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 160 S4 LM 6.72

Fair

Over: DORCHEAT BAYOU RELIEF

6.78 MI E OF TAYLOR, Columbia, AR

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 420

SH 88

Fair

Over: Hackberry Creek

.5 M E jct of US 270, Montgomery, AR

Built 1964 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 306

SH 88

Fair

Over: Fiddler Creek

2.5 MI E Jct US 270, Montgomery, AR

Built 1964 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 306

SH 88

Fair

Over: Rocky Creek

4.40 MI E OF SIMS, Montgomery, AR

Built 1966 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 250

SH 84 S-4 LM 3.13

Fair

Over: CADDO RIVER

3.1 MI NE JCT SH 8, Clark, AR

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 610

SH 9/Stone County

Fair

Over: TOMAHAWK CREEK

6.6 MI SW SH 66, Stone, AR

Built 1966 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,236

State Highway 96

Fair

Over: West Creek-Sebastian Co.

3.52 MI NE OKLAHOMA ST LI, Sebastian, AR

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 630

SH 84 - 02 -13.50

Fair

Over: LITTLE SELF CREEK

5.0 MI W JCT US 70 & 84, Pike, AR

Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 940

SH 133 S-5 LM 2.07

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK FORK

2.11 MI E JCT SH 35, Cleveland, AR

Built 1959 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 634

Ouachita CR 67 Z-A

Fair

Over: CROSSROAD CREEK

.3 SO JCT 67 & 68, Ouachita, AR

Built 1963 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,000

Parsons Road

Fair

Over: Friendship Creek-Wash

2.58 M E SH265 SPUR, Washington, AR

Built 1965 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 690

Cr-711/Z-J/L-12.58

Fair

Over: Crow Creek

1.2 M S Jct Cr 52 & Sh 50, St. Francis, AR

Built 1966 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 16

Oua. CO RD 68 Z-A

Fair

Over: SMACKOVER CREEK

Union & Ouachita Co Line, Ouachita, AR

Built 1975 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 151

County Road 32

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek Seb. Co.

0.25 MI N SH 252, Sebastian, AR

Built 1976 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 259

CR 8 - A - 7.59

Fair

Over: MCKINNEY BAYOU

7MI. S & 2.5 E FOUKE ARK., Miller, AR

Built 1978 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 100

SH 117-02- LM 4.83

Fair

Over: FLAT CREEK

4.83 MI E JCT SH 115, Lawrence, AR

Built 1966 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,262

US71B & Futrall Dr

Fair

Over: Scull Creek - Wash. Co.

300 E OF N GREGG AV, Washington, AR

Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 41,000

SH 107

Fair

Over: Nichols Creek

0.8 MI N JCT SH 225, Faulkner, AR

Built 1967 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,099

SH 80-Scott Co.

Fair

Over: Dutch Creek

1.0 MI W YELL CO LINE, Scott, AR

Built 1968 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 650

I 40-SEC 52

Fair

Over: MISS RVR CR CI ST RR

4 MI E JCT I-55 & I-40, Crittenden, AR

Built 1973 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 45,000

SH 275 S 2 LM 0.49

Fair

Over: BAYOU LAPILE

.55 MI N JCT US 82, Union, AR

Built 1968 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 650

US 64-District 4

Fair

Over: Cty Sts RR ARK RIVER

0.3 MI NE SH 59, Sebastian, AR

Built 1975 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 22,000

SH 206 Boone

Fair

Over: WEST FORK CROOKED CREEK

2.99 MI S JCT SH 43, Boone, AR

Built 1969 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 680

US 165-05 LM 2.45

Fair

Over: Moore Bayou

2.45 Mi N AR Rvr-Pndleton, Arkansas, AR

Built 1983 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,500

KANIS RD

Fair

Over: I 430-LOG 5.92

0.37 MI S OF I-630, Pulaski, AR

Built 1974 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 14,925

US 65-14B LM 6.46

Fair

Over: Nebraska St SLSW/UNPAC

1.31 Mi E 63B & 79B-PB, Jefferson, AR

Built 1972 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,900

SH 138-03 LM 20.94

Fair

Over: Bayou Bartholomew

2.8 Mi W US 65-Winchester, Drew, AR

Built 1971 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,000

SH 354 Sharp Co.

Fair

Over: LITTLE CREEK

5.5 MI SE JCT US167&SH354, Sharp, AR

Built 1974 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 360

W 28th Avenue-CS

Fair

Over: Union Pacific RR

0.6 Mi E US 79B-PineBluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 1975 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 15,000

SH 102 Benton 2

Fair

Over: OVER KCS RR

0.1 MI N JCT SH 59 & 102, Benton, AR

Built 1977 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,400

I-440

Fair

Over: ARKANSAS RIVER

4.7 SO OF I-40, Pulaski, AR

Built 1982 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 47,000

State Highway 248

Fair

Over: Poteau Creek Scott Co.

0.18MI NE OF JCT 80 & 248, Scott, AR

Built 1979 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 920

E 21ST STREET

Fair

Over: I 30-LOG 139.24

4.9 N JCT SH 338, Pulaski, AR

Built 1980 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 611

Sh-306/Sec-2/L7.07

Fair

Over: First Creek

7.9 Mi West Jct Sh 1-306, St. Francis, AR

Built 1979 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 279

State Highway 1

Fair

Over: White River-District 2

WHITE RIVER @ ST. CHARLES, Arkansas, AR

Built 1983 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,100

Pear Tree Rd - E

Fair

Over: W Fk Point Remove Creek

1 MI N SH 95, Conway, AR

Built 1942 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 163

CR 71 PEARCY RD

Fair

Over: LOST CREEK

.4 S US 70, Garland, AR

Built 1976 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 643

CR 79-D HAMILTON D

Fair

Over: CREEK

3.17 MI N SH 5, Garland, AR

Built 1970 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 940

CR180Reybrn Crk Rd

Fair

Over: REYBURN CREEK

4 MI S OF GLEN ROSE, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1930 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 111

CR 3291

Fair

Over: Little Spadra Creek

1.39 NO I 40, Johnson, AR

Built 1942 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,219

Daniels Lane

Fair

Over: Chigger Creek-Logan Co.

.01 MI E SH 109, Logan, AR

Built 1973 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 36

Madison CO RD 10

Fair

Over: BRUSH CREEK

6MI SW OF HINDSVILLE, Madison, AR

Built 1942 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 142

Old Dallas Rd

Fair

Over: Mazarn Creek Branch

4.98 M NW Garland Co Line, Montgomery, AR

Built 1939 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 128

Clear creek Rd

Fair

Over: Cedar Creek

.36 M S Jct CR 132, Montgomery, AR

Built 1974 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 50

Buttermilk Rd - B

Fair

Over: Creek

4.25 M S St. Hwy. 124, Pope, AR

Built 1941 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 240

White Oak Mtn Rd-C

Fair

Over: East Fk Illinios Bayou

3.5 MI SE SH 27, Pope, AR

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 289

CR 10-A (IRONTON)

Fair

Over: DITCH

.3 SO OF SH 338, Pulaski, AR

Built 1950 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,604

CR 89 Republican

Fair

Over: Bayou Meto

.8 M W JCT SH 107 & RD 74, Pulaski, AR

Built 1970 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,220

Old Hwy 67/167

Fair

Over: JACKS BAYOU

1.7 N US 67, Pulaski, AR

Built 1934 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 3,400

County Road 37

Fair

Over: Coondog Branch Seb. Co.

1.12 W US HWY 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 1940 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 22

Showing 2,401-2,450 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.