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-184/Sec-1/L0.97

Fair

Over: Tyronza River

.95 Miles North Jct Us 64, Cross, AR

Built 1967 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 120

C.R. 21 -E- 2.47

Fair

Over: I 30-SEC 12 LM 28.19

JCT I-30 & CO.RD. 21, Hempstead, AR

Built 1967 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 681

Sh-118/Sec3/L12.17

Fair

Over: Big Creek

2.21 Mi North Jct Us 64, Crittenden, AR

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 257

S East German Lane

Fair

Over: Little Creek

0.5 MI N JCT SH 286, Faulkner, AR

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 9,000

SH7 NB LM 7.54 S-2

Fair

Over: HOLMES CREEK

4.5 MI N JCT 335 & 7, Union, AR

Built 1974 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 7,438

WHITE 67/CR236 O/P

Fair

Over: US 67-13-11.68

2.51 MI NE JCT US 167, White, AR

Built 1978 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 13

State Highway 248

Fair

Over: Prairie Creek-Scott Co.

4.48MI E JCT SH 80 & 248, Scott, AR

Built 1979 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 220

SH 248 Scott Co.

Fair

Over: East Fork Poteau River

9.96MI E JCT SH 80 & 248, Scott, AR

Built 1979 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 220

SH 373-02- LM 3.68

Fair

Over: DITCH NO. 10

3.67 MI E JCT SH 163, Poinsett, AR

Built 1971 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 180

SH 103

Fair

Over: Mulberry River

.3 M S Jct SH 215&103, Johnson, AR

Built 1986 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 250

State Highway 375

Fair

Over: Rock Creek Relief Polk

3.2 MI NW JCT US 71, Polk, AR

Built 1985 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 440

Cr-637/Z-G/L-0.68

Fair

Over: Languille Rive Tributary

0.68 Mi West Sh 350 & 284, Cross, AR

Built 1977 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 74

CR 73 BEAUDRY CIR

Fair

Over: ANGLING CREEK

4.6 Mi E SH 7, Garland, AR

Built 1974 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 430

CR 72 C/Red Wagon

Fair

Over: TEN MILE CREEK

0.1 M E OF US 67, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1935 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 164

Red Oak Rd.

Fair

Over: Cabin Creek

.98 M NW CORD 42 & SH 64, Johnson, AR

Built 1930 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 203

County Road 274

Fair

Over: Barren Creek - Polk Co.

0.5MI SO JCT CORD 21, Polk, AR

Built 1940 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 19

CR 32- F Townsend

Fair

Over: CREEK

4.4 M W OF JCT US 67, Saline, AR

Built 1972 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 325

Goose Creek Road

Fair

Over: Owl Creek-Washington Co.

0.01 MI E Jct Flynn Rd., Washington, AR

Built 1970 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 900

N. Starr Drive

Fair

Over: Mossback Branch-Wash Co.

0.2 MI NORTH CO RD 48, Washington, AR

Built 1975 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,123

BANKS STREET

Fair

Over: TOWN CREEK

.5 M N BANKS ST & HWY 67, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1965 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,200

N POLK STREET

Fair

Over: COLEMAN CREEK

BTWN TAYLOR&TYLER, Pulaski, AR

Built 1965 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,521

BERKSHIRE DRIVE

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.1 MI S JP WRIGHT LOOP, Pulaski, AR

Built 1983 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 875

Greenridge Rd-Wash

Fair

Over: Holley Brooke Creek

0.002 MI SO CO RD 57, Washington, AR

Built 1974 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 231

CR 48

Fair

Over: Hogpen Creek

0.70 Mi SE US165-Portland, Ashley, AR

Built 1988 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 10

Ouachita CR 48 Z-G

Fair

Over: DITCH

1.59 MI W US 278, Ouachita, AR

Built 1991 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,800

CR 11/Independ. Co

Fair

Over: CREEK

.87 MI W US 167, Independence, AR

Built 1990 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 540

Fletcher Road

Fair

Over: Clear Creek - Wash. Co.

Jct. 751 & Beef Farm Rd., Washington, AR

Built 1992 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 470

Hale Mountain Road

Fair

Over: Fly Cr. - Washington Co.

N CITY LIMITS OF MORROW, Washington, AR

Built 1993 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,743

CR 96-J (911=W70)

Fair

Over: DITCH NO 2

1.5 M S & 0.5 ME OF ARKMO, Mississippi, AR

Built 1998 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 113

Union Star Road

Fair

Over: Lee Creek - Wash. Co.

2.0 MI N. CO RD 237, Washington, AR

Built 1993 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 481

Bethel Blacktop Rd

Fair

Over: Creek-Washington Co.

0.6 MI E CO RD 33, Washington, AR

Built 1996 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,065

PROSPECT RD

Fair

Over: MURRAY CREEK

1.57 M E OF GLENDALE, Craighead, AR

Built 1998 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,070

Pacific Ave.Sec C

Fair

Over: DRAINAGE DITCH

.83 Mi E of Kathleen St, Craighead, AR

Built 1998 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 238

Habberton Road

Fair

Over: Creek - Wash. Co.

2.7 MI S. OF US 412, Washington, AR

Built 2000 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,200

CR 9-H (911=S175)

Fair

Over: TYRONZA BAYOU

.3 Mi N of Hwy 14, Mississippi, AR

Built 2000 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 97

CR 986 - C

Fair

Over: BIG BAY DITCH

1 MI NE 1/4 E BOWMAN, Craighead, AR

Built 2000 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 4

CR 32-E (911=324)

Fair

Over: CREEK

2 MI NW STERLING SPRINGS, Craighead, AR

Built 2002 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 791

CR. 487-D 911=752

Fair

Over: Creek

.4 M E. Jct. CR 487 & 89, Craighead, AR

Built 2008 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 96

Madison CR 451

Fair

Over: CLIFTY CREEK

0.12 MI N JCT SH 12, Madison, AR

Built 2009 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 109

CR 353 White Co.

Fair

Over: Four Mile Creek

2.75 W USH167, White, AR

Built 2013 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 97

CR 505 Benton

Fair

Over: BRANCH

4 M NW DECATUR, Benton, AR

Built 2014 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 384

SH 51-4 Log 3.45

Fair

Over: STONE QUARRY CREEK

AT MAGNET COVE, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1928 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 2,775

SH 7-8 Log 8.58

Fair

Over: BIG HILL CREEK

8.55 MI NO CLARK CO LINE, Hot Spring, AR

Built 1928 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 5,600

SH 10 - Logan Co.

Fair

Over: Booneville Creek

0.5 MI E JCT SH 23, Logan, AR

Built 1930 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 10,000

SH 7

Fair

Over: Whig Creek

1.52 M NE of Yell Co., Pope, AR

Built 1950 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 23,000

I 440-SEC 1 WB

Fair

Over: I30 SH365 FRAZIER FOURCH

SO TERMINAL-EW RAMP, Pulaski, AR

Built 1977 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 18,000

I-30 EB FR Road

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

1.6 MI SW SH 183, Saline, AR

Built 1959 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 8,287

SH 28

Fair

Over: BIG CREEK

0.55 E OF SH 27 @ ROVER, Yell, AR

Built 1959 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,500

SH 251-01- LM 6.33

Fair

Over: CREEK

6.3 MI NW SH 115, Randolph, AR

Built 1939 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 970

SH 256-01 LM 1.68

Fair

Over: Caney Creek

0.4 Mi E SH 365-WhiteHall, Jefferson, AR

Built 1942 Load: 29.0 t ADT: 1,500

Showing 4,001-4,050 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.