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)

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.

All Bridges in Arkansas

CR88/Indepen.Co.

Fair

Over: CURIA CREEK

4.00 MI N SH 25, Independence, AR

Built 1941 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 60

James Avenue-CS

Fair

Over: Union Pacific RR

1 block E SH 365-Redfield, Jefferson, AR

Built 1924 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 115

Bayou Rd

Fair

Over: Muddy Bayou

2 MI N HOLLAND, Faulkner, AR

Built 1985 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 240

CR 607 - H

Fair

Over: CREEK

4 Miles S of Beech Grove, Greene, AR

Built 1988 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 228

W.GeorgePikeLn-CR

Fair

Over: Holt Branch Relief

0.1 Mi N WMcCallie-DeWitt, Arkansas, AR

Built 1992 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 147

Oak Street

Fair

Over: Keeland Creek

0.35 MI E JCT SH 10 & 7, Yell, AR

Built 1990 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 287

Bob Long Lane

Fair

Over: Crooked Creek

2.35 MI E SH 31, Lonoke, AR

Built 1997 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 285

Madison CR 347

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.2 MI W JCT CR347&SH 295, Madison, AR

Built 1996 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 215

SHANNON HILLS DR.

Fair

Over: OTTER CREEK

.10 M E CLAYTON DR, Saline, AR

Built 1980 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 846

CR 7/LaceyNewHope

Fair

Over: Clear Creek Relief

3.89 Mi N US 425-Lacey, Drew, AR

Built 2001 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 160

CR 7/LaceyNewHope

Fair

Over: Brown Creek

1.13 Mi N US 425-Lacey, Drew, AR

Built 2002 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 160

CR27-Perry Rd

Fair

Over: Ditch

3 mi E of SH 31, Lonoke, AR

Built 2003 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 246

Proctor Junction/B

Fair

Over: Ten Mile Bayou Cutoff

3.16 Mi S Of Us 70 & Cr13, Crittenden, AR

Built 2005 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 73

CR 338/McClendonRd

Fair

Over: Canal No. 18

100 N SH 4-McGehee, Desha, AR

Built 1999 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 53

CR 616-F-MAC RD

Fair

Over: BAYOU DEVIEW

0.35 MI W CR 616 & 3, Poinsett, AR

Built 2010 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 35

SH 83-02 LM 2.67

Fair

Over: Creek

2.67 Mi N US278-RoseHill, Drew, AR

Built 1930 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 1,149

SH 326

Fair

Over: Creek

5.53 M E of SH 124, Pope, AR

Built 1928 Load: 7.3 t ADT: 1,200

PROJECT ROAD

Fair

Over: Blue Mntn Lake Emergency

5 MI. SE OF BLUE MOUNTAIN, Yell, AR

Built 1947 Load: 7.7 t ADT: 55

Phelps Rd-CR 56

Fair

Over: Creek

0.25 Mi E US165-LodgeCrnr, Arkansas, AR

Built 1940 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 108

Long Bell Road-CR

Fair

Over: Cross Bayou

0.16 Mi E JeffCo-BayouMet, Arkansas, AR

Built 1977 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 25

Dallas Cr 55 Z-A

Fair

Over: SIMMONS CREEK

1 MI N CO RD 52, Dallas, AR

Built 1948 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 75

Williams Street

Fair

Over: Boy Scout Branch

0.6MI W CORD 24, Franklin, AR

Built 1960 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 38

CR13/Fulton County

Fair

Over: BRUSHY CREEK

2.4 MI NW SH 223, Fulton, AR

Built 1948 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 102

CR 7 Izard County

Fair

Over: Haley Creek

2.83 MI NW SH 58, Izard, AR

Built 1952 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 60

County Road 125

Fair

Over: Big Shoal Creek-Logan Co

0.85 MI S. SH 22, Logan, AR

Built 1970 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 47

PIlot Rock Rd. - E

Fair

Over: Jakes Creek

.21 M N Co Rd 16 & SH 164, Pope, AR

Built 1930 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 205

Mickles Switch Rd

Fair

Over: Achmun Creek

0.45 MI E JCT SH 10, Yell, AR

Built 1920 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 183

East Black Oak Rd.

