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

GanderStreetRd-CR

Fair

Over: Flag Lake Sough

0.3 Mi N Main St-Gillett, Arkansas, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 48

CR61/Cleburne Co.

Fair

Over: ROCKY BRANCH CREEK

3.22MI SO SH 92 Zone D, Cleburne, AR

Built 1977 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 250

Clark CR 7 Z-D

Fair

Over: DE GRAY CREEK

.35 MI N JCT CO RD 30, Clark, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,456

Old Hwy. 11

Fair

Over: WOLFE ISLAND SLASH

0.2 M No. SH 86, Prairie, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 171

CR 10H Old 11

Fair

Over: LAGRUE BAYOU

4.35 MI SO OF HWY 70, Prairie, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 171

UNION CR 18 ZONE E

Fair

Over: SALT CREEK

1.68 MI NW JCT US 167, Union, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 635

Midland Rd.

Fair

Over: OWEN CR

0.1MI NO SH 5, Saline, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 2,100

Cr-241/Z-D/L-1.12

Fair

Over: Crooked Creek

1 Mile North Of Us 49, Phillips, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 488

CR.15-STRAWBERRY.R

Fair

Over: LITTLE WOLF CREEK

0.5MI N OF DELIGHT, Pike, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 364

CR 22 Benton Co.

Fair

Over: COLUMBIA HOLLOW CREEK

.75 SO OF SH 102, Benton, AR

Built 1978 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 113

Ouachita CR25 Z-E

Fair

Over: SO FK FRENCH CREEK

1.15 MI N JCT CR 26, Ouachita, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 386

Ouachita CR25 Z-E

Fair

Over: NO FK FRENCH CREEK

1.25 MI N JCT CR 26, Ouachita, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 386

FOURCHE DAM PIKE

Fair

Over: FOURCHE CREEK

1.3 E OF END SH 338, Pulaski, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 706

Cr-815/Z-H/L-1.37

Fair

Over: Coffee Creek

1.37 SO JCT US 70, St. Francis, AR

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 282

CR 61- Kerr Road

Fair

Over: BAYOU METO

2 M No I-40, Lonoke, AR

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,800

CR 684-D-RAYBOURN

Fair

Over: HAYFIELD DITCH

4.65 W CO RD 691, Poinsett, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 678

Cr-625/Z-A/L-1.76

Fair

Over: Mill Seed Drainage

1.76 Miles South Of Sh 38, St. Francis, AR

Built 1982 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 329

CR 76/Shuler Rd

Fair

Over: Macon Bayou

1.7 Mi E US65-ChicotJunct, Chicot, AR

Built 1981 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 15

Bradley CR 2 Z-F

Fair

Over: LAIGLE CREEK RELIEF

2. W SH 160, Bradley, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 168

Cr-255/Z-G/L-7.98

Fair

Over: Second Creek

2.8 Miles South Of Sh 261, St. Francis, AR

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 241

Cr-255/Z-G/L-5.96

Fair

Over: First Creek

.5 Miles South Of Sh 261, St. Francis, AR

Built 1979 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 171

Col. CR 15 Z-G

Fair

Over: DORCHEAT BAYOU RELIEF

1.5 MI E OF JCT 15 & 1, Columbia, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,661

OLD AIR PORT RD.

Fair

Over: MINE CREEK (CITY)

.05 MI E JCT SH 980, Howard, AR

Built 1980 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 158

Bradley CR 32 Z-E

Fair

Over: BEECH CREEK

.3 MI NE CO RD 35, Bradley, AR

Built 1982 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7

Oil Well Corner/ZF

Fair

Over: Ditch Number 7

1 Miles North Int Cr 4&13, Crittenden, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6

ProctorRd/B/L-3.64

Fair

Over: Ditch Number 18

3.64 Miles West Of Sh 147, Crittenden, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 122

Pleasent View Rd-E

Fair

Over: Illinois Bayou/Lk Dardnl

0.5 M. W. SH 7, Pope, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,500

BOONE RD.

Fair

Over: HURRICANE CREEK

2.4 MI E JCT 1-30, Saline, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 4,500

Welcome Home Rd

Fair

Over: Rose Creek

.24 MI S HWY 155, Perry, AR

Built 1984 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 252

SO SHACKLEFORD RD

Fair

Over: PANTHER/BRODIE CREEK

.20MI S OF W 36TH ST, Pulaski, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,700

Sheepskin Rd-F

Fair

Over: Sunnyside Creek

0.95 Mi. N Jct SH 124, Conway, AR

Built 1983 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 140

Cr-680/Z-A/L-1.59

Fair

Over: Bayou Deview

1.59 Miles East Of Sh 17, Woodruff, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 154

County Road 27-F

Fair

Over: James Fork Seb. Co.

0.7 MI E SH 45, Sebastian, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 68

CR 86-F Mt. Spring

Fair

Over: FOUR MILE CREEK

.18 MI E SH 5, Lonoke, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 34

Wire Rd - Frank Co

Fair

Over: North Fork White Oak Cr.

0.3 MI W SH 23, Franklin, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 410

UNION CR 31 (K)

Fair

Over: CORNIE BAYOU

1.60 MI E JCT US 167, Union, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 380

South "Y" Street

Fair

Over: Mill Creek City Ft Smith

0.01 Mi E Jct SH 255-3, Sebastian, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,100

CR 55/Izard County

Fair

Over: STRAWBERRY RIVER

.06 MI SO SH 354, Izard, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 689

Old Missouri Road

Fair

Over: Mudd Creek - Wash. Co.

0.98 MI N OLD WIRE RD, Washington, AR

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 5,700

West GLAZYPEAU

Fair

Over: GLAZYPEAU CREEK

4.9 MI W OF JCT SH 7, Garland, AR

Built 1985 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 319

CR67-Batesville Pk

Fair

Over: KELLOGG CREEK

.5 MI N KELLOGG RD, Pulaski, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 6,900

Benton CR 12

Fair

Over: OSAGE CREEK

.5 MI N US 412, Benton, AR

Built 1986 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 355

CR 204 - G

Fair

Over: JOHNSON DITCH

5.1 MI WEST US 49, Craighead, AR

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 122

Mound City/Z-Ds

Fair

Over: Ten Mile Bayou

2.6 Mile Norh Int 27&I-40, Crittenden, AR

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,300

CR71-Graham Rd.

Fair

Over: TWO PRAIRIE BAYOU

3.1 MI WEST SH 89, Lonoke, AR

Built 1987 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 1,521

Pinnacle SpringsRd

Fair

Over: N Fork Cadron Creek

1.4 Mi East US 65, Faulkner, AR

Built 1988 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 352

KANIS RD (12TH ST)

Fair

Over: ROCK CREEK

1.2 MI W UNIVERSITY, Pulaski, AR

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 11,000

Jenny Lind Road

Fair

Over: Mill Creek Ft Smith

0.1 M N US HWY 71, Sebastian, AR

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 7,800

West Fresno Street

Fair

Over: Mill Creek City Ft Smith

0.03 MI E JCT SH 255-3, Sebastian, AR

Built 1991 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 3,900

Cr-MarlinSwamp/Z-G

Fair

Over: Outlet Ditch

3.78 Mi E Int Cr 8 & 15, Crittenden, AR

Built 1990 Load: 32.7 t ADT: 60

Showing 4,751-4,800 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.