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

S. College Avenue

Fair

Over: Spout Spring Branch

0.2 S. SH 71-B, Washington, AR

Built 1993 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,365

Vice Road-CR 41

Fair

Over: Wildcat Ditch

0.75 Mi E SH 130-Almyra, Arkansas, AR

Built 1992 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 10

PLANTATION ACRES

Fair

Over: HAW BRANCH

.3 MI N OF CRYSTAL VALLEY, Pulaski, AR

Built 1990 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 873

WEST GLEN DR

Fair

Over: CREEK

W OF POINT WEST DR, Pulaski, AR

Built 1990 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 822

South 92nd Street

Fair

Over: Creek City of Fort Smith

0.05 MI N SH 255, Sebastian, AR

Built 1994 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 89

CR 847 - B

Fair

Over: LOCUST CREEK DITCH

2.75 miles E of Paragould, Greene, AR

Built 1996 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 298

CR 322 - F

Fair

Over: GUM SLOUGH DITCH

4 MI SE OF FONTAINE, Greene, AR

Built 1996 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 10

CR 488 Benton

Fair

Over: FLINT CREEK

2 MI N SILOAM SPRINGS, Benton, AR

Built 1996 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 795

South Tomato Road

Fair

Over: Cove Creek-Washington Co

Jct Co Rd 215 & 285, Washington, AR

Built 1996 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 190

Stubblefield Road

Fair

Over: Creek

0.01 W OF OLD MISSOURI RD, Washington, AR

Built 1995 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,064

Bntville Tiger Blv

Fair

Over: BRANCH

.02 MI W NE A St, Benton, AR

Built 1998 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,300

CR 89/Desoto Rd

Fair

Over: Cypress Creek (Canal)

3.0 Mi E US 65-Gould, Lincoln, AR

Built 1999 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 32

CR 77-C(KELLER LN)

Fair

Over: MAIN DITCH

2.5 W & .75 N ZONE C, Randolph, AR

Built 2000 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 75

Van Asche Dr - Fay

Fair

Over: Mud Creek Tributary

0.1 Mi. W. Jct. Mall Ave., Washington, AR

Built 2001 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 4,000

Co. Rd - Seb Co.

Fair

Over: Little Vache Grasse Cr.

0.5 EAST OF SH 59-7, Sebastian, AR

Built 1927 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 9

S. BROWNING AVE-I

Fair

Over: SUGAR CREEK

.25 Mi N of Hwy 49, Clay, AR

Built 2004 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 208

Black Fork Rd

Fair

Over: Blackfork Creek

0.7 MI N JCT SH 225, Faulkner, AR

Built 1985 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 437

Cane Creek Drive

Fair

Over: Cane Creek

0.50 M So. 145th Str., Pulaski, AR

Built 1975 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 420

Col.CORd42 Z-B

Fair

Over: Hurricane Creek

2.6 mi.SW jct.US82&CR42, Columbia, AR

Built 2005 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 25

CR 3820

Fair

Over: Creek

0.90 N OF END ST. HWY 315, Johnson, AR

Built 2000 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 251

C.R. 31 EAST FARM

Fair

Over: BUFFALO CREEK

3.5 MI. SO. OF ANTOINE, Pike, AR

Built 2005 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 88

Trail 86

Fair

Over: BEAR CREEK

0.1 MI NE JCT SH 7, Perry, AR

Built 1980 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 40

C.R. 18 MUDDY FORK

Fair

Over: BLUFF CREEK

2.41 M. EAST. SH 369, Howard, AR

Built 2008 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 223

Clark CR 24 Z-I

Fair

Over: Caney Creek

1.3 mi. W jct. SH 182, Clark, AR

Built 2009 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 305

Progress Ave.