Fair

Over: Middle Fork White River

8.70 MI SE SH 16, Washington, AR

Built 1969 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 1,400

Double Springs Rd.

Fair

Over: Goose Creek - Farmington

1.50MI N OF JCT U.S. 62, Washington, AR

Built 1978 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 3,800

CR102G Kinsey Mtn

Fair

Over: MEYERS CREEK

.04 MI W CR 103, Garland, AR

Built 1970 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 160

S. Main Street-CS

Fair

Over: Prices Branch

0.43 Mi S SH 1B-DeWitt, Arkansas, AR

Built 1940 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 370

N. Chismville Road

Fair

Over: Booneville Creek-Logan

0.14 N 8TH ST, Logan, AR

Built 1979 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 209

Van Buren St - B

Fair

Over: Gap Creek

0.1 SW US 64 Plumerville, Conway, AR

Built 1981 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 325

Greasy Valley Road

Fair

Over: Buckley Branch-Wash. Co.

7.4 MI S SH 45, Washington, AR

Built 1977 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 1,718

CR291-C Pleasant

Fair

Over: PLEASANT RUN CREEK

1.26 MI SE OF LONSDALE, Garland, AR

Built 1989 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 96

CR 2-F BAYOU RD

Fair

Over: THREE MILE CREEK

2.72 MI W OF FISHER, Poinsett, AR

Built 1993 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 70

CR 522 - A

Fair

Over: MAYO DITCH

.04 Mi N of County line, Clay, AR

Built 1999 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 45

CR 614/White Co.

Fair

Over: Little Cane Creek

1.42 Mi.NE SH 31, White, AR

Built 2001 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 179

CR 7/LaceyNewHope

Fair

Over: Jumper Creek

0.96 Mi N US 425-Lacey, Drew, AR

Built 2002 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 160

Perry Rd. CR27

Fair

Over: Ditch

2 Mi S off SH 232, Lonoke, AR

Built 2004 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 246

CR 516 - D

Fair

Over: RUNNING WATER CREEK

2 Mi. SE COFFMAN, Lawrence, AR

Built 2006 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 26

CR 919 Durham Road

Fair

Over: Bayou Meto

2 M N US 165, Prairie, AR

Built 2009 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 68

Clark CR 55 Z-E

Fair

Over: Little Antoine Creek

.02 S.JCT. CR55 & 56, Clark, AR

Built 2008 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 72

CR 624 Senteny Rd.

Fair

Over: Mulligan Lateral No. 1

2 M NW of Greenfield, Poinsett, AR

Built 2011 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 512

CR 36/ Red Springs

Fair

Over: Bear Creek

.40 MI W jct Co RD 23, Clark, AR

Built 1965 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 667

CR 411

Fair

Over: Caney Creek

0.6 M S of SH 278, Howard, AR

Built 1965 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 5

Sh-185/Sec-1/L1.48

Fair

Over: Ditch

1.09 Mi West Jct Sh 242, Phillips, AR

Built 1974 Load: 8.2 t ADT: 570

FDR 149

Fair

Over: MUDDY CREEK

2.6 MI W OF HWY 27, Montgomery, AR

Built 1950 Load: 8.7 t ADT: 50

Leigh Ave. Seb. Co

Fair

Over: I 540-SEC 1 MN LNS

JCT LEIGH AVE & I-540, Sebastian, AR

Built 1968 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 4,683

Madison Co. SH 74

Fair

Over: KINGS RIVER

11.21 E JCT SH 74 & SH 23, Madison, AR

Built 1975 Load: 9.1 t ADT: 540

Showing 201-250 of 12,974 bridges

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.

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.