

Built 1950 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 54

CR 15 Izard County

Fair

Over: BIG HURRICANE CREEK

3 MI W OF SH 9, Izard, AR

Built 1936 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 207

SpringhillRd IZARD

Fair

Over: POWELL CREEK

1.3MI SO SH354, Izard, AR

Built 1958 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 534

CR 3451

Fair

Over: Curtis Creek

4.1 M N Jct 103, Johnson, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 904

CR 3451

Fair

Over: Rock Creek

4.72 M N CR77 & SH103, Johnson, AR

Built 1930 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 904

Richie Road

Fair

Over: Ashley Creek Logan Co.

0.54 MI S SH 10, Logan, AR

Built 1966 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 190

Old Military Road

Fair

Over: Hegwood Creek Logan Co.

3.3 MI E SH 309, Logan, AR

Built 1942 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 270

CO RD 30 - F- 0.79

Fair

Over: EAST KELLY BAYOU

.75 MI SE OF KIBLAH, Miller, AR

Built 1970 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 234

C.R. 385 - A- 0.21

Fair

Over: CREEK

8 MI SE OF FOUKE, Miller, AR

Built 1973 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2

CR 138-J(911=W180)

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.3 MI W OF LEACHVILLE, Mississippi, AR

Built 1939 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 32

Cutoff Rd

Fair

Over: Mazarn Creek

0.01 MI W Jct CR 40, Montgomery, AR

Built 1936 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 26

Old Dallas Rd

Fair

Over: Wake Creek

1 MI SE of Alamo, Montgomery, AR

Built 1936 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 128

Cr-338/Z-H/L-1.0

Fair

Over: Ditch

1 Mile West Of Jct Sh 85, Phillips, AR

Built 1976 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 23

CO RD 1- Zone F

Fair

Over: Big Lunch Creek-Polk Co.

2.42 MI SW of GRANNIS, Polk, AR

Built 1920 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 90

Co. Rd. 70-Polk Co

Fair

Over: Alexander Lee Creek

2.99 MI E US 71, Polk, AR

Built 1937 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 334

CORD 70-B

Fair

Over: Little Lee Creek-Polk Co

3.94MI E US71, Polk, AR

Built 1937 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 217

CO RD 70 ZONE B

Fair

Over: Alex Creek-Polk Co.

4.05 M E JCT US71 & COR70, Polk, AR

Built 1937 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 217

Co Rd 109 Polk Co.

Fair

Over: Ouachita River Relief

ACORN, Polk, AR

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 37

County Road 3

Fair

Over: Turner Creek Scott Co.

5.77 M SW CO RD 9 & 3, Scott, AR

Built 1936 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 60

Co.Rd. 1 Zone G

Fair

Over: Big Cedar Creek Seb. Co.

2.82 MI S JCT CO RD 5, Sebastian, AR

Built 1941 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 5

Co. Rd. 23 Seb. Co

Fair

Over: Hog Wallow Creek

3.45MI NO SH96, Sebastian, AR

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 626

County Road 56

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek Seb. Co.

1.88 MI E HWY 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 1942 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,500

County Road 215

Fair

Over: Vache Grasse Seb. Co.

0.46 MI NO JCT 78, Sebastian, AR

Built 1941 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 24

CO RD 222 Seb. Co.

Fair

Over: Little Washburn Creek

0.22MI N CORD 82 ZONE A, Sebastian, AR

Built 1941 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 369

River Rd

Fair

Over: Lake Nimrod Rel.

3.0 S SH 28, Yell, AR

Built 1929 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 30

CR 18 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: SO PRONG SPAVINAW CR

4 MI NE DECATUR, Benton, AR

Built 1965 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 3,424

Clark CR 38 Z-A

Fair

Over: LOCKET CREEK

1.3 MI NW JCT CO RD 162, Clark, AR

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 572

Mt. Zion Loop - B

Fair

Over: Creek

2 MI SE Morrilton, Conway, AR

Built 1948 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 425

CR 9/Independ. Co.

Fair

Over: CANEY CREEK

1.3 MI S. JCT SH 230, Independence, AR

Built 1937 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 180

CR 36 Izard County

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

4.72 MI N SH 56, Izard, AR

Built 1939 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 751

CR 6 Izard County

Fair

Over: E LAFFERTY

1.8 W SH 69 @ Mt Pleasant, Izard, AR

Built 1941 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 950

CR 543 - F

Fair

Over: DITCH

3MI SW OF CLOVER BEND, Lawrence, AR

Built 1938 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 220

CR 35 BELLAH MINE

Fair

Over: DE QUEEN LAKE

8.7 MI N US 70, Sevier, AR

Built 1968 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 392

CR 12/Stone County

Fair

Over: CREEK

1 MI SW SH 66, Stone, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 521

Schaberg Road

Fair

Over: Clear Creek-Crawford Co.

2.09 MI W HWY 71, Crawford, AR

Built 1942 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 135

CO RD 70 ZONE B

Fair

Over: Slaty Creek-Polk Co.

5.15 E US 71, Polk, AR

Built 1937 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 217

Showing 1,801-1,850 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.