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

Kettle Springs Rd.

Fair

Over: Illinois River-Wash

0.52 MI NW OF SH 265, Washington, AR

Built 1975 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 167

Madison CR 325 - F

Fair

Over: DABNEY CREEK

.5 MI NO PATRICK, Madison, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 91

County Road 37

Fair

Over: Trapper Branch Seb. Co.

1.74 W US HWY 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 291

County Road 26

Fair

Over: Emert Branch Seb. Co.

0.4MI SO SH 252, Sebastian, AR

Built 1960 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 546

Hntsvle Labarge St

Fair

Over: TOWN BRANCH Madison Co

100 FEET W OF US 412 B, Madison, AR

Built 1966 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 111

COUNTRY CLUB RD

Fair

Over: WADLEIGH BRANCH

0.14 MI NE Jct US 278, Ouachita, AR

Built 1950 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,900

N.Commerce St - E

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek

.16 N of main st. (hwy 64, Pope, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 930

West Parkway - E

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek

.05 W Hwy 7, Pope, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 9,700

McKnight Street

Fair

Over: Branch-Washington Co.

0.6MI SO SH 170, Washington, AR

Built 1940 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,089

Tournament Drive

Fair

Over: WHITE OAK BAYOU

BURNS PARK SOUTH(I-5), Pulaski, AR

Built 1972 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 35

Old Monticello Rd.

Fair

Over: CREEK

.8MI SE US 278, Bradley, AR

Built 1930 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 970

Bntville A Street

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.11 Mi E. Jct US71B, Benton, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 5,000

SH 380 - 00 - 3.19

Fair

Over: CREEK

3.2 W BILLINGSLEY CORNER, Little River, AR

Built 1980 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 470

Young Gravelly Rd

Fair

Over: Park Creek

1.4 MI NE SH 28, Yell, AR

Built 1987 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 452

W OLIVE ST.

Fair

Over: Creek-City of Rogers.

.5 MI N US 71B, Benton, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 16,667

CR 67 RIGSBY LOOP

Fair

Over: WILLIAMS CREEK

1.6 M South SH 128, Garland, AR

Built 1986 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 264

CR 314 Madison Co.

Fair

Over: BRANCH OF THOMAS CREEK

4.8 MI N OF PATRICK, Madison, AR

Built 1978 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 12

COMMERCE RD

Fair

Over: MOORES DITCH

.25 MI N OF SH 18, Craighead, AR

Built 1980 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 4,000

Dragover Rd

Fair

Over: Haw Creek

.08 M S Jct SH 88, Montgomery, AR

Built 1980 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 74

Deberrie Rd

Fair

Over: S Fourche LaFave River

2.7 MI W JCT SH155 & CR14, Perry, AR

Built 1983 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 337

CR 104-G Caddo Gap

Fair

Over: MEYERS CREEK

1.15 MI JCT CR 386&387, Garland, AR

Built 1985 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 1,182

CR 90-A (911=130)

Fair

Over: BIG RUNNING WATER CR

1.25 MI WEST OF FENDER, Randolph, AR

Built 1968 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 170

Whitehouse Road

Fair

Over: Greasy Creek-Wash. Co.

1.8 M. N OF SH 74 WYOLA, Washington, AR

Built 1983 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 160

CR 3 Baxter

Fair

Over: KEETER CREEK

0.95 MI SE OF GASSVILLE, Baxter, AR

Built 1991 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 22

Bob Long Lane

Fair

Over: BAYOU METO

3.8 Mi E of SH 31, Lonoke, AR

Built 1991 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 285

CR 317/Little Lake

Fair

Over: Little Lake Bayou

0.37 Mi W US65-LakeVillge, Chicot, AR

Built 1992 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 186

CR 89-C (911=401)

Fair

Over: CREEK

1.5 MI NE OF HOOKER, Greene, AR

Built 1988 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 41

Union Valley Rd

Fair

Over: Little Huston Creek

3.4 M SW JCT SH 9 & CR14, Perry, AR

Built 1995 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 977

County Road 5

Fair

Over: Opossum Creek-Polk Co.

1.5 S. OF SH 278, Polk, AR

Built 1995 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 218

Hopewell Road-CR

Fair

Over: Bass Creek

0.8 Mi N SH 1-St. Charles, Arkansas, AR

Built 1995 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2

State Highway 265

Fair

Over: Spring Creek

1.85 MI N US412/SH265, Washington, AR

Built 1996 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 19,000

CR S159 - H

Fair

Over: LH CHUTE LITTLE RIVER

.22 MI S JCT SH 140, Mississippi, AR

Built 1997 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 162

CR 248/E (OTTAWA R

Fair

Over: PEPPER CREEK

1.75 MI N JCT CR45, Sevier, AR

Built 1998 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 121

Clydesdale Drive

Fair

Over: Creek - Wash. Co.

0.3 MI WEST OF US 71B, Washington, AR

Built 1999 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 108

CR 549 ZONE B

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.65 MI N JCT US 63, Union, AR

Built 2000 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 200

CARY DRIVE

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.4M.No.S.H.88, Saline, AR

Built 1985 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 422

CR 135 - E

Fair

Over: Indian Creek

0.5 Mi S of Mo. Line, Clay, AR

Built 2000 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 220

White Rock Mtn. Rd

Fair

Over: Salt Fork Creek-Frank Co

5.78 Mi E Crawford Co Ln, Franklin, AR

Built 1934 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 10

CR 120D W.Brook

Fair

Over: ALUM FORK SALINE RIVER

.1 MI S. Rice road, Saline, AR

Built 2002 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 7

Union CR 1 Z-I

Fair

Over: creek

3.5 MI W JCT US 167, Union, AR

Built 2002 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 170

Prince Drive

Fair

Over: Tucker Creek

4.50 MI E Toad Suck Dam, Faulkner, AR

Built 1990 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 2,060

Four Corner Road

Fair

Over: Creek - Wash. Co.

.20 MI W CR 21, Washington, AR

Built 2005 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 754

CR 1/Jackson Co.

Fair

Over: OATS CREEK

.22 MI. S JCT CORD 1 & 8, Jackson, AR

Built 2005 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 766

CR 253 Madison

Fair

Over: WAR EAGLE CREEK

3 MI E HUNTSVILLE, Madison, AR

Built 2006 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 102

East B Street - B

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek

.35 Mi. W of N. Knoxville, Pope, AR

Built 2007 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 990

Duvall Rd. - B

Fair

Over: Clear Creek

0.81 Mi. W. of Jct SH 105, Pope, AR

Built 1980 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 447

CR 831-Benton Co.

Fair

Over: CREEK

.5 MI N of BENTONVILLE, Benton, AR

Built 2009 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 400

Huntsville Avenue

Fair

Over: Spring Creek-Springdale

0.4 MI E SH 71B-17B, Washington, AR

Built 2008 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 19,275

South 66th St

Fair

Over: Little Creek

0.4 Mi N Hwy 255, Sebastian, AR

Built 2009 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 170

Bradley CR 52 Z-B

Fair

Over: Snake Creek

.7mi. SW JCT SH 189, Bradley, AR

Built 2010 Load: 21.8 t ADT: 400

Showing 1,851-1,900 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.