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 133-03 LM 4.21

Fair

Over: South Fork Brown Creek

1.4 Mi W US 425-Lacey, Drew, AR

Built 1976 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 280

SH 133-03 LM 4.48

Fair

Over: South Fork Brown Creek

1.1 Mi W US 425-Lacey, Drew, AR

Built 1976 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 280

US 67 White County

Fair

Over: BRANCH

1.0 MI S JCT US 64 & 67, White, AR

Built 1969 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 28,960

I-40

Fair

Over: GAP CREEK

1.7 MI W PLUMERVILLE INTC, Conway, AR

Built 1968 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 36,000

Interstate 40

Fair

Over: East Gar Creek Relief

1.1 MI E SH 219, Franklin, AR

Built 1971 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 24,000

SH 195 - 01- 9.87

Fair

Over: DITCH

4.0 MI SW WASHINGTON, Hempstead, AR

Built 1972 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 290

I-555-03- LM 43.25

Fair

Over: DITCH

0.15 MI W SH 1B, Craighead, AR

Built 1970 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 34,000

US 270-5 Log 1.53

Fair

Over: MURPHY CREEK

6.76MI W OF SH 227, Garland, AR

Built 1979 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 3,300

I 49 Benton 1

Fair

Over: DITCH

4 MI N SH 264, Benton, AR

Built 1982 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 81,099

SH 279 Benton 2

Fair

Over: STREAM

3.11 MI N SH 102, Benton, AR

Built 1984 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,900

Sh-77/Sec-5/L17.24

Fair

Over: Ten Mile Bayou

.61 Miles North Of Us 70, Crittenden, AR

Built 1995 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 17,000

Sh-191/Sec-1/L0.41

Fair

Over: Ten Mile Bayou

0.41 Mi No Us 70 & Sh 191, Crittenden, AR

Built 2000 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 7,272

SH 90-02- LM 2.98

Fair

Over: VANCEL CREEK

2.98 MI NO JCT US 49, Clay, AR

Built 2004 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,348

SH 90-02- LM 5.43

Fair

Over: POST OAK CREEK

5.43 MI NW OF JCT US 49, Clay, AR

Built 2004 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 1,348

SH 5 Log 15.15

Fair

Over: MOCCASIN CREEK

15.3 Mi E Garland Co Line, Saline, AR

Built 2005 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 4,200

Us-79/Sec15/L16.63

Fair

Over: Big Cypress Creek

3.40 Miles West Of Sh 1, Lee, AR

Built 2005 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 2,000

SdDr drvwy off 270

Fair

Over: Gap Creek

1.6 W of Garland Co line, Montgomery, AR

Built 2007 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 10

FDR 178

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK

1.5 MI W OF FDR 19, Scott, AR

Built 1976 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50

FDR 134

Fair

Over: SHACK CREEK

1.35 MI E OF FDR 33, Scott, AR

Built 1940 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50

FDR 776

Fair

Over: BIG CEDAR CREEK

17.0MI W OF FDR 519, Scott, AR

Built 1977 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50

FS ROAD 1501

Fair

Over: SPIRITS CREEK

NO DATA ENTERED, Franklin, AR

Built 1977 Load: 22.7 t ADT: 50

SH 14-13- LM 8.69

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

2.55 MI E JCT US 49, Poinsett, AR

Built 1961 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,999

SH 14-13- LM 7.14

Fair

Over: DITCH

0.9MI E OF JCT US 49, Poinsett, AR

Built 1961 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,999

SH 178 Marion

Fair

Over: FALLEN ASH CREEK

1.34 MI N SH 178 & US 62, Marion, AR

Built 1929 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,200

SH 10

Fair

Over: Keeland Creek

7.14 MI W PERRY CO IN OLA, Yell, AR

Built 1928 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 5,400