Fair

Over: BRANCH

0.5 MI N US 412, Benton, AR

Built 2008 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 246

CR 2 - G LM 5.05

Fair

Over: BRUSHY BRANCH

4 MI N of Ravenden Spring, Randolph, AR

Built 2005 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 273

Phoenix-Sebastian

Fair

Over: Ditch

0.25 Mi E Jct Hwy 71B-14B, Sebastian, AR

Built 2003 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 15,238

CR 25-C-1.34

Fair

Over: SPRING CREEK

1MI SO OF PROVO, Sevier, AR

Built 2010 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 141

Bradley CR 53 Z-A

Fair

Over: White Oak Creek

4.24 MI S JCT SH 160, Bradley, AR

Built 2012 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 38

CR 32/5050 Newton

Fair

Over: RICHLAND CREEK

6.83 mi E of SH123, Newton, AR

Built 1935 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 190

CR 77 White County

Fair

Over: Adler Creek

.22Mi.SouthCedarCornerRd, White, AR

Built 2017 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,208

Donnie Stevens Rd

Fair

Over: Adler Creek

.2 Mi N. Cedar Crnr. Rd., White, AR

Built 2018 Load: 23.6 t

Gun Club Road

Fair

Over: Flat Rock Creek

0.4 Mi East of SH 59, Crawford, AR

Built 1970 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 250

State Highway 22

Fair

Over: Hagwood Creek-Logan Co.

3 MI EAST JCT 309 @ PARIS, Logan, AR

Built 1928 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 7,589

SH 22-Logan Co.

Fair

Over: East Fork Hagwood Creek

4.1 MI EAST JCT HWY 309, Logan, AR

Built 1928 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 7,589

State Highway 22

Fair

Over: PeDee Creek-Logan Co.

4.7 MI E JCT 109@ SUBIACO, Logan, AR

Built 1928 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,800

SH 22

Fair

Over: Mill Creek-Logan Co.

3.4 MI E JCT SH 197, Logan, AR

Built 1928 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,400

US 79 S-1 LM 11.73

Fair

Over: HORSEHEAD CREEK RELIEF

11.73 MI NO LOUISIANA ST., Columbia, AR

Built 1956 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 2,700

US 71 SEC.02-13.32

Fair

Over: ABANDONED RR-NO RAILS

1.35 MI. N. OF HWY245 JCT, Miller, AR

Built 1929 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 6,600

SH 9 S-1 LM8.03

Fair

Over: CHAPEL CREEK

0.02 MI S DALLAS CO LINE, Ouachita, AR

Built 1953 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,987

SH 35-08 LM 15.02

Fair

Over: Cut-Off Creek Relief

15.02 Mi E US 278-Collins, Drew, AR

Built 1959 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,700

Sh-1/Sec-6/L-6.24

Fair

Over: Cypress Creek

1 Mile Ne Jct Sh 17 & 1, Monroe, AR

Built 1956 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 1,300

SH 144-02 LM 6.01

Fair

Over: Beouf River

2.6 Mi W US 65-McMillanCn, Chicot, AR

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 360

SH 190-05 LM 7.23

Fair

Over: Harding Drain

0.1 Mi E OhioSt-PineBluff, Jefferson, AR

Built 1953 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 13,000

I-55SB-12-LM 53.43

Fair

Over: DITCH NO 40

0.5 MI NO SH 158, Mississippi, AR

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,000

I-55SB-12-LM 54.57

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH NUMBER 31

1.6 MI NO JCT SH 158, Mississippi, AR

Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,000

I-55SB-12-LM 57.99

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH NUMBER 6

.55 MI NO OF SH 148, Mississippi, AR

Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,000

I-55 SB-12- 60.29

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH NO. 20

2.8 MI NO JCT SH 148, Mississippi, AR

Built 1960 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 11,000

I 55-12SB-LM 44.54

Fair

Over: UPPER SANDY BAYOU

0.1 MI NO JCT SH 181, Mississippi, AR

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 12,500

State Highway 219

Fair

Over: Gar Branch-Franklin Co.

0.21 NO JCT 219 & 64, Franklin, AR

Built 1962 Load: 23.6 t ADT: 5,900

Showing 2,501-2,550 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.