National Bridge Inventory: Arkansas



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 2,407 bridges.
  • This compares to 2,537 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, Arkansas will receive a total of $300.8 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • Arkansas currently has access to $240.6 million of that total, and has committed $168.0 million towards 55 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 12,978 bridges in the state, 695, or 5.4 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 679 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 5.7 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in Arkansas

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Pulaski 1961 119,000 Urban Interstate I-30 Log 141.70 over Union Pacific RR
Pulaski 1969 55,000 Urban Interstate I-630 WB Log 2.10 over Rice, Thayer, RR, Creek
Pulaski 1969 55,000 Urban Interstate I-630 EB Log 2.10 over Rice, Thayer, RR, Creek
Pulaski 1961 53,500 Urban Interstate I-30 EB Log 136.91 over SH 367, RR, Creek
Pulaski 1961 53,500 Urban Interstate I-30 WB Log 136.90 over SH 367, RR, Creek
Pulaski 1958 50,000 Urban freeway/expressway US 67 NB Log 10.89 over SH 161
Pulaski 1960 49,000 Urban Interstate I 30-WB Log 138.29 over Frontage Rd & U.P.R.R.
Pulaski 1960 49,000 Urban Interstate I 30-EB Log 138.28 over Frontage Rd & U.P.R.R.
Crittenden 1959 27,500 Urban Interstate I 40, EB Lns over SH 77, Bn RR
Crittenden 1959 27,500 Urban Interstate I 40-Sec 52, WB Ln over SH 77, Bn RR
Pulaski 1977 24,628 Urban Interstate I-440 EB Log 3.80 over Lindsey Road
Pulaski 1977 24,628 Urban Interstate I 440 WB Log 3.92 over Lindsey Road
Pulaski 1961 21,884 Urban other principal arterial SH 10-Sec 8, WB Ln over Gill St/RR/Rose Bayou
Pulaski 1979 21,500 Urban Interstate I-440 EB Log 8.44 over Faulkner Lake
Pulaski 1979 21,500 Urban Interstate I 440 WB Log 8.44 over Faulkner Lake
Pulaski 1980 21,000 Urban Interstate I-440 EB Log 9.87 over Railroad & Swamp
Pulaski 1927 19,253 Urban minor arterial N Main Street over W 9th St & Uprr
Hot Spring 1955 18,000 Urban other principal arterial US 270B Log 2.23 over Front St, UPRR &1St
Crawford 1965 15,000 Urban Interstate I-40 Eastbound over Little Frog Bayou
Hot Spring 1963 15,000 Urban Interstate I-30 EB Log 97.06 over Ouachita Rvr; Riverview
Hot Spring 1967 14,500 Rural Interstate I-30 WB Log 84.11 over West Fork Delisle Creek
Crawford 1950 13,683 Urban minor arterial US 64 WB-Crawford over Frog Bayou Relief
White 1969 13,391 Rural arterial US 67 NB White over Cypress Rel
Washington 1940 13,000 Urban collector East Huntsville Rd over Spout Spring Br. - Fay.
White 1973 12,500 Rural arterial US 67 SB White over Cane Creek

Bridge Inventory: Arkansas

Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 406 535,474 6,441,461 1 547 14,500
Rural arterial 958 1,030,476 5,395,389 39 30,206 188,013
Rural minor arterial 1,204 662,895 3,444,675 78 62,525 179,900
Rural major collector 3,597 1,205,752 3,392,573 238 97,091 235,045
Rural minor collector 1,114 245,631 397,033 60 9,875 14,014
Rural local road 2,654 433,288 627,070 188 25,772 32,220
Urban Interstate 512 1,212,756 14,539,059 16 95,515 632,256
Urban freeway/expressway 165 287,910 2,776,908 1 472 50,000
Urban other principal arterial 365 497,899 5,651,962 12 39,590 115,938
Urban minor arterial 780 557,885 6,489,041 14 19,511 96,339
Urban collector 594 191,541 1,539,191 30 14,245 71,439
Urban local road 629 140,309 633,566 18 6,104 6,973
Total 12,978 7,001,817 51,327,928 695 401,452 1,636,637

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 1,464 $2,084 5,028,705 624,361
Widening & rehabilitation 49 $76 266,907 33,479
Rehabilitation 855 $1,120 2,742,298 493,653
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 17 $28 90,165 12,149
Other structural work 22 $14 10,409 6,337
Total 2,407 $3,321 8,138,484 1,169,978

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2023 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

30
Compared to 30 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
29. Idaho 5.0%
30. Arkansas 5.0%
31. Indiana 5.0%

21
Compared to 21 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
20. Tennessee 887
21. Arkansas 695
22. Texas 680

20
Compared to 29 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
19. New Jersey 6.0%
20. Arkansas 6.0%
21. District of Columbia 6.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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