US 79 S-3 LM 0.54

Fair

Over: CREEK

0.54 MI E COLUMBIA CO LIN, Ouachita, AR

Built 1948 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,600

US 425-07 LM 3.20

Fair

Over: Deep Bayou

3.20 Mi N Lincoln Co Line, Jefferson, AR

Built 1948 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,053

US 67 S-6 LM 0.76

Fair

Over: MILL CREEK

.76 MI N OF SH 51, Clark, AR

Built 1929 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 9,500

US 70 Cache River

Fair

Over: CACHE RIVER

.03 MI W OF MONROE CO LIN, Prairie, AR

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,300

U.S. 67 SERVICE RD

Fair

Over: McKINNEY BAYOU

1.03 MI. SO. OF S.H. 108, Miller, AR

Built 1929 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 384

US 61-03- LM 20.87

Fair

Over: PEMISCOT BAYOU

1.32 MI S OF PEMISCOT CO, Mississippi, AR

Built 1954 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,813

SH 7-9 Log 0.06

Fair

Over: SORREL CREEK

.06 NE JCT HOT SPRINGS CO, Garland, AR

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,300

SH 367 Log 1.26

Fair

Over: Dredge Ditch

1.26 MI NE JCT SH 5, Lonoke, AR

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,901

Us-70/Sec19/L21.57

Fair

Over: Blackfish Lake

3.45 Mi Sw Crittenden Co, St. Francis, AR

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,010

Us70/Sec-19/L22.45

Fair

Over: Drainage Canal

2.57 Mi Sw Crittenden Co, St. Francis, AR

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,300

SH 59-Wash Co.

Fair

Over: Baron Fork Creek

0.05 Mi. S Jct Hwy 45, Washington, AR

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,791

US 67 SEC.03-3.37

Fair

Over: STEEL CREEK

2.90 MI SW OF PRESCOTT, Nevada, AR

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,400

US 67 SEC. 03-6.34

Fair

Over: ONION CREEK

2.00 MI SW OF PRESCOTT, Nevada, AR

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,500

US 67 SEC. 03-7.11

Fair

Over: MILL BRANCH

W. OUTSKIRTS OF PRESCOTT, Nevada, AR

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,500

CO RD 407- A- 1.20

Fair

Over: LITTLE RIVER RELIEF

1.2 MI S JCT SH 27, Sevier, AR

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 14

SH 128 S-1 LM 4.17

Fair

Over: TULIP CREEK

4.17 MI W JCT SH 9, Dallas, AR

Built 1952 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 838

SH 58/Sharp County

Fair

Over: SIDNEY CREEK

4.4 MI W JCT OF 167, Sharp, AR

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,159

Sh-147/Sec-1/L0.22

Fair

Over: Fish Bayou

0.22 Mi North Jct Sh 131, Crittenden, AR

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 880

SH 35 S-5 LM 0.36

Fair

Over: ST Louis&SW RR 2nd ST

.36 MI E OF US 79, Cleveland, AR

Built 1936 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,800

Clev. CR 22 Z-E

Fair

Over: Union Pacific RR

.25 SE JCT HWY 79, Cleveland, AR

Built 1938 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 125

SH 129 S-1 LM 0.81

Fair

Over: BAYOU FRANK LA PERE

2.0 MI SW HUTTIG, Union, AR

Built 1955 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 879

SH 8 S-10 LM 0.14

Fair

Over: MORO CREEK RELIEF

.2 M E OF CALHOUN COL., Cleveland, AR

Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,615

SH 367 White Co.

Fair

Over: LITTLE RED RIVER

.3 M N OF SH 36, White, AR

Built 1949 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,129

State Highway 8

Fair

Over: Rock Creek

10.99 M E OKLAHOMA SL., Polk, AR

Built 1951 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,300

I- 55

Fair

Over: MISS RIVER & CORD 312

TENNESSEE & ARK ST LN, Crittenden, AR

Built 1949 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 42,000

Showing 2,301-2,350 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.